Reflections and Aspirations The ACB 2008 Report pptx

Conserve Biodiversity, Save Humanity Bookmarks ACB Updates Environment Ministers...43 Training Courses to Enhance Biodiversity Conservation and Management ...44 ASEAN Envisions Stronger

B IODIVERSITY

www.aseanbiodiversity.org

Conserve Biodiversity, Save Humanity!

ASEAN Region’s Rich Biodiversity

Despite occupying only three percent of the earth’s surface,

the ASEAN region hosts 20 percent of all known species

that live deep in the region’s mountains, jungles, rivers,

lakes and seas The region includes three mega-diverse

states (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines); several

bio-geographical units (e.g., Malesia, Wallacea, Sundaland,

Indo-Burma and the Central Indo-Pacific); and numerous

centers of concentration of restricted-range bird, plant and

insect species ASEAN has one-third, translating to 284,000

square kilometers, of all coral reefs, which are among the

most diverse in the world Common land and water borders

have allowed the ASEAN states to share many species that

are biologically diverse from the rest of the world All these

make the ASEAN region significant to global diversity.

The Threat

The region’s rich biodiversity is heavily under threat Out of

64,800 known species, two percent or 1,312 are endangered

Seven of the world’s 25 recognized biodiversity hotspots are

in the ASEAN region If the rate of deforestation continues,

the region will lose up to three-fourths of its forests, and up

to 42 percent of its biodiversity by 2100 Eighty percent of

coral reefs are at risk due to destructive fishing practices and

coral bleaching

Forest conversion, forest fires, shifting cultivation, large-scale

mining, wildlife hunting and trading, population growth and

poverty, climate change, and lack of conservation resources

greatly contribute to biodiversity loss Biodiversity loss could

trigger enormous effects on food security, health, shelter,

medicine, and aesthetic and other life-sustaining resources Without a concerted effort to protect and conserve biodiver- sity, the ASEAN region’s 567 million people and the entire human race would be in danger.

ASEAN’s Response:

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

As an intergovernmental regional organization, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) facilitates cooperation and co- ordination among the members states of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations, on the conservation and sustainable use of bio- logical diversity guided by fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such biodiversity in the ASEAN region ACB aims to contribute to the reduction of the current rate of loss of biological diversity by enhancing regional cooperation, capacitating stakeholders, promoting awareness for biodiver- sity conservation, and maintaining the regional biodiversity database To contribute to the achievement of socially respon- sible access, equitable sharing, use and conservation of natural ecosystems and the biodiversity these contain, ACB builds stra- tegic networks and partnerships geared to mobilize resources towards optimally augmenting effective programmes on biodi- versity conservation.

Contact Us

ACB Headquarters

3F ERDB Bldg., Forestry CampusCollege, Laguna 4031,Philippines Tel/Fax: +6349 536-2865, +6349 536-1044

Website: www.aseanbiodiversity.orgGeneral Inquiry: contact.us@aseanbiodiversity.org

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity:

Partner of the ASEAN in Conserving Biodiversity 5

Global Conservation News 6

Special Reports

Biodiversity is Life 10

The Natural Heritage of Southeast Asia 16

ACB Refl ects on the Year That Was 22

Reduction in Biodiversity Loss:

4 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

Letters, articles, suggestions and photos are welcome and should be addressed to:

The Editor-in-Chief ASEAN Biodiversity

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity College, Laguna, Philippines E-mail: publications@aseanbiodiversity.org

Editor- in-Chief

Monina T Uriarte

Managing Editor

Bridget P Botengan

Creative Artist

Nanie S Gonzales

Writer-Researcher

Sahlee Bugna-Barrer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Rodrigo U Fuentes

Executive Director

Clarissa C Arida

Director, Programme Development and

Implementation

Ma Consuelo D Garcia

Director, Biodiversity Information

Management

Gregorius Wisnu Rosariastoko

Director, Networking, Partnership and Resource Mobilization

Rolando A Inciong

Head, Public Affairs

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) Headquarters

3F ERDB Bldg Forestry Campus University of the Philippines-Los Baños College, Laguna, Philippines

Telefax: +63-49.536-2865; +63-49.536-1044 E-mail: contact.us@aseanbiodiversity.org

Website: www.aseanbiodiversity.org

ACB Annex

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 1156 Philippines

Printed by: Dolmar Press, Inc.

No of Copies: 2,000

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed herein

do not necessarily represent any offi cial view

of the European Union nor the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat The authors are responsible for any data or information presented in their articles.

Conserve Biodiversity, Save Humanity

Bookmarks

ACB Updates Environment Ministers 43

Training Courses to Enhance Biodiversity Conservation and Management 44

ASEAN Envisions Stronger Wildlife Protection 45

ASEAN Member States and ACB Participate in International Conference on Wetlands 46

Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards 2008 SE Asian Professor Receives International Recognition 47

Gaps in Marine Conservation 48

Policy Plus Science Equals Better Biodiversity Services 49

Biodiversity Indicators to Assess CBD Targets 50

ACB Supports 11 Biodiversity Research Projects in Southeast Asia 51

Data Sharing to Advance Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia 52

ASEAN and EU Strengthen Collaboration on Biodiversity EU Ambassador Urges Ratifi cation of ACB Establishment 53

Regional Workshop Discusses Management of Invasive Alien Species 54

Policy Brief Ecotourism: When Vacations Nurture Nature 55

Surfing the Web of Life 46

Over 500 million people in Southeast Asia benefit

directly or indirectly from biological diversity or

biodiversity This is not to discount the millions

of people in countries outside Southeast Asia who likewise

derive varied benefits and services from these biological

resources These services are estimated to be worth over 200

billion US dollars annually within Southeast Asia alone

Beneath the richness - more than 64,000 species recorded

- of the Southeast Asian biodiversity, lies the unfortunate fact

of massive species loss Seven of the world’s 25 recognized

biodiversity hotspots are in Southeast Asia Modern

de-velopment, the pressures and demands of the

growing human population, and our

wasteful and ineffi cient consumption

patterns are increasingly

endanger-ing our sources of life There could

be massive decline and extinction

in Southeast Asia if governments

and their citizens fail to protect

and conserve the region’s

biodi-versity

Reducing the rate of biodiversity

loss remains a major challenge

con-fronting the ASEAN Member States of

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR,

Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,

Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam As signatories to the

Convention on Biological Diversity, the fi rst global

agree-ment to cover the conservation of biological diversity, the

ASEAN Member States have committed to reduce

biodiver-sity loss by 2010 - the International Year of Biodiverbiodiver-sity

Reducing biodiversity loss also means addressing many

other issues and challenges Food security, climate change,

and the lack of critical support systems such as funding for

conservation efforts are among the outstanding risks and

challenges for biodiversity

As a partner of the ASEAN Member States in helping

ad-dress these issues, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)

performs its mandate through programme development and

policy coordination, human and institutional capacity

devel-opment, biodiversity information management, and public

and leadership awareness of biodiversity values

The ACB also supports governments in areas that are of

global and regional importance such as agriculture and food

security; access to, and fair and equitable sharing of benefi ts

from biological and genetic resources; climate change and

biodiversity conservation; ecotourism and biodiversity servation; payment for ecosystems services scheme and valua-tion of biodiversity; Global Taxonomic Initiative; support to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas; and managing biodiversity information and knowledge

con-From 2005 to 2008, ACB has built on prior activities and lessons learned, and refl ect priorities based on the concerns

of the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP) and the ASEAN Member States

Highlighting year 2008 are the completion of ACB’s man resources requirements, enabling the Centre to meet

hu-its target programme outputs; enhanced efforts

to ensure ACB’s sustainability beyond 2009; identifi cation and implementa-tion of strategic areas of interven-tions with respect to biodiversity conservation and management; and addressing global and region-

al issues that emphasize the cess of biodiversity conservation and management

suc-The ACB also undertook many activities that contributed to further strengthening its position as a regional centre of excellence on biodiversity manage-ment The Centre partnered and is currently ex-ploring other partnerships with international organizations in such fi elds as research, capacity development and data sharing

It has forged strategic partnerships with the Secretariat of the CBD, the French Government, the United Nations Environ-ment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, the ASEAN Foundation, the United Nations University-Institute of Advance Studies (UNU-IAS), the Span-ish Agency for International Cooperation (AECIDID), the ASEAN-WEN, and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) These partnerships, along with signifi cant successes

in the areas of course development for protected area ers, joint research initiatives in biodiversity, public aware-ness, and biodiversity information sharing, have enabled the Centre to cater to the needs of the ASEAN Member States

work-Though these activities mark major milestones in ACB, the future still holds many challenges, particularly as ACB and the ASEAN prepare for an assessment of biodiversity conservation efforts in 2010

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity:

Partner of the ASEAN in Conserving Biodiversity

By RODRIGO U FUENTES

Executive DirectorASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

popula-of northern Vietnam The Tonkin snub nosed monkey dwindled to the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and hunting In the 1980s scientists believed it was extinct More recently, only

200 were believed to remain and the latest discovery of a new colony of 20 monkeys, including young, offers a glim-mer of hope for the species

– telegraph.co.uk

ADB to launch $200 million carbon fund

December 10 – The Asian

Development Bank (ADB) said it is has secured half of the fi nancing commitments for a $200 million post-

2012 carbon fund it plans to launch in 2009 The ADB’s Future Carbon Fund aims to provide money to build clean energy projects in developing countries in the Asia-Pacifi c region The fund will allow participants to invest in clean energy projects registered under Kyoto’s Clean Develop-ment Mechanism scheme, even in the absence of a global framework on climate

change – Environmental News

Network

Noise in world’s seas threatens wildlife

December 4 – A report by the

International Fund for Animal Welfare states that man-made noise in the world’s seas and oceans is becoming an increas-

ing threat to whales, dolphins and turtles that use sound to communicate, forage for food, and fi nd mates Rumbling ship engines, seismic surveys

by oil and gas companies, and intrusive military sonars are triggering an “acoustic fog and cacophony of sounds” underwater, scaring marine animals and affecting their behavior Over the past 50 years, low frequency under-water noise has doubled every

10 years over the previous decade, while the number of ships has tripled The rising number of vessels, and their increasing speed, has led to more ships striking marine animals already threatened by hunting and climate change There are also concerns that rising levels of carbon dioxide are pushing water acidity levels

up and contributing to noisier oceans, because when acidity rises, water absorbs less noise

– Reuters

Centre to boost knowledge on under-utilized crops

November 25 – An

interna-tional body for gathering and promoting knowledge about underused crops called Crops for the Future will be estab-lished in Malaysia There are thousands of crops that poor people rely on but are not commercialized, such as maize, wheat and beans The centre will encourage investment and research into neglected and underused plant species

