“Dew Drop on a Blade of Grass’ Photo by Lim Fung Yenn (Singapore) Thousands of microscopic organisms can be found in a single drop of water. Like other species, they are important because they form part of the web of life. ACB’s goal is to help conserve this web of life. This publication highlights ACB’s achievements from 2005 to 2010, hoping to inspire others to contribute their share in conserving biodiversity.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity:
The First Five Years Facilitating Regional Collaboration on Biodiversity Conservation and Management in Southeast Asia
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity: The First Five Years is the accomplishment report of ACB covering the period 2005 to 2010 when the Centre operated with funding support from the European Union. Published in January 2011
Acronyms and Abbreviations
ABS ACB ACB2009 ADB AHP ARCBC ASEAN ASEAN-WEN ASOEN AWGNCB BISS CBD CEPA CEPA-Net CHM CITES COP ESABII EU FOB GBIF GEF GMO GTI IAS IBA ISEAS IT IUCN JRI LMO MEA MPA NBSAP
Access and Benefit Sharing ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009 Asian Development Bank ASEAN Heritage Park ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Biodiversity Information Sharing Service Convention on Biological Diversity Communication, Education and Public Awareness Southeast Asia CEPA and Media Network for Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Conference of the Parties East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Information Initiative European Union Friends of Biodiversity Global Biodiversity Information Facility Global Environment Facility Genetically Modified Organism Global Taxonomy Initiative Invasive Alien Species Important Bird Area Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Information Technology International Union for Conservation of Nature Joint Research Initiative Living Modified Organism Multilateral Environmental Agreement Marine Protected Area National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan
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NCBP NGO NParks PA PCU PEMSEA PES PoWPA REDD SCBD SGP TBPA TEEB UN UNDP UNEP USAID WCMC WCPA 4NR
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National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines Non-Government Organization National Parks Board of Singapore Protected Area Program Coordination Unit Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia Payment for Ecosystem Services Programme of Work on Protected Areas Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity Small Grants Programme Transboundary Protected Area The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity United Nations United Nations Development Programme United Nations Environment Programme United States Agency for International Development World Conservation Monitoring Centre World Commission on Protected Areas Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Table of Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................................................................. iii Message from the Secretary-General, ASEAN .................................................................................................................................. vi Message from the Chairman, Governing Board of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity..... vii Message from the Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity ................................................... viii Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 Southeast Asia’s Biodiversity in Distress ....................................................................................................................................................4 Responding to the Challenge of Biodiversity Loss .......................................................................................................................6 Developing ACB as an Institution .......................................................................................................................................................................9 Contributing to Biodiversity Policy Development ..................................................................................................................... 13 Developing Human and Institutional Capacities ......................................................................................................................... 23 Managing and Sharing Biodiversity Information ........................................................................................................................ 30 Promoting the Values of Biodiversity ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Laying the Grounds for a Sustainable ACB........................................................................................................................................ 43 Lessons Learned and Way Forward .............................................................................................................................................................. 44 Our Partners ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Number of Individuals Trained by ACB in the Ten ASEAN Member States ..................................... 48
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Message
B
iodiversity conservation is increasingly recognized by Southeast Asian governments as extremely important for human development, and for this reason, national and local governments across the region have taken numerous individual steps to help conserve their biodiversity resources. There are, however, a number of issues that can be more effectively addressed through actions at the regional level. One such action is the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). In the mid-1990s, the need for establishing an ASEAN institution to promote knowledge sharing about best practices and common efforts in the biodiversity sector had become clear. It led to the creation of the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation or ARCBC. The project completed its work in December 2004. It was acknowledged by all stakeholders that there was a need to create not just DR. SURIN PITSUWAN Secretary-General a time-bound project, but a permanent institution that will Association of Southeast address biodiversity loss. Thus was born the ASEAN Centre Asian Nations (ASEAN) for Biodiversity. From 2005 to 2010, the ACB has achieved a great deal, and has built up an increasing international reputation. As a result of the strong support and commitment of both ASEAN and the European Union, ACB has been able to enhance policy cooperation on biodiversity across the ASEAN region, to strengthen institutional and human capacity within ASEAN on regional and global biodiversity issues, to strengthen biodiversity information management, and to boost public awareness in relation to biodiversity issues and conservation needs. The Centre’s accomplishments are highlighted in this Project Completion Report. I hope that lessons will be learned from ACB’s experience as a regional organization. May this serve as an inspiration in the continuous quest of working toward a cleaner and greener ASEAN.
