ASEAN Centre for Biovidersity

The fight to stop biodiversity loss is at a critical moment. Species are currently going extinct at up to 1,000 times the natural background rate. Sixty per cent of examined ecosystem services worldwide have been degraded.

There is increasing recognition that the wildlife trade in Southeast Asia has far-reaching effects. Not only does it supply markets and consumers both locally and across the globe, but it also has signifi cant implications for conservation and development at local, national and regional levels, as well as internationally.

Global agreements are crucial to resolving international issues and concerns, and thisis particularly important in environmental conservation. Loss of species and habitats,wetlands conservation, wildlife trade, pollution, and climate change are concerns requiring concerted global effort to be effectively addressed.

When talking about invasive alien species, what comes to mind is how a few years ago, the janitor fish caused alarm in Laguna Lake in the Philippines. It started as a pet for cleaning up aquariums. When the fi sh was released into the Laguna waters, its population rapidly grew and eventually disrupted the ecosystem. Fishermen complained about the pet that turned into a pest. The janitor fish not only gobbled up the algae in the Lake and deprived other fish with food, it also destroyed fishing nets with their sharp fins.

Three years after its establishment in 2005, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (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 conserving biodiversity and helping reduce biodiversity loss.

What is ecotourism?  How does this booming million-dollar industry affect Biodiversity and the environment? What can be done to effectively manage tourism in protected areas? These are some questions addressed in the latest issue of the ASEAN BIODIVERSITY MAGAZINE, a quarterly international publication of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity’s (ACB).

Biodiversity and Climate Change. The region’s rich biodiversity is heavily under threat. Out of 64,800 known species, two percent or 1,312 are endangered. Without a concerted effort to protect and conserve biodiversity, the ASEAN region’s 567 million people and the entire human race would be in danger.

Regional Cooperation toward Biodiversity Conservation. Several steps are being taken by ASEAN Member Countries in a bid to put forward a unified and regional voice toward meeting their commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

October-December 2006: Combating Land Degradation. Featuring the country reports of nine ASEAN countries on desertification and land degradation.

July-December 2007: Conserving ASEAN Heritage Parks through Regional Cooperation. Importance to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources of Southeast Asia (SEA), and the issues and threats that need to be addressed.