— such as Africa’s baobab and marula trees — for the benefi t

of the poor and the ment Research might include studies of the market chain and niche markets, extended shelf life, or dual use of crops

environ-– SciDev.net

Asia-Pacifi c leaders to combat climate change, food scarcity

November 24 – At the close

of their annual meeting in Lima, Peru, the heads of states and governments belonging

Species discovered in

the Greater Mekong

December 15 – More than

1,000 previously unknown

species have been discovered

in the Greater Mekong in

the past decade, according to

First Contact in the Greater

Mekong, a report from

the World Wide Fund for

Nature (WWF) The Greater

Mekong region comprises

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,

Thailand, Viet Nam and the

Yunnan Province of China

The fi ndings include 519

plants, 279 fi sh, 88 frogs,

88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, 4 birds,

4 turtles, 2 salamanders and

a toad The report calls for a formal, cross-border agree-ment by the governments

of the Greater Mekong to conserve transboundary forest and freshwater habitats in the region, promote “sustainable landscape management”, and set “regional standards for sustainable infrastructure and climate change adaptation

measures” – mongabay.com

Gumprechts green pitviper can be found in the Greater Mekong

region except Cambodia (Photo by Rene Ries)

(Photo by Gabor Csorba)

Desmoxytes purpurosea, a new

species of highly toxic shocking

pink millipede (Photo by Somsak Panha)

Gekko scientiadventura

(Photo by Thomas Ziegler)

Annamite striped rabbit

(Photo by Trinh Viet Cuong)

Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS

to the Asia-Pacifi c Economic

Council (APEC) affi rmed their

support for “decisive and

ef-fective long term cooperation

now, up to and beyond 2012

to address climate change”

The APEC leaders’ statement

supports “a global emission

reduction goal” for

heat-trap-ping greenhouse gas emissions

that is the primary issue to be

negotiated through the UN

process The next step is a

12-day set of talks opening

in Poland on 1 December

An agreement acceptable to

all parties is to be fi nalized

in Copenhagen in December

2009 The agreement will

follow the Kyoto Protocol,

which expires in 2012 APEC

consists of Australia, Brunei,

Canada, Chile, China, Hong

Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South

Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New

Zealand, Papua New Guinea,

Peru, the Philippines, Russia,

Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand,

the United States and Viet

Nam – Environment News

Service

impact Other regions prone

to climate change impact are eastern Sulawesi and Kaliman-

tan – China View

Indonesia discovers long-lost species

of primate

November 19 – In a survey

of Mount Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park on the island of Sulawesi, a team led by Texas A&M University captured three pygmy tarsiers,

a tiny species of primate that was last collected in 1921 and was assumed to be extinct until 2000 when two scien-tists studying rats accidently trapped and killed an indi-vidual The team spent two months using 276 mist nets to capture the gremlin-like crea-tures so they could be fi tted with radio collars and tracked

One other individual was spotted but eluded capture

Pygmy tarsiers are among the smallest and rarest primates

in the world The species is distinguished from tarsiers by its diminutive size (50 grams) and its fi ngers that have claws instead of nails, which may

be an adaptation to its mossy habitat some 7,000-8,000 feet above sea level The discovery should encourage the Indo-nesian government to better protect the mountainous park which is facing encroachment

Sulawesi is characterized by high levels of endemism more than 60 percent of its mam-mals and more than one third

of its birds are found nowhere else on the planet Unfortu-nately, Sulawesi’s biodiversity

is poorly known by scientists and has long been overlooked

by conservationists –

mong-abay.com

Confl ict threatens Karen biodiversity in Myanmar

November 17 – The Karen

people of Myanmar are now facing severe impairment of their environmental and cul-tural foundations Myanmar has incredibly rich and highly endemic biodiversity that includes a recorded 11,800 plant species with a species collection of 800 orchids, 100 bamboos, 1,000 birds and 145 globally threatened mammals

A great part of this sity is found in Karen State in southeast Myanmar border-ing Thailand, which is now suffering heavily due to the ongoing confl ict between the government’s State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the Karen National Union (KNU) In the past, the Karen people had survived for centu-ries on a seven-year rotational cycle of cultivation where land is left to fallow Today, with mined lands and military occupation, villagers make do with shrunken land space that

biodiver-is resulting in the tion of both biodiversity and land To add to the problem, indigenous knowledge, a tradi-tion handed orally down the generations, is as threatened, as local biodiversity, forests and traditional lifestyles disappear

overexploita-in the fi ghtoverexploita-ing – IPS

Mosques support sea turtle conservation

in Malaysia

November 17 – This week,

al-most 500 mosques around the Malaysian state of Terengganu presented sermons on turtle conservation Terengganu is

a state on the northeastern side of Peninsular Malaysia, near Thailand Four species of endangered marine turtles nest

on these beaches, including the critically endangered Hawks-bill and Leatherback turtles

Two years ago, sermons on

en-vironmental conservation were delivered in mosques through-out Terengganu Based on the positive response to these sermons, the state religious administrators have prepared

a khutbah focused specifi cally

on turtle conservation The November 21st presentation will support recent efforts by the Ma’Daerah Heritage Com-munity Association (Mekar) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia to involve mosques and religious leaders in conservation work

– mongabay.com

Malaysia seizes rare turtle eggs

November 4 - The ties in Malaysia say they have seized 10,000 endangered turtle eggs that were being smuggled into the country

authori-Indonesia to implement

Bali Climate Change

recommendation in 2009

November 24 – Indonesia will

implement the Bali Climate

Change Recommendation,

which was proposed by the

United Nations (UN) in

2009 Funded by the UN,

the programme will involve

the forestry, agriculture and

public work ministries, and

will last for fi ve years The

programme will cover 150

vil-lages in six districts East Nusa

Tenggara has been selected as

the location of a pilot project

in Indonesia, because the

province is one of the regions

prone to climate change

The pygmy tarsier (Photo by Sharon Gursky-Doyen/Texas A&M University)

Green turtles are under threat from egg hunters and are also harvested for meat

East Nusa Tenggara, Bali,

Indonesia

from the Philippines The eggs are considered a delicacy and were destined for local food markets where they can fetch a good price Police in the Sabah region of Malaysia say this is their largest ever haul of smuggled turtle eggs The police intercepted four men who were unloading the cargo from a speedboat on a beach The smugglers escaped but abandoned 20 sacks of eggs, which police say are from endangered species like the Green and Hawksbill turtles

– BBC News

from Viet Nam, Cambodia,

Thailand, China, Laos, and

Myanmar discussed ways

of reducing greenhouse gas

emissions from deforestation

and degradation at a workshop

co-hosted by the Ministry

for Agriculture and Rural

Development of Viet Nam and

the University of Queensland

in Australia Viet Nam will be

the worst affected by climate

change due to sea level rise

The areas along the Hong

(Red) River and Mekong River

deltas are particularly

vulner-able, since these contain most

of the Vietnamese population

Workshop participants hope

to agree on policies that would

speed up the implementation

of the reduction of emissions

caused by deforestation and

degradation – Viet Nam News

October 25 – Brunei Shell

Petroleum and HSBC have

donated 500,000 Brunei

dollars ($333,000) each to

conserve forests on the island

of Borneo The donation will

go to the establishment of

the Heart of Borneo Brunei

Centre, which will implement

the Heart of Borneo initiative

to protect roughly 220,000

square kilometers of tropical

forest in Brunei, Malaysia, and

Indonesia – Borneo Bulletin

Rare bird rediscovered

in Southeast Asia

October 23 – Scientists have

rediscovered the endangered

Wetar ground-dove

(Gal-licolumba hoedtii), one of the

world’s least known birds, 100

years after it was last seen on

the remote Indonesian island

of Wetar, reports Columbidae

Conservation, a UK-based

conservation group During

a survey, the Wetar

ground-dove was found to be locally abundant, with 30-40 birds recorded at a fi g tree The sci-entists also found the endan-gered Timor imperial pigeon

(Ducula cineracea) to be locally

abundant In all, the tion reported 39 new bird species for the island Wetar lies beside the island of Timor, and is mountainous with 80 percent forest cover encom-passing tropical evergreen forest, tropical dry forest, Eucalyptus savannas and hill

expedi-forest - mongabay.com

U.S funds coral reef conservation

October 23 – The United

States will contribute $39.45 million to the Coral Triangle Initiative, an effort that seeks to protect and promote sustain-able fi sheries in East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands The Coral Triangle, a six million square kilometers expanse of ocean and coastline, is home to

30 percent of the world’s coral reefs, 3,000 species of fi sh, and three-quarters of the planet’s reef-building coral species This

ard habitat for 50 years The scheme has generated 1.36 million of biodiversity credits,

a new class of environment product for sale by emissions markets, and each credit covers 100 square meters of

forest – Reuters

Illegal wildlife trade devastating Asia’s pangolins

October 15 – The World

Conservation Union (IUCN) has changed the status of the Malayan and the Chinese pangolins from near-threat-ened to endangered species since the anteaters have become the victim of illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia Malayan or Sunda pangolin are caught by smug-glers largely in Malaysia and Indonesia then shipped to the black market in China where they are eaten or used for traditional medicine Pangolin scales are a popular herbal remedy and are believed to cure toxicosis, infl ammation, and rheumatic pain They are also used to soothe aches and pains, and even as an aphro-disiac Eating pangolin meat

is believed to promote general

health – mongabay.com

“Lost” deer species rediscovered

October 12 – In the fi rst ever

photograph of a live Sumatran muntjac, the dog-size deer awaits release from a poacher’s snare on the Indonesian island

of Sumatra The photo is the

fi rst record of the “lost jac of Sumatra” in 80 years, says U.K conservation group Flora & Fauna International

munt-An anti-poaching patrol had photographed the mountain deer at 6,400 feet in 2002 It was only recently, however, that muntjac expert Robert Timmins recognized the rain-forest deer in the photo as the

fi rst documented Sumatran muntjac since 1930 The spe-cies closely resembles the red muntjac Now confi rmed as

a distinct species, the

Suma-Wetar ground-dove (Photo by Colin Trainor/Birdlife)

supports artisanal fi sheries and tourism, but is increasingly at risk from unsustainable fi shing practices, pollution, reef deg-radation, and climate change

– mongabay.com

Putting a price on nature

October 21 – New Forests,

an international forestry investment fi rm, stated that putting a price on nature

by creating tradeable credits can limit the loss of forests, wetlands and rivers from the expansion of agriculture