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ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Message
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iodiversity brings enormous benefits to mankind. The ASEAN region’s over 500 million people depend on the basic products provided by nature such as food, medicine, livelihood, shelter, clean water, and a host of other services. These products, however, are being lost at alarming levels. To help curb this rapid loss, the 10 ASEAN Member States supported the creation of a regional center. The ACB was created with the generous support from the European Union. I would like to extend my gratitude to the EU for being a supporter of biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region. I am pleased to have witnessed the many significant positive developments in the ACB during the past five years. After all these years of continuous efforts, difficulties and complex processes, one can now say that the ACB has contributed to strengthening ASEAN countries’ capacity DR. VANN MONYNEATH Chairman, ACB Governing Board to formulate and coordinate biodiversity-related policy, Chairman, ASOEN-Cambodia strategy and action, fulfilling relevant treaty obligations, Deputy Director General for Technical as well as promoting and advancing common positions on Affairs, Ministry of Environment, matters related to biodiversity conservation. Cambodia Beyond 2010, we would like to see an ACB with a further enhanced capacity to provide full support and service to ASEAN Member States in the area of biodiversity resources management. There is still a lot to do in order to ensure that the ACB will survive institutionally and financially, beyond the completion of the EU assistance to the Centre. I encourage the 10 ASEAN Member States to ensure that the ACB can become a sustainable Centre serving the region as a whole, and acting as a centre of excellence in Southeast Asia in building cooperation across the region and globally.
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Message
I
am pleased to present the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity’s Project Completion Report for the period 2005 to 2010. For five years, the Centre successfully fostered strong collaboration among ASEAN Member States and between ASEAN and European Union partner institutions, and gained recognition in the regional and global arena for biodiversity. The Centre was established with the generous support from the European Union, for which we are grateful. The 10 ASEAN Member States benefited from ACB’s various capacity development activities in areas such as protected area management, global taxonomy initiative, payments for ecosystems services, biosafety, invasive alien species, and access and benefits sharing. These and more activities have resulted in a number of successes for biodiversity conservation in the region. RODRIGO U. FUENTES Executive Director What is needed now is to ensure that the momentum ASEAN Centre will be sustained for biodiversity conservation. I believe for Biodiversity (ACB) that the momentum for regional collaboration can best be achieved by supporting ACB. I therefore encourage our friends and colleagues from the ASEAN Member States to continuously support ACB and participate actively in the Centre’s various programmes and activities.
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ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Executive Summary
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he ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) was established under a joint cooperation project between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through a Financing Agreement signed in April 2005. The ACB Establishment Agreement and Host Country Agreement entered into force on 23 July and 1 October 2009, respectively. The Centre operated with funding support from the EU for five years until 15 November 2010. To protect the richness of Southeast Asia’s biodiversity, the ten ASEAN Member States, all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, committed themselves in 2002 to the 2010 Biodiversity Target: the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth. ACB was established to support efforts of ASEAN Member States to meet this commitment. A successor of the EU-funded ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC) Project, ACB serves as a centre of excellence mandated to facilitate cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member States and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures. ACB supports ASEAN Member States in the areas of policy development and coordination, capacity building, biodiversity information management, public awareness, and sustainable financing mechanisms. During its first five years, the Centre contributed to the enhancement of policy cooperation on biodiversity across the ASEAN region; strengthened human and institutional capacity within the ASEAN on regional and global biodiversity issues, and boosted public and leadership awareness of the values of biodiversity and the need for conservation and sustainable management. Through its Policy Development and Coordination Component, ACB undertook various actions in the field of policy coordination and capacity building which included, among others, regional workshops on urban biodiversity, climate change and biodiversity, transboundary protected area management, enforcement of biosafety regulations and development of biodiversity indicators. The Centre conducted gap analyses on terrestrial and marine protected areas. ACB provided ASEAN Member States with technical and financial support in the areas of policy development; conducted studies on strategic policy issues relevant to biodiversity on various thematic areas; published, distributed and translated study outputs into various ASEAN languages; enhanced the capacity of policymakers and field- and mid-level practitioners; provided technical and financial assistance to biodiversity researches by ASEAN Member States; and assisted them in promoting and advancing common positions through the conduct of workshops on biodiversity-related concerns. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Through its Human and Institutional Capacity Development Component, the Centre strengthened the capacity of ASEAN Member States in conserving and sustainably managing their biodiversity and in meeting their commitments as parties to various multilateral environmental agreements and the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the Convention of Biological Diversity. ACB also conducted training courses and workshops on communication and community relations, management effectiveness, transboundary gap analysis, wetlands, ecotourism, protected area integration, and competence and performance standards, among others. Training courses/modules for executives, middle-level and field staff in protected areas were developed, and good practices on key policy areas in the ASEAN and European Union were identified and documented. The capacity of ACB officers and staff were likewise enhanced through attendance and participation to various in-house, regional and international workshops and trainings. Under this component, ACB also served as secretariat of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme. Through its Biodiversity Information Management Component, the Centre improved the digital knowledge management capacity of ASEAN Member States through the identification of reporting requirements and standards for digital data exchange; development of regional data analyses; harmonization of reporting requirements and standards; identification of gaps and shortcomings in digital capacity; and conduct of courses, exchange visits and study tours. Through its Public Awareness Component, ACB enhanced leadership and public awareness of the values of biodiversity and the need for conservation and sustainable management through the implementation of a communication strategy; production and dissemination of various information materials, including its website; advocacy and public information initiatives; and media and public relations activities. Through its Sustainable Financing Mechanism Component, the Centre started the process of establishing the ASEAN Biodiversity Fund, an endowment fund which is envisioned to ensure the sustained operations of ACB. Through all these achievements, ACB has earned considerable recognition both in the global and regional biodiversity arenas. The Centre has established partnership arrangements with the following strategic international institutions: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Fishbase Information and Research Group, Incorporated, ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, FREELAND Foundation, Winrock International, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH, the United Nations University-Institute of Advance Studies, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Partnerships resulted in donor funding for various initiatives. Donor funding outside the EU contribution totaled €334,750. During its first five years, ACB drew several important lessons: • More sectors of society must be engaged in conservation initiatives; biodiversity should be mainstreamed into sectoral plans and programmes; • Communication barriers between international organizations and ASEAN conservation practitioners at the national and community level must be overcome; • Understanding cultural differences between ASEAN and its partners is key to success; and • Partnership between ASEAN and expertise from other countries is an invaluable approach to the easy flow of knowledge and long- term learning. ACB has sounded off the glaring necessity to conserve and sustainably manage biodiversity through the conventional conservation of biological resources, as well as through elements of the equitable sharing of benefits and sustainable use. To carry 2
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
forward the momentum gained in biodiversity conservation, ACB will pursue the following courses of action: • Continue policy support and coordination with ASEAN Member States to better focus efforts on critical areas and ecosystems (e.g., ASEAN Heritage Parks, Key Biodiversity Areas, Coral Triangle, Greater Mekong Sub-region, Sulu-Sulawesi, etc); • Support mainstreaming biodiversity into national development processes and plans and policies, including integrating climate change adaptation strategies and biodiversity management; • Continue to support capacity development efforts to understand and enhance science and policy linkages on biodiversity and ecosystem services; • Support efforts to further develop and enhance access and benefit sharing policies at regional and national levels; • Intensify awareness among ASEAN leaders and the general public on the value of biodiversity conservation through a combination of appropriate communication and advocacy tools; and • Sustain the flow and exchange of scientific information on biodiversity from international organizations to the ASEAN organizations and institutions down to the grassroots.
