Protecting the ASEAN region’s rich biodiversity

Project description

Title: Institutional Strengthening of the Biodiversity Sector in the ASEAN II (ISB II)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: ASEAN Member States
Lead executing agency: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
Overall term: 2019 to 2023

Context

The ASEAN region is home to about 20 per cent of the world’s flora and fauna species, 35 per cent of global mangrove forests and 28 per cent of coral reefs worldwide. The lives and survival of more than 600 million people depend directly or indirectly on the conservation of these natural resources for food, health and livelihood. However, the biodiversity and the associated services continue to be massively under pressure. The ten member states of ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam) have recognised the need to intensify regional cooperation in the field of biodiversity protection.

In response, ASEAN has created the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), an intergovernmental organisation whose tasks are to facilitate cooperation and coordination among the 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS), to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and to encourage fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures.

Objective

The revised ACB strategic framework to enhance biodiversity conservation and mainstreaming in the ASEAN region is successfully implemented.

Approach

The ISB II project provides an opportunity to integrate lessons and experience gained from the ISB I project into regional strategies for biodiversity conservation.  As such, the project will be implemented through four (4) areas of intervention: 

  1. Organisational Development. The project will assist the ACB in implementing its revised strategic framework for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the ASEAN region.
  2. ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Programme. The ASEAN Heritage Parks are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region known for their unique biodiversity and ecosystems, their wilderness, outstanding values, and their importance as conservation areas. The project will support the ACB, as the AHP Secretariat, in developing a regional monitoring and evaluation system for the AHP Programme to enhance management effectiveness.
  3. Drafting joint ASEAN positions on CBD and related international processes. The project will assist the ACB by helping them to develop joint ASEAN positions to take to the table during the negotiations for a new global post-2020 biodiversity framework. In addition, the project will also support the development of digitised tools to analyse regional progress in the fulfilment of the Aichi biodiversity targets and corresponding SDGs.
  4. Mainstreaming biodiversity. The project aims to empower the ACB in its activities to mainstream biodiversity conservation into the fisheries, infrastructure, and tourism sectors.

Last update: December 2020

Additional information