Carbon, water and sity are emerging as the three main environmental market forces in this century, and if remaining ecosystems are not priced then they are basically traded as free agricultural input Earlier this year, New Forests signed a deal with the government of Indonesia’s Papua province and Indo-nesia-based Emerald Planet, which advises and invests in green projects The aim of the Papua project is to save two tracts of forest from development in return for car-bon credits estimated between US$4 and $10 a ton per year

biodiver-New Forests has also helped develop the Malua BioBank

in Malaysia’s Sabah state on the island

of Borneo The project involves the protection and res-toration of 34,000 hectares (80,000 acres) of orangutan and clouded leop-

Coral Triangle

GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS

The ASEAN region is signifi cant to global biodiversity

because it contains 40 percent of all species on Earth

despite covering only 3 percent of the world’s surface

It includes three mega-diversity countries (Indonesia,

Malaysia and the Philippines), several biogeographical

units (e g., Malesia, Wallacea, Sundaland, Indo-Burma

and the Central Indo-Pacifi c), and numerous centers of

concentration of restricted-range bird, plant and insect

species Saving ASEAN’s Natural Treasures is a testament

to the richness of the region’s biodiversity, as well as an

illustration of numerous threats to local resources

Saving ASEAN’s Natural Treasures provides information

on the signifi cance of biodiversity, the wealth of habitats,

species and ecosystems of the Southeast Asia, and various

threats to the environment The video also highlights the

formation of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme and

the need for trans-boundary cooperation It includes video

vignettes on the wonders and dangers faced by specifi c

species, habitats and ASEAN Heritage Parks It was

Available in DVD and VCD format To get a copy, log on to www.aseanbiodiversity.org.

produced by the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (now the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity) with support from the European Union

Saving ASEAN’s Natural Treasures

tran muntjac has been placed

on the global Red List of

Threatened Species – National

Geographic

Indonesia to protect

Sumatran forest

October 9 – Indonesian

au-thorities have pledged to stop

the loss of forests and species

in Sumatra, one of the world’s

most ecologically important

islands Representatives of the

island’s 10 provinces, national

government, and the

environ-ment group World Wildlife

Fund launched the deal at the

World Conservation

Con-gress Sumatra has lost about

half of its forest cover in the

last 20 years It is also home to a number of important and iconic species such as the tiger, orangutan, rhi-noceros and elephant

Aside from protecting and restoring forests, the Indonesian au-thorities have pledged

to make ments in Sumatra conform to principles of “ecosystem-based planning”, where any project detrimental to the island’s ecological health would be

develop-banned – BBC News

13% of the world’s land surface declared protected areas

October 7 – The Nature

Conservancy, in its book

“The World’s Protected eas”, stated that more than 10 percent of the world has been declared legally protected for the use of future generations

Ar-The area is equivalent to the

US, European Union and donesia combined, and marks

In-a signifi cIn-ant step forwIn-ard for the conservation commu-nity However, the fi gure also highlights the importance of protecting the world’s oceans

of which less than 0.5 percent

is currently protected The book also examines the rela-tionship between people and protected areas, investigates threats and opportunities, cites the history of protected areas, provides expert conser-vation advice, and celebrates the success of protected areas

around the world – telegraph.

co.uk

Enhanced strategic partnership to benefi t life on earth

October 7 – The

Secre-tariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and The Nature Conservancy announced that they have entered into a groundbreak-ing partnership agreement

to support the 191 United Nations CBD signatories in enhancing the implementa-

tion of the objectives of the Convention Through this new agreement, the CBD and The Nature Conservancy will continue to strengthen imple-mentation of the Programme

of Work on Protected Areas; continue to catalyze com-mitment and implementa-tion of the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity; broaden collaboration to catalyze government action

on forests, marine and coastal biological diversity, invasive alien species, inland waters, sustainable use, biodiversity and climate change, and other relevant programmes; analyze common factors of success for catalyzing and implementing commitments under the Con-vention, particularly in the area of national, regional and international collaboration; and strengthen the science and understanding of linkages among biodiversity conser-vation and climate change adaptation and mitigation

– The Nature Conservancy

Sumatran muntjac

10 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

BIODIVERSI

foundation of all life on earth standing the importance of biodiversity and how it affects the environment, all other living things, humankind and people’s way of life, will provide a better understand- ing of how people’s actions affect others and the natural environment

Under-10 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

Today, the global community is

overcome by a long list of

environ-mental problems, ranging from

pollu-tion, deforestapollu-tion, overharvesting of

plants and wildlife, poor agricultural

production and food security, and

cli-mate change, among others Respect

for biodiversity and its signifi cance to

humankind could possibly provide the

fi rst step to addressing all these concerns

that affect people today

What is biodiversity? The United

Nations Convention on Biological

Diversity (CBD) defi nes biodiversity

as “the variability among living

organ-isms including, inter alia, terrestrial,

marine and other aquatic systems and the ecological complexes of which they are part This includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosys-tems.” It covers the grand diversity of life and the interconnections that make all life on Earth possible The interre-lationships between all species, habitats and ecosystems form a web and provide the conditions that allow life to exist

12 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

– habitable temperatures, clean air,

po-table water, and healthy soils Without

biodiversity, life - as we know it - would

not be possible

Biodiversity covers all species,

rang-ing from the usual, such as household

pets and livestock, to the more exotic,

such as tigers, elephants and whales All

forms of plants, from the grass in our

fi elds to unusual fl owers and towering

trees, are part of the wondrous diversity

of life on earth All plants and animals

have a role to play in maintaining the

balance of life The environments that

house these species are similarly

impor-tant The integrity and stability of

for-ests, mangroves, coral reefs, and other

habitats ensure that all living things will

continue to survive in harmony with their environment

Why is biodiversity important?

The interplay between species and ecosystems provides numerous benefi ts that underline the signifi cance of biodi-versity to humankind It provides peo-ple’s needs, ensures quality of life, and feeds people’s souls

Biodiversity is the basis

of agriculture

All forms of nourishment come from nature We seldom think of bio-diversity when we eat a hearty breakfast, but the scrambled eggs, fragrant steam-ing rice, and sliced tomatoes that many

people relish come from thousands of species that are used by humans as food According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 15,000 spe-cies of mammals and birds, as well as 7,000 species of plants have been cul-tivated ever since humans fi rst began farming

The wealth of biodiversity, however,

is under-utilized Only a fraction of all available species are tapped to pro-vide for the energy requirements of the global population It has been reported that only 30 crops are regularly farmed, with wheat, rice and maize providing about half of the world’s dietary energy requirements Around 30 to 40 species

of animals have been domesticated for

12 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

The interplay between species and ecosystems provides

numerous benefits that underline the significance of biodiversity

to humankind It provides people’s needs, ensures quality

of life, and feeds people’s souls.

12 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

food production and less than 14 –

in-cluding cattle, goats, sheep, buffalo and

chickens – account for 90 percent of

global livestock production

The choice of limiting species for

food production has created a host of

problems that threaten biodiversity

Sin-gle crop production or mono-cropping

transforms vast areas of forest and tracts

of land for agricultural use Intense

pro-duction requires massive infusions of

chemical fertilizers and pesticides to

en-sure a viable harvest and satisfy

increas-ing demand for food These chemicals

poison the soil and crops and other

el-ements in the food chain Large herds

of cattle require bigger grazing land and

pastures Poultry and other livestock

are also given artifi cial feeds to increase

weight and volume

Such unnatural conditions have put

massive stresses in agricultural

produc-tion in the past few decades thereby

threatening the global food supply

Conversion of forests for agricultural

use destroys habitats for other

sig-nifi cant species Pollinators also have

mysteriously disappeared Livestock

production practices have altered scapes and caused pollution

land-The diversity of plants and animals that have been domesticated and used for thousands of years forms the basis

of farming systems and provides the resources used by farmers and agricul-turists When we erode these genetic resources, we lessen our increasingly vulnerable food supply It is thus im-perative for us to protect biodiversity to ensure a steady food and medicine sup-ply for future generations

Biodiversity safeguards human health

Tropical forests have long been sidered a major source of ingredients for hundreds of common cures Temperate regions and oceans are little explored, but are major storehouses of biodiver-sity and have the potential to provide major contributions to medicine

con-Biodiversity provides thousands of plants that have many healing proper-ties Our natural environment has been

a steady source of genetic material for a wide range of herbal and pharmaceutical

drugs Indigenous tribes have known this for centuries, and often go to the forest

to cure illnesses ranging from coughs and colds to stomach aches and burns The World Health Organization (WHO) es-timates that up to 80 percent of the pop-ulation in developing countries, especial-

ly those who are poor, are dependent on traditional medicines from nature Many pharmaceutical companies have also sourced ingredients for various drugs from nature to develop medicines that are now taken for granted The global market value of medicinal plants exceeds US$60 billion annually Biodi-versity not only provides the cure for the many illnesses that affect the world population but also supports a billion dollar industry

Many species are also medicinal models that help scientists understand human physiology and disease Hiber-nating bears, for example, though im-mobile for fi ve months or more, do not lose bone mass This is not the same for humans, and understanding how bears prevent bone loss during immobility can help bedridden and paralyzed pa-

SPECIAL REPORTS

14 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

tients, the elderly, and people affl icted

with osteoporosis Sharks, after millions

of years of successful evolution, rarely

develop tumors and infections

Discov-ering their secret could provide

human-kind with the incredible gift of fi nally

fi nding the cure and possibly a vaccine

against all kinds of cancers

Thousands of species of plants have

yet to be discovered, and biodiversity

perhaps holds the key to cures for

dis-eases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer

When we lose plants and valuable

mi-croorganisms, we may also be losing the

potential to fi nd cures for untreatable

diseases

There are countless other examples

of unique microorganisms, plants, and

animals that may hold the key to

solv-ing many other human ailments The

Samples of ecosystem services

• Climate regulation

• Water regulation and purifi cation

• Soil formation and protection

• Provision of genetic resources

• Nutrient storage and recycling

Biodiversity provides sources of livelihood for millions of people

as the economy of many countries is driven by the use of species

in industries such as biotechnology, forestry, agriculture,

fisheries, and pharmaceuticals.

tremendous rate of species loss and

ex-tinction, however, shows that they are

in danger of being lost forever to

medi-cal science

Biodiversity conservation

supports communities

Biodiversity provides sources of

livelihood for millions of people as the

economy of many countries is driven

by the use of species in industries such

as biotechnology, forestry, agriculture,

fi sheries, and pharmaceuticals

The agricultural industry is based

on nature, and supports millions of

people ranging from farmers who till

the soil and raise crops, their wives and

children who harvest produce and sort

these for selling; livestock producers

who raise hogs and cattle; drivers that

haul goods and services from farms to

markets; and market vendors who sell

meat and vegetables to consumers The

fi shing industry does the same for fi

sh-erfolk communities, boat operators, and

other associated professions in fi shing

as a result of biodiversity conservation initiatives not only protect the environ-ment and their associated species, but also provide alternative sources of liveli-hood to local communities and alleviate poverty

