ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
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The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is a contraction of the words “biological” and “diversity”. Biodiversity encompasses all life on earth: the variety of living components within a habitat. It includes plants and animals and the processes and inter-relationships that sustain these components. Plants absorb and convert nutrients from the soil in order to grow. In turn, they produce oxygen for humans and animals. Insects, birds and other pollinators feed on nectar from flowers; and in so doing also cross-fertilize flowers.
In 1992, the international community developed an official definition of biodiversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity defines it as ‘the variability among living organisms from all sources 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 ecosystems’.
Why is biodiversity important?
Biodiversity creates health and wealth. Humans depend on thousands of plant, animal and marine species for food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and other basic commodities. From the smallest community to the largest city, human life revolves around the use of species in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, ecotourism, and many other industries. Food security depends on many species and their potential for increasing agricultural production. New and effective medicines for many diseases rely on various species.
Life on earth functions properly because biodiversity provides every living thing with the elements required to cope with changes in the environment. Biodiversity provides humans, plants and animals with ecological goods and services such as clean air, potable water, and fertile soils. The global ecosystem services have been valued at 33.3 trillion US dollars. The entire global GNP estimated at 18 trillion US dollars could not even pay for the value of ecosystem services (Costanza et al. 1997).
Beyond economics, biodiversity gives comfort to human beings. The verdant and lush forests, the placid lakes, the deep blue seas, the majestic dipterocarp tree, the joyful chirps of birds, the graceful flight of a butterfly, or the soothing scent of a wild flower uplift the human spirit. For many, nature and its biodiversity is a refuge.
The ASEAN Region's Rich Biodiversity
Southeast Asia, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Region, has a total land area of 4,470,000 square kilometres: 45 percent is covered with forests and woodlands. Indonesia has the largest land area with 1,891,000 km² followed by Myanmar with 677,000 km². Thailand is third largest with 513,000 km² and at fourth are three countries of similar sizes: Malaysia (330,000 km²), Viet Nam (330,000 km²), and the Philippines (300,000 km²). Next in rank are Lao PDR (237,000 km²), Cambodia (181,000 km²), Brunei Darussalam (5,800 km²) and Singapore (0.7 M km²). The region has a complex geological profile. It is mountainous, with diversified topography. It has great altitudinal range, from sea level up to 4,095 meters and has an archipelagic setting with more than 24,000 islands.
The ASEAN Region is one of the most important areas for global terrestrial and marine biodiversity. While occupying only three percent of the earth’s surface, the ASEAN region may contain the natural habitats of up to 40 percent of all species on earth (Caldecott et al 2003). The region has one-third, translating to 284,000 square kilometers of all coral reefs, which are among the most diverse in the world. It includes three ‘mega-diversity’ countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines and has several unique bio-geographical units such as Indo-Burma, Malesia, Sundaland, Wallacea, and the Central Indo-Pacific. Due to its high species diversity and endemicity, the biodiversity of the ASEAN Region is critically important to global environmental sustainability.
Valuable biodiversity resources are, however, under extreme threats from human activities and the natural beauty and diversity of the entire ASEAN region has substantially degraded in recent years.
Why is the ASEAN Region losing its biodiversity?
The ASEAN Region is home to seven of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots. These are areas characterized both by exceptional levels of plant and animal endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss.
Out of 64,800 known species, two percent or 1,312 are endangered. Eighty percent of coral reefs is at risk due to destructive fishing practices and coral bleaching. Deforestation rates in the region are at least two times higher than other tropical countries.
Forest conversion is the major cause of biodiversity loss in the ASEAN Region. It is driven by large-scale deforestation for timber by commercial logging activities, shifting cultivation, large-scale mining, and agricultural expansion. These lead to loss of habitat for many birds, mammals and other animals; reduced pollinator activity; decline in species richness and populations; and overall reductions in biodiversity.
Many protected areas in the region are most severely affected by forest conversion and habitat loss due to the relatively low surrounding forest habitat and high subsequent loss. If present levels of deforestation continue, the ASEAN Region will lose nearly three-fourths of its original forest cover and up to 42 percent of its biodiversity by the next century (Achard et al. 2002). There will be massive species declines and extinctions which will result in catastrophic biodiversity loss.
Wildlife hunting and trade for food, pet and medicinal purposes also contribute to biodiversity loss in the ASEAN Region.
Increasing human population and poverty is a primary socio-economic driver of forest biodiversity loss.