The International Ecotourism ety (TIES) defi nes ecotourism as “Re-sponsible travel to natural areas that

Soci-conserves the environment and proves the well-being of local people”

The TIES stresses that those who plement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the ecotourism principles These are:

has the potential to reconcile economic and environmental concerns and give practical meaning to sustainable devel-opment

When areas are conserved as in the case of protected areas, extraction of re-sources is largely prohibited, but may be limited to some parts of the protected area These are largely provided for those communities who have sourced these sites for food and other needs for thousands of years Ecotourism, how-ever, provides opportunities for local communities to earn from biodiver-sity conservation Given their wealth

of knowledge regarding protected eas and their inherent resources, local people are often tapped as guides for scientists and recreational visitors, or

ar-as rangers to protect species within the

protected area Some households also offer homestays, where rooms are rented out to visitors so they can feel integrated into the community and have home-cooked meals Fishers can rent out boats for sightseeing Indigenous groups can also showcase their hand-crafted prod-ucts or provide vignettes of their tradi-tional way of life

While species and ecosystems within protected areas are expected to benefi t from biodiversity conservation, areas adjoining these sites usually refl ect re-juvenation of species stocks, particularly

SPECIAL REPORTS

References:

Chivian, Eric (Ed) 2002 Biodiversity: Its Importance to Human Health Center for Health and the Global Environment Harvard Medical School Convention on Biological Diversity (www.cbd.int) Furu, Peter Biodiversity, Traditional Medicine and Health Trondheim Conferences on Biodiversity

2007 - Session 4: Biodiversity and Poverty: Obstacles and Opportunities WHO Collaborating Centre for Health and Environment in Sustainable Development.

Human health, ecosystem services and biodiversity Fact Sheet from SwedBio No1

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2008) Biodiversity and Agriculture: Safeguarding Biodiversity and Securing Food for the World Montreal, 56 pages.

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity Biological Diversity and Tourism: Development of Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism

in marine areas Protection of coral reefs

and mangroves ensures healthy breeding

and feeding grounds for fi sh and other

marine life, so fi shers will defi nitely reap

the benefi ts of effective conservation of

marine areas

Biodiversity protects

life-support systems

The conditions that enable life on

earth do not come from single entities,

but from the interactions of various

ele-ments in biodiversity Society often

fo-cuses on the production and extraction

of nature-based goods such as food,

wa-ter, fi bers and minerals But how would

people survive without clean air and

water, fertile soils and healthy

environ-ments that provide food, shelter and

medicines?

Ecosystem services are often less

ap-preciated but are of increasing

impor-tance for society These include climate

regulation, water purifi cation and

regu-lation, protection against natural and

man-made hazards, and biodiversity

However, increasing global demand for

natural resources has led to a weakening

of ecosystem services Current rates of

change and loss in the environment far

exceed its ability to recover and provide

benefi ts to society When humans

inter-vene in a stable ecosystem, by allowing

deforestation, overharvesting, pollution,

and other forms of neglect to reach

ex-cessive levels, these actions disrupt the

ability of the environment to function

normally Human-induced

environ-mental deterioration has caused various

problems of global proportions,

includ-ing depletion of the ozone layer, climate

change, and air pollution Biodiversity

loss creates a vulnerable ecosystem and

lessens our ability to cope with natural

or man-made environmental disasters

Biodiversity creates cultures

and rejuvenates the spirit

Humankind has always turned to

nature not only for its survival but also

to add value to life People’s relationship

and dependence on nature is refl ected in

religion, artwork, dances, handicrafts,

and other traditional cultural practices

Many local festivals also celebrate

re-lationships between nature, religious

fi gures, and communities These form

a valuable part of human heritage, and should be protected as they represent legacies to future generations

In more current times, nature has also provided the necessary respite from the daily grind of working in a fast-paced society Beaches and mountains are popular weekend destinations for those looking for rest and relaxation

Beautiful sunsets, towering mountains, enchanting fl owers and birds, and ma-jestic mammals always stir the emotions and leave people awestruck Nature-based recreational activities, such as hiking, mountain climbing, and bird watching are becoming more and more popular and show an increasing appre-ciation for nature’s gifts

Biodiversity conservation

is our responsibility

The complexity and scope of versity makes the issue both a compel-ling and unappealing advocacy Still, the inter-linkages in the environment show that all environmental concerns have their roots in biodiversity loss Habitat destruction, food security, wildlife trade, climate change, desertifi cation, and oth-ers could benefi t from increased bio-diversity conservation Human actions towards the land, freshwater, and oceans have already caused biodiversity to de-cline Even greater losses will occur in the future if humanity continues its present unsustainable use of natural resources

biodi-Everyone shares the responsibility

in caring for the environment Big or small, all actions cumulatively evolve into a larger conservation effort, wider benefi ts to society and nature, and a better future Humankind is mostly re-sponsible for most threats to biodiver-sity Thus, people also have the oppor-tunity to repair and heal much of the damage

Here are examples of specifi c actions that people can take to help nurture na-ture:

Simple things: Buy organic

pro-duce, recycled paper products, grown coffee, biodegradable toiletries, detergents and vegetable-based cleaning products; choose products with mini-mal packaging; reduce overall consump-tion; avoid products that cannot be re-used or recycled Conserve water Turn

shade-off lights and air conditioning when not

in the room Learn about native plants

in your area

Less simple but still easy: Use

na-tive plants in your garden; start an ganic garden and save the seeds; and compost Use compact fl uorescent light bulbs Use reusable canvas bags when shopping Minimize use of plastics and other petroleum products Join an envi-ronmental group, provide fi nancial sup-port, or participate in environmental activities Pick a public policy issue, and learn about it Get involved

or-Big things: Reduce your automobile

use by using mass transit, car pooling, walking or biking whenever possible Buy low environmental impact appli-ances and products; buy sustainably-produced wood products Really reduce your overall consumption of products, especially those that cannot be reused

or recycled Change eating habits sider reducing meat consumption Eat more locally grown food Support re-newable energy and other environmen-tal causes

Con-By undertaking concrete actions to help heal the environment, we show our commitment to the environment, to our family, and the future Humankind has to work together to repair years of environmental damage to ensure a bet-ter quality of life for everyone

16 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

16 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

that are geographically south of China, east

of India and north of Australia The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity Countries within the region have bonded to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development; and promote regional peace and stability

in the region ASEAN Member States include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malay- sia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

SOUTHEAST ASIA

The climate in Southeast Asia is mainly tropical – hot and humid all year round There is plenty of rainfall, and most countries have a wet and dry season caused by seasonal shift in winds or mon-soon The tropical rain belt causes additional rainfall during the monsoon season The rain forest is the second largest on earth (with the Amazon being the largest) Exceptions to this type of climate and vegetation are mountain areas in the northern region, where high alti-tudes lead to milder temperatures and drier landscape Some parts of the region are also desert-like.

Despite occupying only 3 percent of the earth’s total surface, Southeast Asia is home to a tremendous wealth of biodiver-sity and provides habitats for 20 percent

of all known species of plants and mals The region includes three mega-di-verse countries (Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines); several bio-geographi-cal units (e.g Malesia, Wallacea, Sun-daland, Indo-Burma, and the Central Indo-Pacifi c); and numerous centers of concentration of restricted-range bird, plant and insect species Southeast Asia has one-third or 284,000 square kilome-ters of all coral reefs, which are among the most diverse in the world Common land and water borders have allowed the ASEAN Member States to share many species that are biologically diverse from the rest of the world

ani-Each ASEAN Member State has levels of biodiversity that continue to as-tound scientists all over the world Long-term research often results in new spe-cies discoveries, showing that science has barely scratched the surface of biodiversity information and knowledge in the region These factors and more make Southeast Asia critically important to global environ-mental sustainability

Threats to Biodiversity

As a region of dynamic and rapid nomic growth, Southeast Asia’s rich natural environment is constantly under threat The need to support a growing population, increase development and sustain economic growth has resulted in issues that drive biodiversity loss and pose enormous challenges to biodiversity conser-vation in the region

eco-Some factors that affect biodiversity include:

• Rising rural-urban migration A 2005 United

Nations report states that 42 percent of ASEAN populations can be found in urban areas Con-

18 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

gestion in the region’s cities puts

a strain on productive green

ar-eas, which are often transformed

to house a growing population

Water resources are severely

stressed by high demand, and

water sources are often polluted

by improper disposal of

domes-tic and industrial waste More

people mean more vehicles on

the streets and higher fossil fuel

consumption, resulting in

great-er pollution Production

practic-es and consumption patterns in

urban centers also add pressure

on the environment

• Intensifi cation and expansion

of agricultural production

Out of the ASEAN Member

States’ total land area of 4.4

mil-lion square kilometers, only 1.1

million square kilometers (26

percent) are suitable for

agricul-ture The agricultural industries

push these areas to the limit to

produce enough crops and

live-stock to support the ASEAN

population pegged at 575

mil-lion and satisfy demands by

other consumers all over the

world Agricultural practices

that aim to maximize

produc-tion such as mono-cropping,

heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and others have proven unsustainable since these destroy soil viability, poison pol-linators and harm other essential elements in healthy crop pro-duction The remaining forests and other productive areas are constantly encroached upon to support agricultural production, resulting in habitat and species loss Marine resources are like-wise severely stressed Overhar-vesting of fi sh and other marine life, as well as illegal and damag-ing fi shing practices increasingly strain marine resources and hab-itats Marine stocks cannot be replenished at a sustainable rate due to increasing regional and global demand

• Deforestation and habitat struction After Brazil, South-

de-east Asia is home to some of the world’s most pristine and intact forests, and some of the world’s most diverse habitats The rate

of deforestation, however, has caused massive habitat destruc-tion and species loss, caused largely by illegal logging, min-ing, illegal wildlife trade, and

land conversion for agriculture Habitat destruction has severely affected an untold number of species, and has severe impacts

on ecosystem services, food production, and human health Aquatic, marine and coastal systems are also affected by all peoples, but more so by 80 mil-lion people that live near bodies

of water and depend on their resources for their livelihood Coral reefs, mangrove ecosys-tems, fi sh and other marine life, however, have been severely de-graded by human activities such

as pollution, overharvesting and illegal fi shing practices, as well as climate change

• Climate change As a region

with heavily forested areas, Southeast Asia is a huge carbon sink and the integrity of its for-ests presents an opportunity to mitigate climate change impacts Deforestation, however, has re-duced the ability of forests to ab-sorb carbon dioxide The race to development has caused ASEAN Member States to adopt practic-

es that increase greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere

18 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

18 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

SPECIAL REPORTS

of valuable species The massive loss of biodiversity in the region and its signifi -cance to global biodiversity has led to the identifi cation of major biodiversity hotspots in the region

In 1988, British ecologist Norman Myers defi ned the biodiversity hotspot concept to identify conservation priori-ties, given the varying number of species and areas that continue to suffer all over the world

What areas are the most ately important for conserving biodi-versity?

immedi-The hotspots strategy emphasizes species endemism Since these species can only be found in specifi c areas, the loss of such areas would be considered

“irreplaceable” Sites that house demic species and have a high level of threat are also identifi ed Areas need-ing the most urgent action are ranked and areas that need the least money for conservation are also identifi ed Con-servation International (CI) adopted hotspots as its central strategy in 1989

en-The organization employs a dual servation strategy that always prioritizes endemic-rich areas and high risk areas, while preemptively protecting equally unique places that are not yet under ex-treme threat

con-Changes in the environment and changes in hotspot analysis mean that there will be an evolving list of biodi-versity hotspots in the world Threats and impacts change, so some areas may grow increasingly threatened or hope-fully recover Constant improvement in science and technology also adds to the knowledge of the status of biodiversity, and thus may provide changes in previ-ously identifi ed hotspots, or add other areas to the list An updated analysis by

CI shows the existence of 34 sity hotspots, each holding at least 1,500 endemic plant species, and having lost

biodiver-at least 70 percent of its original habitbiodiver-at coverage These hotspots once covered 15.7 percent of the Earth’s land surface

In all, 86 percent of the hotspots’ tat has already been destroyed, and the intact remnants of the hotspots now cover only 2.3 percent of the Earth’s land surface Four of these hotspots are

habi-in the ASEAN: Indo-Burma, the pines, Sundaland and Wallacea

Philip-Indo-Burma

The Indo-Burma hotspot passes 2,373,000 square kilometers of tropical Asia east of the Ganges-Brahma-putra lowlands and has now been more narrowly redefi ned as the Indo-Chinese sub-region The hotspot contains the Lower Mekong catchment, and begins

encom-in eastern Bangladesh and then extends across north-eastern India, south of the Bramaputra River, to encompass nearly all of Myanmar, part of southern and western Yunnan Province in China, all

of the Lao People’s Democratic lic, Cambodia and Vietnam, the vast majority of Thailand and a small part of Peninsular Malaysia The hotspot also covers the coastal lowlands of southern China, and several offshore islands

Repub-A wide diversity of ecosystems is represented in this hotspot, including mixed wet evergreen, dry evergreen, de-ciduous, and montane forests There are also patches of shrub land and wood-land on karst limestone outcrops and,

in some coastal areas, scattered heath forests A wide variety of distinctive, lo-calized vegetation formations also occur, including lowland fl oodplain swamps, mangroves, and seasonally inundated grasslands

Some of the features of biodiversity richness in Indo-Burma include:

• Around 13,500 vascular plant species, of which about 7,000 (52 percent) are endemic;

• Wide array of orchid and ger species (there are more than 1,000 orchid species in Thailand alone);

gin-• Over 1,260 bird species, of which more than 60 are endemic;

• 430 mammal species, of which more than 70 species and seven genera are endemic;

Biodiversity hotspots by region

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

• California Floristic Province

• Cape Floristic Region

• Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa

Source: Conservation International

Hotspots mark Southeast Asia

Various drivers of biodiversity loss

continue to undermine Southeast Asia’s

natural environment Out of 64,800

species found in the region, 1,312

are endangered due to deforestation;

wildlife hunting for food, pets, and

medicine; climate change; pollution;

population growth; and other causes

Destruction of habitats will result in

long-term impacts on ecosystem

ser-vices, as well as lead to the extinction

20 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

• Species discoveries in the last 23

years, including six large

mam-mals: the saola (Pseudoryx

nghet-inhensis), large-antlered muntjac

(Muntiacus vuquangensis),

An-namite muntjac (M

truongso-nensis), grey-shanked douc

(Py-gathrix cinerea) and Annamite

striped rabbit (Nesolagus

tim-minsi), and leaf deer (Muntiacus

putaoensis);

• 520 reptile species, of which 12

genera and over 200 species are

endemic Endemism is especially

high among snakes of the

Colu-bidae family;

• Highest diversity of freshwater

turtles in the world with 53

spe-cies, representing one-fi fth of

the world’s species;

• More than 280 amphibian

spe-cies, of which over 150 are

en-demic; and

• More than 1,260 documented

freshwater fi sh species, or about

10 percent of the world’s

fresh-water fi shes More than 560 of

these species are endemic, as are

30 genera and one family, the

Indostomidae, or armored

stick-lebacks

enormous Philippine eagle ian endemism is also unusually high and boasts unique species like the panther flying frog

Amphib-The Philippines is also one of the world’s most endangered areas The for-ests suffer from extensive logging, land clearing for farming, and infrastructure

The Philippines is one of the few tions that is both a hotspot and a mega-diversity country, placing it among the top priority hotspots for global conser-vation

na-Hundreds of years ago, lowland rainforests dominated by towering dip-terocarps blanketed most of the country

Montane and mossy forests, which sist mostly of smaller trees and vegeta-tion, covered the higher elevations Small regions of seasonal forest, mixed forest and savanna, and pine-dominated cloud forest covered the remaining land area

con-Geological movements, the cal weather and the once extensive for-est cover of the country have developed high species diversity in some groups of organisms and a very high level of ende-mism There are fi ve major and at least

tropi-fi ve minor centers of endemism, from Luzon (103,000 square kilometers), which has at least 31 endemic species

of mammals, to tiny Camiguin Island (265 square kilometers), with at least two species of endemic mammals The Philippines ranks among the highest rates of discovery in the world with 16 new species of mammals discovered in the last 10 years

Some features of the Philippines’

rich biodiversity include:

• Around 9,250 vascular plant species, of which at least one-third is endemic;

• More than 150 species of palms, around two-thirds of these are endemic;

• 1,000 species of orchids, with 70 percent endemic;

• Over 530 bird species, of which about 185 (35 percent) are en-demic and over 60 are threat-ened;

• At least 165 mammal species, with over 100 endemic species (61 percent), one of the highest levels of mammal endemism in any hotspot;

• 235 species of reptiles, of which some 160 are endemic (68 per-cent);

• Nearly 90 amphibian species, of which almost 85 percent are en-demic;

• More than 280 inland fi sh, cluding nine endemic genera and more than 65 endemic spe-cies, many of which are confi ned

in-to single lakes; and

• 21,000 recorded insect species,

of which 70 percent are ic

endem-Enriched with remarkable levels of species endemism, the Philippines un-fortunately is one of the world’s most threatened hotspots, with only about

7 percent of its original, old-growth, closed-canopy forest left A mere 3 per-cent is estimated to remain in the low-land regions About 14 percent of the original vegetation remains as secondary growth in various stages of degradation

Philippines

The Philippine archipelago is

identified as one of the world’s

rich-est countries in biological resources

Many endemic species are confined

to forest fragments, including over

6,000 plant species and many birds

species such as the Cebu flower

pecker, the Philippine cockatoo, the

Visayan wrinkled hornbill, and the

Sundaland

The Sundaland hotspot covers the western half of the Indo-Malayan archi-pelago, an arc of some 17,000 equato-rial islands Sundaland is dominated by two of the largest islands in the world: Borneo (725,000 square kilometers) and Sumatra (427,300 square kilome-ters) More than a million years ago, the islands of Sundaland were connected

to mainland Asia As sea levels changed during the Pleistocene, this connection periodically disappeared, eventually leading to the isolation of the islands The topography of the hotspot ranges from the hilly and mountainous regions

of Sumatra and Borneo where Mt Kinabalu rises to 4,101 meters, to the fertile volcanic soils of Java and Bali

20 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

SPECIAL REPORTS

Sundaland is bordered by three

hotspots The boundary between the

Sundaland Hotspot and the

Indo-Burma Hotspot to the northwest is

known as the Kangar-Pattani Line,

which crosses the Thailand-Malaysia

border Wallacea lies immediately to

the east of the Sundaland Hotspot,

separated by the famous Wallace’s

Line, while the 7,100 islands of the

Philippines Hotspot lie immediately

to the northeast

Samples of Sundaland’s unique and

threatened biodiversity include:

• About 25,000 species of vascular

plants, of which 15,000 (60

per-cent) are endemic;

• About 3,000 species of trees in

Borneo, including more than

265 species of dipterocarps, of

which 155 are endemic Borneo

also has more than 2,000 species

of orchids;

• Approximately 770 bird species,

of which nearly 150 are endemic

while Borneo alone supports

nearly 30 endemic species;

• More than 380 mammal species,

with over 170 known as

endem-ic; Borneo has the most endemic

mammal species, with over 25

species;

• Over 450 species of reptiles, of

which roughly 250 are endemic,

including 24 genera;

• More than 240 species of

am-phibians, of which nearly 200

are endemic; and

• About 1,000 known species of

fi sh, of which about 200 species

have only been discovered in the

last decade Borneo has about

430 species, of which more than

160 are endemic

Wallacea

Wallacea encompasses the central

islands of Indonesia, east of Java, Bali,

and Borneo, and west of the province

of New Guinea, and the whole of

Timor Leste The hotspot occupies a

total land area of 338,494 square

ki-lometers including the large island of

Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the Lesser

Sundas (which encompasses Timor

Leste, and the Indonesia region of

These differences in geological foundation and vegetation have created

a wide variety of fl ora and fauna in lacea Some features include:

Wal-• An estimated 10,000 species of vascular plants, with roughly 1,500 (15 percent) endemic spe-cies and at least 12 endemic gen-era; about 500 endemic species

on Sulawesi, 120 on the Lesser Sudas and 300 on the Moluc-cas;

• About 650 regularly occurring bird species, of which roughly

265 (40 percent) are endemic, and belong to 29 endemic gen-era;

• Sulawesi has the largest number

of fauna, with 356 species that include 96 endemic species;

• More than 220 mammal species, with around 125 endemic spe-cies;

• Sulawesi Island is home to at least seven species of endemic macaques and at least fi ve spe-cies of endemic tarsiers;

• More than 220 reptile species, of which nearly 100 are endemic;

• Nearly 50 amphibian species, of which 30 or more are endemic;

• More than 300 freshwater fi sh species, of which about 75 are endemic; most species tolerate fresh and saltwater environ-ments; Sulawesi has nearly 70 known fi sh species, of which about three-quarters are en-demic