Climate change can have the largest proportional effect on biodiversity in extreme environments. This phenomenon threatens the ASEAN Region, possibly in very cold mountain environments, on small islands, or low coastal areas.
Lack of financial resources contributes to biodiversity loss as governments put more emphasis on budget allocation for food, health, education, infrastructure, and other priorities.
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 biodiversity, Southeast Asia’s 580 million people could also be under threat.
The ASEAN acts to save the region's biodiversity
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has undertaken efforts to protect its rich biodiversity.
Since the 1990s, ASEAN Member Countries (AMCs) have ratified many of the international agreements with biodiversity concerns, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, World Heritage Convention, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
The ASEAN has designated 1,523 protected areas based on The World Conservation Union (IUCN) category and declared 27 areas as ASEAN Heritage Parks. Several conservation plans have been prepared especially for endangered species. These conservation plans include aspects of research, ex-situ conservation, monitoring, and enforcement activities.
Further responding to the need for concerted action to protect and conserve the region’s dwindling biodiversity resources, the ASEAN, with funding support from the European Union (EU), established the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC) Project, hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government of the Philippines.
ARCBC successfully established a network of biodiversity institutions, thus, fostering stronger collaboration among the ASEAN Member Countries in addressing biodiversity related issues, such as the signing of the Declaration on the ASEAN Heritage Parks. ARCBC likewise formulated the ASEAN Guide on Occupational Standards for Protected Areas Jobs, which was duly endorsed by ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN, for use by the ASEAN in the development of training programs and for prescribing performance standards in protected area management.
ARCBC funded research in biodiversity, which resulted in the discovery of more than 100 new species of flora and fauna in the region. The research grant also sponsored scholarships in taxonomy (plant and invertebrate) for ASEAN young scientists in European universities, thereby enhancing the capacity of ASEAN while at the same time fostering long term relationships between ASEAN and European partner institutions.
ARCBC developed the Biodiversity Information Sharing Service (BISS), which analyzed bulk biodiversity data and made such data readily accessible though the web. It translated conservation guides and manuals from English to major ASEAN languages, making such publications easily available in their respective languages to biodiversity workers and professionals. ARCBC also published the ASEAN Biodiversity Magazine, circulated not only in ASEAN but also in 60 other countries around the globe.
Reviews of ARCBC led to a general consensus that an ASEAN institution of this type is an important contribution to the future of the biodiversity sector and that attention should be given to designing specific measures to safeguard the institution’s future after the end of ARCBC. Thus, in 2005, EU and ASEAN signed a financing agreement to fund a new institution that would carry on the work of the ARCBC Project to further enhance the AMCs’ collaborative capacity to fulfill obligations to relevant biodiversity treaties and conventions. On 27 September 2005, during the 9th informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the Environment Ministers of all AMCs signed an agreement establishing ARCBC’s successor, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
As an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence, ACB facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations, non-government organizations, private corporations and individuals on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
ACB is contributing to the reduction of the current rate of loss of biodiversity by enhancing regional cooperation, capacitating stakeholders, promoting awareness for biodiversity conservation, and maintaining the regional biodiversity database.
To contribute to the achievement of socially responsible access, equitable sharing, utilization and conservation of natural ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain, ACB builds strategic networks and partnerships geared to mobilize resources towards optimally augmenting effective programmes on biodiversity conservation.
The ACB is located in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines at the foot of the legendary Mt. Makiling inside the campus of the University of the Philippines.
ACB’s Steering Committee is composed of the Members of the Governing Board (GB) and representatives from the ASEAN and EU. The key officers of ACB are the Executive Director, the Director for Networking, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, the Director for Program Development and Implementation, the Director for Biodiversity Information Management, the Head of Finance and Administration, and the Head of Public Affairs.
ACB Member Countries • Brunei Darrusalam • Cambodia • Indonesia • Lao PDR • Malaysia • Myanmar • Philippines • Singapore • Thailand • Vietnam
References: Costanza, R. et al. (1977) The value of the world's ecosystems services and natural capital. Nature357: 253-260. Caldecott, J. et al. (2003) Identification and Appraisal Mission for the follow-up to the Project: AECBC, ALA/96/22. Draft final report, Agrifor Consult, Belgium. Achard et al. (2002) Determination of deforestation rates of the world's humid tropical forests. Science 297, 999-1002.
Link to : [1] Reference: Rolando Inciong, Head, Public Affairs, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, E-Mail: rainciong@aseanbiodiversity.org