Hotspots are not the only system devised for assessing global conserva-tion priorities BirdLife International, for instance, has identifi ed 218 “En-demic Bird Areas” (EBAs) each of which hold two or more bird species found nowhere else The World Wild-life Fund-U.S has derived a system called the “Global 200 Ecoregions” that aims to select priority Ecoregions for conservation within each of 14 terrestrial, 3 freshwater, and 4 marine habitat types These are chosen for their species richness, endemism, taxo-nomic uniqueness, unusual ecologi-cal or evolutionary phenomena, and global rarity All hotspots contain at least one Global 200 Ecoregion and all but three contain at least one EBA; 60 percent of Global 200 terrestrial ecore-gions and 78 percent of EBAs overlap with hotspots

Identifying biodiversity hotspots

in the region stresses the signifi cance

of a regional approach to biodiversity conservation Southeast Asia’s rich bio-diversity base is a shared heritage, and all ASEAN Member States must work together to ensure greater success in re-ducing biodiversity loss and thus maxi-mizing its benefi ts to the people of the region

References

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity 2009

Accomplishment Report 2005 – 2008 ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity: Partner of the Philippines and ASEAN in conserving biodiversity Philippines Conservation International

(www.biodiversityhotspots.org) National Geographic News (news.nationalgeographic.com)

22 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

2005, the ASEAN Centre for sity (ACB) has moved on from a rough start and is well on its way towards achieving its goal as a regional centre of excellence in biodiversity conservation With guidance from Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as from the ASEAN Secretariat, ACB hopes to truly support the ASEAN by providing regional approaches or strategies in conserv- ing biodiversity and helping reduce biodiversity loss.

Biodiver-22 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

ON THE

Common land and water borders

have allowed the ASEAN Member

States to share many species that are

biologically diverse from the rest of the

world, and further underline the need

for a concerted effort in biodiversity

conservation and management

ASEAN responds to

environmental challenges

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,

Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the

Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and

Vietnam comprise the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations Facing

evolv-ing challenges that continue to degrade

their environment, each member state

has developed various national

strate-gies designed to repair damages to precious biodiversity resources These strategies involve subscribing to vari-ous international agreements that set standards in the sustainable manage-ment of natural resources, including the Convention on International Trade

of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention

on Wetlands of International tance, especially as Waterfowl Habi-tat (Ramsar), the Cartagena Protocol

Impor-on Biosafety, and the World Heritage Convention, among others More sig-nifi cantly, all ASEAN Member States are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that was established in 1992 during the Earth

Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil As of

2008, some 191 countries have become parties to the Convention, a clear sign that biodiversity conservation has be-come a global priority among nations.The CBD is the fi rst global agree-ment that encompasses three major goals: the conservation of biologi-cal diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefi ts arising from the use

of genetic resources In April 2002, the Parties to the Convention adopted a strategic plan that targets a signifi cant reduction in the current rate of biodi-versity loss at the global, regional, and national levels by 2010 This would ultimately contribute to global poverty

24 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

alleviation, and ensure that future

gen-erations continue to benefi t from

natu-ral resources, as well as benefi t all life

on Earth

The ASEAN and the ASEAN

Centre for Biodiversity

The need to address urgent

bio-diversity conservation issues and the

signifi cance of providing a regional

ap-proach to save shared resources

provid-ed the basis for the establishment of the

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)

Each member state has individual

na-tional concerns, but the region has

re-sources of global signifi cance

The ACB traces its origins to the

ASEAN Regional Centre for

Biodiver-sity Conservation (ARCBC), a joint

undertaking of the Philippines, the

ASEAN and the European Union (EU),

which ran from 1999 to 2004 Hosted

by the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources of the Philippines,

the project generated partnerships

among member states on various efforts

to save the region’s threatened

biodi-versity ARCBC successfully fostered

strong collaboration among ASEAN

Member States and between ASEAN

and EU partner institutions, and gained

recognition in the regional and global

arena for biodiversity

In 2005, the ASEAN and the EU

agreed to establish the ASEAN Centre

for Biodiversity to carry on the work of

the completed ARCBC project

The ACB envisions a biodiversity

that is protected, conserved, managed

and sustainably used, and its benefi ts

fairly and equitably shared for the

so-cial, economic and environmental

well-being of the ASEAN Member States

The ACB intends to benefi t the

ASEAN Member States by:

1 Serving as an effective

coordina-tive body to facilitate discussion and resolution of cross-country biodiversity conservation issues

2 Providing a framework and mechanism for sharing informa-tion, experiences, best practices and lessons learned for effi cient access of ASEAN Member States

3 Implementing a pro-active proach in monitoring and as-sessing biodiversity conservation status as a strategic approach to-wards identifying critical issues and future trends

ap-4 Delivering/facilitating conduct

of capacity-building services and technology transfer through en-gaging relevant and appropriate expertise

5 Enhancing common standing of biodiversity con-servation issues strengthening ASEAN regional positions in negotiations and in compliance with relevant multilateral envi-ronmental agreements

under-6 Promoting regional public awareness to develop champions and enhance support at different stakeholder levels on biodiver-sity concerns

7 Undertaking innovative resource generation and mobilization measures to pursue impact activ-ities that will enhance biodiver-sity conservation in the region

The ASEAN Senior Offi cials on the Environment (ASOEN) and the ASEAN Secretary-General compose the Governing Board of ACB, which approves and provides guidance to the activities of the ACB With the techni-cal oversight of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and

Biodiversity (AWGNCB), the Centre pursues its objectives through the fol-lowing components:

• Policy Development and dination

Coor-• Human and Institutional pacity Development

Ca-• Digital Knowledge Management Capacity

• Public and Leadership ness of Biodiversity Values

Aware-To strengthen ASEAN’s capacity

to conserve biodiversity and meet each state’s commitments to various multi-lateral environment agreements, ACB supports governments in the following areas that are of global and regional im-portance:

• Agriculture and food security

• Access to, and fair and equitable sharing of benefi ts from biologi-cal and genetic resources

• Climate change and biodiversity conservation

• Ecotourism and biodiversity conservation

• Payment for ecosystems services and valuation of biodiversity

• Wildlife law enforcement

• Managing invasive alien species

• Peatland management and diversity

bio-• Global Taxonomy Initiative

• Support to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas

• Managing biodiversity tion and knowledge

informa-The ACB facilitates the sion and resolution of cross-country biodiversity conservation issues and supports the capacity building of part-ners for policy development to increase knowledge and skills to better assess current biodiversity situations in the

discus-The need to address urgent biodiversity conservation issues

and the significance of providing a regional approach to save

shared resources provided the backdrop for the development

of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.

24 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

SPECIAL REPORTS

regional/national levels, and develop

appropriate response mechanisms

ACB’s capacity building programme

also aims to enhance the competence

of protected area managers and other

frontline personnel to develop further

their skills in biodiversity conservation

and management

The Centre also facilitates

data-shar-ing platform such as the regional

Clear-inghouse Mechanism (CHM) and

ac-cess to integrated data and information

on key biodiversity areas and concerns

Increasing better awareness of

biodiver-sity issues and concerns is also a major

aspect of ACB activities, thus, the

Cen-tre actively pursues activities to promote

leadership and public awareness of the

values of biodiversity

Highlights of ACB

Accomplishments in 2008

The accomplishments of ACB for

2008 build on prior activities and

les-sons learned, and refl ect priorities based

on the concerns of the

Vien-tiane Action Programme

(VAP) and the ASEAN

Member States

Some of the highlights

include enhancing efforts

to solidify ACB’s existence

by ensuring its

sustainabil-ity beyond 2009;

identify-ing and implementidentify-ing

stra-tegic areas of interventions

in biodiversity conservation

in the region; and

develop-ing responses to emergdevelop-ing

global and regional

envi-ronmental issues ACB also

crafted its long-term

Orga-nizational Strategic

Frame-work, which, along with

other accomplishments,

served as the transition of ACB’s

programme from short-term to

long-term beginning 2010

The ACB also undertook many

activities that contributed to further

strengthening its position as a regional

centre of excellence on biodiversity

management The Centre partnered and

is currently exploring other partnerships

with several international organizations

in such fi elds as research, capacity

devel-opment and data sharing

Strategic partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on Bio- logical Diversity (SCBD) The ACB

forged this partnership to conduct joint programmes in biodiversity research, capacity building and training, public education and awareness, policy devel-opment and coordination, as well as technical cooperation for the conser-vation and sustainable development of biodiversity in the ASEAN region The collaboration is expected to enhance the capacity of ASEAN Member States to meet the target of signifi cantly reducing biodiversity loss by 2010, and reinforce the ASEAN’s efforts in articulating poli-cies that integrate biodiversity with de-velopment concerns

Partnership with the French ernment This partnership resulted in

Gov-plans for ACB to conduct a workshop

in the fi rst quarter of 2009 The shop is the “ASEAN Regional Workshop

work-on Global Taxwork-onomy Initiative: Needs Assessment and Networking”, which

would provide a venue for sharing periences in the implementation of the Programme of Work for the Global Taxonomy Initiative and identify future programmes for capacity development

Cen-“Conservation of Peatland Biodiversity

in Southeast Asia-Year 1”, which was

completed in June 2008 ACB ues its partnerships with the SEARRP Darwin Initiative Program based in Danum Valley, Malaysia The Centre is currently working on a possible part-nership with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) on bio-diversity information and knowledge sharing for the ASEAN region

contin-Partnership with the United tions Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) ACB discussed with

Na-the UNEP-WCMC a possible ship to make ACB the regional hub for the World Database on Protected Ar-eas

partner-Partnerships with public, private and international organizations

ACB explored partnerships with public, private and international organizations including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, the ASEAN Foundation, the United Nations University-Institute of

Advance Studies (UNU-IAS), the ish Agency for International Coopera-tion (AECIDID), the ASEAN-WEN, and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) These partnerships, along with signifi cant successes in the ar-eas of course development for protected area workers, joint research initiatives

Span-in biodiversity, public awareness, and biodiversity information sharing, en-abled the Centre to cater to the needs

of ASEAN Member States

26 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

Strategic Communication Plan

This long-term Plan was developed

and a communications market study

was undertaken to identify ACB’s

target audiences, messages, and

con-ceptualize communication/advocacy

tools to increase public and

leader-ship awareness of the values of

bio-diversity

Ratification of the ACB

Es-tablishment Agreement The

rati-fication of the ACB Establishment

Agreement by Brunei Darussalam,

Lao PDR and Singapore brought

ACB closer to international

legiti-macy Together with the previous

ratifications made by Viet Nam and

the Philippines, this latest show of

commitment brings the number of

ratifications to five The

Establish-ment AgreeEstablish-ment needs one more

ratification to come into force

Capacity Building In 2008, ACB

strengthened its capabilities to support

ASEAN Member States in their efforts

to reduce biodiversity loss in the region

Capacity building in the form of

work-shops, training, study tours and the

development of course programmes in

biodiversity further added to the skills

and knowledge of protected area

man-agers and personnel and other

environ-ment offi cials The course programmes

will be based on competence standards

to promote biodiversity conservation

and management

Discussions and collaboration

among policy makers and scientists,

as well as increasing cooperation with

database organizations and the

har-monization of information on

pro-tected area coverage, environmental

degradation, habitat and species

data, among others, enabled ASEAN

to develop a unified strategy for

bio-diversity conservation Cooperation

with media, the SCBD and other

conservation organizations have

al-lowed ACB to increase biodiversity

awareness among public leaders, the

youth and other target audiences

Though these activities mark

ma-jor milestones in ACB, the future still

holds many challenges, particularly as

ACB and the ASEAN prepare for an

assessment of biodiversity

Ahmed Djoghlaf signed a Memoramdum

of Cooperation to strengthen the ties of ASEAN Member States to protect dwindling resources and comply with their commitments to the Convention

capaci-February

The ACB and the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) jointly organized an international conference workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change on 19-20 February in Manila, Philippines The conference workshop drew 100 experts from 10 countries, and was supported by the World Agroforestry Centre, Bioversity International, and the Philippines’ Silliman University.

March

The ACB gathered key managers and staff of ASEAN Heritage Parks and other protected areas for two workshops On 3-7 March, ACB organized a workshop to develop management effectiveness tools for the region’s major protected areas with the IUCN-World Conservation Union and the Viet Nam Environment Protection Agency Some 20 participants gathered

in Gunung Ledang, Malaysia from 17-21 March to learn ecotourism management and biodiversity conservation and share best practices in managing recreation and ecotourism in protected areas The workshop was organized by ACB in co-

operation with the Johor National Parks Corporation, the Department of Wildlife and National Park of Malaysia The workshop was followed by a Study Tour in Recreation and Ecotourism Sites and Some Protected Areas in Malaysia and Singapore from 22-

29 March in cooperation with Johor National Parks Corporation and the National Parks Board of Singapore

April

Environment offi cials gathered in gapore on 14-16 April to share their expe- riences in promoting urban biodiversity conservation as an important component of sustainable development The National Parks Board of Singapore and ACB organized the workshop.

Sin-May

On 01-2 May, ACB organized a shop to prepare ASEAN Member States for the Ninth Conference of Parties (CoP9) to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Bonn, Germany on 19-

work-31 May ACB conducted a forum on the state of ASEAN biodioversity as a side event at the CoP9

ACB supported the development of transboundary protected areas by meeting with representatives of Vietnam, Cambo- dia, and Lao PDR in Thua Thien Hue Prov- ince in Vietnam on 22-24 May The meeting discussed ways to strengthen collaboration among the three countries to protect the Truong Son Range’s biodiversity, an area of exceptional biodiversity that lies on the bor- der of Viet Nam and Lao PDR.

June

Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive retary of the CBD visited the Philippines

Sec-SPECIAL REPORTS

on 19-22 June to discuss collaboration

among the SCBD, ACB, and the

Philip-pines’ Department of Environment and

Natural Resources in protecting and

con-serving the ASEAN region’s highly

threat-ened biodiversity Dr Djoghlaf also met

with representatives of the United Nations

Development Programme and

environ-mental conservation organizations.

With Cambodia’s Ministry of the

Envi-ronment, ACB hosted a workshop on “Risk

Assessment of Genetically Modifi ed

Or-ganisms (GMOs) / Living Modifi ed

Organ-isms (LMOs) and Enforcement of Biosafety

Regulations” on 22-24 June in Siem Reap,

Cambodia, where experts shared up-to-date

scientifi c information on biosafety and risk

assessment, enhancing national and

region-al capacity to address biosafety issues, and

strengthening cooperation in the region.

ACB initiated brainstorming sessions to

develop biodiversity management courses

with environmental experts in the

Philip-pines Course programmes and training

sessions will be developed to enhance the

competence of managerial and technical

staff in charge of protected areas and

con-servation agencies in Southeast Asia The

course programmes will be based on

com-petence standards to promote biodiversity

conservation in the region The courses will

be developed for three levels - policymakers,

protected area managers and rangers or law

enforcement staff - and will be pilot tested in

the ASEAN region in 2009

July

On 21-26 July, ACB and the Ministry of

Forestry of the Directorate General of

For-est Protection and Nature Conservation of

Indonesia organized a “Regional Workshop

on Conservation of Terrestrial and Marine

Transboundary Protected Areas” in Jakarta,

Indonesia Protected area managers and

staff identifi ed social, economic, political and

other constraints in protected area

manage-ment and steps that would contribute to the

effective conservation of transboundary

pro-tected areas The Guidelines for the

estab-lishment and management of transboundary

areas is being drafted

August

Environmental experts of the ASEAN

attended ACB’s Regional Workshop on

Bio-diversity Indicators and Database Uses and their Applications” on 25 - 27 August in Siem Reap, Cambodia Co-hosted by Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, the workshop con- tributed to the ASEAN 2010 Biodiversity As- sessment Report by identifying suitable indi- cators and available information that can be shared with other ASEAN countries.

September

On 30 September, ACB celebrated its 3rd anniversary with an ASEAN-EU Ambas- sadors Day to celebrate growing cooperation

in biodiversity conservation in the region

Ambassadors from the ASEAN Member States and the European Union planted trees at the University of the Philippines Los Banos campus as part of the Green Wave campaign of the CBD, met with local media

to discuss biodiversity conservation efforts

for the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Viet Nam” on 4-7 November in Bali, Indonesia The meeting was organized

by ACB in cooperation with Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, Conservation Inter- national, and Haribon Foundation.

Members of the Scientifi c Advisory Committee (SAC) of ACB met on 24-

26 November to review 19 proposals under the ACB Joint Research/Initia- tives on Biodiversity programme Out

of the 19 proposals reviewed, 11 were approved for implementation and in- clude the following: Peatswamp Forest Dynamics and Diversity (Singapore); Taxonomic Research and Capacity Building in the Barisan Range Rainfor- est, Sumatra: A Neglected Biodiversity Hotspot (Singapore); Research on Scientifi c Bases for Establishment of

in the region, and discussed opportunities

to strengthen collaboration between the EU and the ASEAN

October

ACB and the ASEAN Wildlife ment Network (ASEAN-WEN) met in Bang- kok on 28 October and discussed potential areas of partnership to combat illegal trade

Enforce-of wildlife species and conserve biodiversity

in Southeast Asia

ACB joined ASEAN representatives at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Par- ties (COP 10) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands from 28 October to 4 November in Changwon, Republic of Korea

November

Environmental groups discussed forts in marine biodiversity conservation at

ef-an “Experts Meeting on Marine Gap Analysis

a National Master Plan for Biodiversity Monitoring (Viet Nam); Proposal for Research on Policy, Legal and Insti- tutional Framework of Protected Areas (Viet Nam); Hotspots of Marine Biodi- versity in the ASEAN Seas: Mapping Current Location and Climate Change Impact (WorldFish Philippines); and Manual for Establiashing Interpretive Signs on Invertebrates in Nature Trails for Ecotourism (Thailand).

December

ACB supported continuing search on invasive alien species by working with Viet Nam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) on the “ASEAN Workshop

re-on Invasive Alien Species ment” conducted on 17-18 December

Manage-in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

28 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

LOOKING

FORWARD TO

28 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

Biological Diversity (CBD) made a commitment that would alleviate poverty as well as benefi t all life on earth by adopting a strategic plan to signifi cantly reduce biodiversity loss at all levels

by 2010 This target was then endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 and the United Nations General Assembly, and was incorporated as a new target under the Millenium Development Goals The target’s end goal is

to effectively reduce the loss of biodiversity to secure the continuity of its benefi cial uses, for current and future generations.

2010

REDUCTION IN BIODIVERSITY LOSS

Come 2010, proclaimed as the International Year for Biodiversity, conservation organizations and other public and private entities all over the world will refl ect on that promise made in 2002.

Most governments have incorporated biodiversity conservation into their nation-

al action and development plans, increased collaboration with national conservation agencies, worked with development and environment non-government organi-zations, and sought the cooperation of other nations in global and regional environment issues This is particular-

ly apparent with the ASEAN ber States, which share biodiversity features due to common borders and geological history, and have similar commitments to ensuring sustain-able development for its nations in the region

Mem-Ever-present challenges

Are we on the right track? Have

we failed? Is there hope for the vironment? Every day stories of the impacts of climate change, defor-estation, over-harvesting of wild-life and fi sh stocks for food and trade, pollution, and other envi-ronmental concerns show up in all forms of media Awareness of these issues is increasing, and people all over the world are feeling the pres-sure Food security is a major issue,

en-as crisis after crisis hen-as emerged in all parts of the world A rice short-age ensued in Asia, resulting in lines for government-produced rice and raising the specter of rice rations and poor agricultural production in the region Governments are hard-pressed

to feed the world’s rapidly growing population The pressure to produce food to meet the world’s increasing de-mand has intensifi ed over the past 100 years, resulting in massive stress on the natural functions of ecosystems and the variability of genes, species, and popula-tions Out of thousands of available plant species, barely 150 have been cultivated for food Livestock diversity faces similar threats,

as statistics indicate that 643 breeds are at risk

of extinction, 45 of which are in Asia

Climate change is another issue, particularly since developed countries are also experiencing massive flooding, extreme heat and cold, and other

30 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

weather events that have had

devas-tating impacts on lives, properties

and livelihoods This issue is

par-ticularly important for the ASEAN,

which strives to develop

economi-cally as a region while remaining

re-sponsive to environmental concerns

Many ASEAN Member States, Viet

Nam in particular, are at risk of

in-undation due to rising waters as an

effect of climate change and other

extreme weather events Sustainable

development is thus a major ASEAN

issue as it strives for prosperity for

member states while ensuring their

protection from the adverse impacts

of climate change and other activities

that continue to degrade the

environ-ment Studies in the use of

renew-able energy resources, such as solar

and wind, are growing, as are options

for biofuels The increasing demand

for biofuels, however, has resulted

in another concern as it contributes

to mounting pressure on the region’s

poor and underdeveloped As major industries extract resources from these sites and generate millions in income, what portion of the benefi ts accrues to local communities and countries? An international regime to promote and implement Access and Benefi t Sharing must be set in place to protect rights

of local communities and countries to benefi t from the use of natural resourc-

es within their borders

Similarly, schemes for Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES) allow pro-viders of ecosystem services to benefi t from ecosystem benefi ciaries Ecosys-tem services include watershed protec-tion, forest conservation, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, landscape beautifi cation, and wildlife husbandry in support of tourism and ecotourism Various payment arrange-ments may be made available for vari-ous ecosystem services as long as those who pay are aware that they are paying

to secure the provision of a valuable

biodiversity conservation should be supported by data and scientific in-formation to support strategic plans for biodiversity New knowledge and information on biodiversity is crucial

to undertaking meaningful sity management and conservation This will also generate more interest among funding agencies to support conservation initiatives

biodiver-Species are increasingly at risk, from signature species such as lions, elephants, whales and sharks, to oth-

er little known but no less signifi cant species such as insects, butterfl ies, and birds As endangered species continue

to decline at an alarming rate, other species that are not on the radar, so to speak, have raised concerns Agricul-tural producers raised the alarm when honey bees, a pollinator of crops, fruit-bearing trees, and others, mysteriously disappeared with devastating effects on fruit and agricultural producers all over the world

30 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

The need to address urgent biodiversity conservation issues

and the significance of providing a regional approach to save

shared resources provided the backdrop for the development

of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.

biological diversity The rapid

expan-sion of agriculture for biofuel crops

onto Southeast Asia’s natural forests

raises serious concerns as it

encroach-es on forencroach-ests and protected areas The

challenge is how to guarantee that

producers will sustainably manage

their production, and ensure that the

benefits reaped from biofuels will not

be made at the expense of habitats

within the agricultural landscape

Fair and equitable sharing from

the use of genetic resources is another

major issue, as large industries (e.g

pharmaceuticals, biotechnology,

agri-culture, cosmetics) continue to look to

nature as the primary source of material

for medicine, food, cosmetics, and

oth-ers Tropical forests are primary sources

of these materials, and most areas with

rich genetic materials are economically

ecosystem service, and that those who are paid, engage in measurable activi-ties to provide the ecosystem services

in question

ASEAN Member States continue to evaluate and ensure effective manage-ment of protected areas, particularly of ASEAN Heritage Parks These require effective monitoring and evaluation measures, capacity building for pro-tected area managers and staff, preven-tion of illegal wildlife harvesting and trade, accurate demarcation of critical habitats, and other steps that would contribute to successful protected area management

More extensive research is essary to address gaps in knowledge that will contribute to a greater un-derstanding of critical ecosystem services The growing interest for

nec-These questions and wide-ranging issues face most conservation organiza-tions, both government and non-gov-ernment, as 2010 looms on the hori-zon The challenge then for ASEAN Member States and ACB is how to ad-dress these issues at the national level, and determine measures to strengthen biodiversity conservation at the region-

al level to ensure the continued ervation of ASEAN’s rich and shared natural heritage

pres-ACB prepares for 2010

In preparation for this significant event for biodiversity conservation and its advocates, the ASEAN Cen-tre for Biodiversity has embarked on

a number of activities to aid in the assessment of national and regional conservation efforts Prior to 2008,

the Centre embarked on a series of

activities that allowed ASEAN

Mem-ber States to review their national

data on species and habitats,

biodi-versity and protected areas, and other

environmental indicators Setting up

databases, such as the enhanced

Bio-diversity Information Sharing Service

(BISS) of the ACB, would provide

conservation agencies with the

scien-tific data to direct conservation

prior-ities and channel resources to address

urgent concerns

The ASEAN Centre for

Biodiver-sity is also on its way to developing a

regional Clearing House Mechanism

(CHM), which is part of the CBD

strategy to implement the Convention

and reduce biodiversity loss A CHM

is a collaborating network of partners

facilitating scientifi c and technical

co-operation The CBD Clearing House

Mechanism has three major goals:

pro-motion and facilitation of technical and

scientifi c cooperation; promotion and

facilitation of information exchange

among Parties, other Governments and

stakeholders; and a fully operational

mechanism with the participation of

all Parties and an expanded network

of partners ACB envisions the

devel-opment of a regional Clearing House Mechanism (rCHM) in ASEAN to better assess the status of species and habitats, and evaluate efforts in the preservation of the environment and natural heritage of the region

In 2009, Parties to the tion are also expected to submit their Fourth National Reports (4NR) to the CBD These will provide essen-tial information to assess progress to-wards the 2010 Biodiversity Target, at the national level, and through their contributions to the third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook The Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 (GBO-3) will be formally launched in 2010, with publications and a web-based data portal This will be an important vehicle for informing a variety of audi-ences of the importance of biodiversity and the progress made in meeting the

Conven-2010 Biodiversity Target Regionally, ACB has been working with ASEAN Member States by assisting them in the development of their 4NR, as well as developing regional indicators that will result in an ASEAN 2010 Biodiver-sity Assessment Report With inputs from the ASEAN Member States and technical assistance from the United

Nations-Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, the Report is expected to provide a re-gional picture of the biodiversity status and effects of conservation efforts in the region, as well as provide future di-rections for more collaboration among nations

As a prelude to the international conference on biodiversity, ACB will

be conducting the ASEAN Conference

on Biodiversity in cooperation with the National Parks Board (NParks) of Sin-gapore The conference is envisioned

to be one of the largest gatherings of key biodiversity stakeholders and play-ers in Southeast Asia to discuss emerg-ing trends, issues, and concerns on biodiversity conservation and manage-ment About 250 of Southeast Asia’s key personalities from the academe, the research and scientifi c community, government and high-level policymak-ers will come together for this signifi -cant event Specifi cally, the Conference aims to report the status of the ASEAN region’s biodiversity in relation to the

2010 target; discuss key biodiversity sues that are important to the region,

is-SPECIAL REPORTS

32 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g

including the gaps and challenges in

the ASEAN Member States’

biodiver-sity conservation efforts; and

recom-mend the way forward in addressing

the region’s biodiversity challenges

be-yond the 2010 target

In 2008, ACB strengthened its

me-dia network in ASEAN to raise

aware-ness of efforts to save the region’s

biodi-versity ACB views media as a powerful

partner in its biodiversity conservation

campaign, and uses all forms of media,

from print, broadcast to the Internet,

in reaching out to various target

audi-ences ACB programmes and activities,

partners, and information on

protect-ed areas, species and other aspects of

biodiversity conservation and

man-agement can be accessed through the

ACB website (www.aseanbiodiversity

org), the newsmagazine ASEAN

Biodi-versity, monthly electronic newsletter,

Policy Brief Series, the video “Saving

ASEAN’s Natural Treasures”, books,

workshop proceedings, brochures, fl

y-ers and other materials In 2009, ACB

will organize a workshop for media

personnel to strengthen reporting of

environment and biodiversity-related

initiatives in ASEAN The goal is to

de-velop environmental advocates among

media personnel, so that environment

news will be a primary news topic, at

par with economic and political issues

Environmental advocates among

me-dia will also be included in the Meme-dia

Friends of Biodiversity of the Centre

Biodiversity conservation is a

shared responsibility, and it is

im-portant to emphasize that everyone

has a stake in its conservation The

scope of biodiversity however, and

its inter-linkages with all aspects of

human life, oftentimes makes it

dif-ficult for the general public to grasp

its definition and implication in their

lives Biodiversity and its significance

to humankind should thus be

com-municated in a manner that is easily

understood by people This is the

ba-sis of the CBD Programme of Work

on Communication, Education and

Public Awareness (CEPA), which

aims to assist governments, educators

and civil society to provide a clear

understanding of biodiversity and its

significance, its impact on human

welfare, the effects of biodiversity loss, and ways to conserve the natural environment for a variety of audienc-

es ACB will provide a workshop for partner organizations in the region to develop strategic communication and advocacy plans to strengthen commu-nication programmes and activities, create information and education ma-terials, as well as look for other cre-ative ways to enrich public knowledge

of biodiversity

In 2007, ACB conducted the 2nd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference and the 4th Regional Conference for Protected Areas in Southeast Asia on

23 – 27 April 2007 in Sabah, Malaysia

Partner organizations included Life International, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature-World Commission on Protected Ar-eas in Southeast Asia (IUCN-WCPA-SEA) and Sabah Parks The conference brought together 232 participants composed of the heads of protected area management authorities; man-agers of ASEAN Heritage Parks and protected areas; offi cials and represen-tatives of international and local non-government organizations, and other protected area practitioners

Bird-During the conferences, pants reviewed the status of protect-

partici-ed area management in the region, shared experiences and best prac-tices, identified problems and issues, and formulated a common regional strategic direction to respond to the challenges in the sustainable use of biodiversity, access and sharing eq-uitably the benefits from biodiversity and conservation of biodiversity The conferences resulted in regional ac-tion points on various areas of pro-tected area management The action points include communication and community relations in protected area management; gap analysis for marine protected areas in the ASEAN region; land use and conflict manage-ment in protected areas; indigenous peoples in protected areas; informa-tion sharing and knowledge manage-ment; sustainable financing for pro-tected areas; capacity development;

biodiversity monitoring for terrestrial areas; managing World Heritage sites

in Southeast Asia; management tiveness assessment of protected areas; biodiversity monitoring for marine protected areas; sustainable livelihood and equity in relation to protected ar-eas; IUCN categories for protected areas; and governance These action points are encapsulated in the Re-gional Action Plan for ASEAN Heri-tage Parks and Protected Areas that aims to complement and support na-tional conservation initiatives toward the conservation and management of protected areas Representatives of protected area management authori-ties, managers and staff of ASEAN Heritage Parks and protected areas, and other international and regional conservation organizations will have

effec-a cheffec-ance to effec-assess the effectiveness of protected area management at the 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks conference in 2010

These are just snippets of ACB activities to assist ASEAN Member States in meeting their obligations to the CBD These and numerous other activities are part of ACB’s efforts to facilitate collaboration in biodiversity conservation, streamline and harmo-nize biodiversity data and informa-tion, encourage fi nancial support for conservation initiatives, strengthen research and policy development and implementation in biodiversity con-servation work, as well as increase public participation in preserving the natural environment by raising aware-ness of biodiversity issues

By building on past achievements, ACB hopes to significantly support ASEAN Member States in activities that will enable them to fully prepare for 2010

As ACB and ASEAN Member States get a clearer picture of their efforts in biodiversity conservation across the region, the lessons learned and better cooperation among ASEAN Member States will hope-fully lead to a more successful col-laboration beyond 2010, so that na-tions may have a stronger and unified effort in reducing biodiversity loss and ensuring a better future for the people and the rich natural heritage

of Southeast Asia

32 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 „ w w w a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y o r g