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Southeast Asia’s Biodiversity in Distress
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iological diversity or biodiversity is the web of life that encompasses all species on earth. It includes the full-range of ecosystems, their component species and the genetic variety of those species produced by nature or shaped by humans. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biodiversity as “the variability among living organisms 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.” Biodiversity brings enormous benefits to humans, who are dependent on basic products provided by nature such as food, medicine, shelter, clean air and water and a host of ecosystems services. Biodiversity is critical in moderating the impacts of climate change. It also underpins the sources of our cultural and spiritual values. The diversity of all living forms of plants, animals and ecosystem services has huge economic value. Biodiversity creates health and wealth. But the benefits we derive from ecosystem services continue to decline as forests, soils, wetlands and coral reefs continue to gradually disappear. Species are under threat of extinction. As a result, the multiple and complex values of ecosystems decline in proportion to these negative trends. While occupying only three per cent of the earth’s surface, Southeast Asia, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, boasts of globally significant terrestrial and marine biodiversity that includes an astonishing 18 per cent of all species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has the most diverse coral reefs in the world and is home to the mega-diverse countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. The region also spans several unique bio-geographical units such as Indo-Burma, Malesia, Sundaland, Wallacea and the Central Pacific. The ASEAN region is home to key major ecosystems upon which over 580 million lives depend. The 4,200 kilometer-long Mekong River, which straddles the five ASEAN Member States of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam and the Yunnan Province of China, provides a rich natural resource base for over 250 million people. The Coral Triangle in the six Indo-Pacific countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste harbors 600 species of hard coral and more than 1,300 reef-associated fish species which support livelihoods for over 120 million people. The value of well-managed reefs in Southeast Asia was estimated at US$ 12.7 billion. Borneo, the world’s largest island, is one of the most important centers of biodiversity on earth. With thousands of species of plants and animals still waiting to be discovered, the island has an estimated 15,000 plant species, a tree diversity of 1,175 species, about 6,000 endemic plant species, and 155 dipterocarp tree species. Borneo produces valuable timber, aromatic oils and resins, and provides habitat and food for a vast range of plants and animals. The ASEAN region’s rich biodiversity is under threat. The key drivers of biodiversity loss include ecosystems and habitat change, climate change, invasive alien species, over4
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
The ASEAN region occupies only three per cent of the earth’s surface but it is home to18 per cent of all species
exploitation (as a result of deforestation and land-use and water-use change, as well as wildlife hunting and trade for food), pollution and poverty. While these threats exist across the globe, the ASEAN region’s dense human population, an intensifying food security challenge, and large-scale development trends markedly exacerbate the risks. The implications of these threats both to humans and biodiversity are unequivocally enormous.
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Responding to the Challenge of Biodiversity Loss
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esponding to the challenge of continuing loss of biological diversity and ecosystems degradation, the ten ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), all Parties to the CBD, committed themselves in 2002 to the 2010 Biodiversity Target: the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth. In 1995, the ASEAN Member States adopted the Vientiane Action Programme (20042010) which promotes a clean and green ASEAN with fully established mechanisms for sustainable development to ensure the protection of the region’s environment and the sustainability of its natural resources and the high quality of life of its people. In 2009, this action plan was revitalized to reflect the common vision of One ASEAN Community into the Blueprint for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (2009-2015). The Blueprint aims to ensure that the ASEAN’s rich biological diversity is conserved and sustainably managed toward enhancing social, economic and environmental well-being. These regional actions served as foundation for creating a wider sphere of collaboration among ASEAN Member States in meeting the challenge a biodiversity loss, a concern that shows no boundaries.
Meeting the challenge through regional collaboration Responding to the need for a wider sphere of collaboration within and outside the ASEAN region to meet the challenge of biodiversity loss, the ASEAN, with funding support from the European Union (EU), established the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC), a project based in the Philippines from 1999 to 2004. ARCBC successfully fostered strong collaboration among ASEAN Member States and various ASEAN and EU partner institutions, and gained recognition regionally and globally in the sphere of biodiversity. As the project neared completion, all stakeholders agreed on the need to establish a permanent institution - a regional centre of excellence that could strengthen the capacity of ASEAN Member States in policy formulation, meeting their obligations to multilateral environmental agreements and arriving at strong common positions on matters relating to biodiversity conservation and the management and sustainable use of the region’s natural resources.
The birth of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity In 2005, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) was established and officially launched at the 9th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting of the Environment Ministers. A Financing Agreement was signed between EU and ASEAN, providing funding for the Centre’s establishment and operations during its initial five years (2005 to 2010). An Establishment Agreement was signed by all ASEAN Member States. The agreement entered into force on 23 July 2009. Countries that ratified the agreement were 6
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
The EU-funded ARCBC Project served as predecessor of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. Photo shows participants to an ARCBC-organized workshop.
Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam. The Host Country Agreement between the Philippines and the ACB Governing Board was signed on 8 August 2006 and entered into force on 1 October 2009. With the ratification of the two agreements, ACB was endowed with the status of a full-fledged international organization.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leads the signing of the Host Country Agreement between the ACB and the Philippines. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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ACB’s mandates ACB’s mandates are to support the ASEAN Member States in meeting the call made by the World Summit on Sustainable Development to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 and strengthen their capacity to formulate biodiversity-related policy, strategy and action; fulfill obligations to multilateral environmental agreements; and promote and advance common positions on matters related to biodiversity conservation, management and sustainable use.
The ASEAN region: ACB’s area of coverage.
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Developing ACB as an Institution
Defining ACB’s directions
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o clearly define its institutional directions, ACB conducted a series of workshops that developed an Organizational Strategic Framework and a Long-term Strategic Plan. Workshop participants were members of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, ACB Governing Board and key ACB staff. Highlighting the framework and long-term strategic plan are the Centre’s vision, mission, core strategic goals, flagship themes and thematic areas.
The ACB headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
Vision Biodiversity is protected, conserved, managed and sustainably used, and its benefits are fairly and equitably shared for the social, economic and environmental well-being of ASEAN Member States.
Mission To champion biodiversity conservation in the region and enhance ACB’s global standing as a centre of excellence. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Core strategic goals
Serve as an effective coordinative body to facilitate the discussion and resolution of cross-country biodiversity conservation issues; Provide a framework and mechanism for sharing information, experiences, best practices and lessons learned that may be easily and efficiently accessed by ASEAN Member States; Implement a pro-active approach to monitoring and assessing biodiversity conservation status as a strategic approach towards identifying critical issues and future trends; Deliver/facilitate the conduct of capacity-building services and technology transfer by engaging relevant and appropriate expertise; Enhance common understanding of biodiversity conservation issues and strengthen ASEAN positions in negotiations and in compliance with relevant multilateral environmental agreements; Promote public and leadership awareness of the values of biodiversity to develop champions and enhance support at different stakeholder levels; and Undertake innovative resource generation and mobilization measures to pursue impact activities that will enhance biodiversity conservation in the region.
Flagship themes
Fulfilling ASEAN Member States’ commitments to multilateral environmental agreements; Addressing the poverty and social dimensions of biodiversity; Enhancing linkages between science and policy; and Building capacity for access to genetic and biological resources and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from its utilization.
Thematic areas ACB’s thematic areas are of global and regional importance. These areas have been identified in various multilateral environmental agreements, such as the CBD, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat (RAMSAR) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, to which majority of ASEAN Member States are parties: 1. Agriculture and food security 2. Access to, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from biological and genetic resources 3. Climate change and biodiversity conservation 4. Ecotourism and biodiversity conservation 5. Payments for ecosystem services scheme 6. Wildlife enforcement 7. Managing invasive alien species 8. Peatland management and biodiversity 9. Support to the Global Taxonomic Initiative of the CBD 10.Support to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD 11.Managing biodiversity information and knowledge 12.Business and biodiversity
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Managing the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Policy Guidance A Governing Board provides overall policy guidance to ACB. The Board is comprised by the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN), or their representatives and the Secretary-General of ASEAN or his representative. The Board provides general policy guidance and directions; approves the rules, procedures and regulations for the operations of the Centre; administers all funds entrusted to it; and approves the rules and procedures for the management of such funds.
ACB Governance Structure ASOEN
Secretary General of ASEAN (Governing Board)
AWGNCB Technical Oversight
ACB
The Board also reviews ACB’s performance annually and holds key staff, particularly the Executive Director, responsible for ensuring that all objectively verifiable indicators as specified in the ACB Logical Framework are met.
Technical guidance ACB receives technical guidance from the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (AWGNCB), a working group within the ambit of the ASOEN providing technical advisory guidance to the Senior Officials. The AWGNCB plays an important role, especially in defining the technical basis for ACB’s activities.
Coordination Each ASEAN Member State has a National Contact Point (NCP) to ensure the speedy coordination of ACB-sponsored activities at the country level.
The ACB Team The Executive Director is responsible and accountable for the day-to-day operations of the Centre, and attends to all other functions directed by the GB. Support is provided by the directors/heads, technical and administrative staff of the following units: Programme Development and Implementation; Networking, Partnership and Resource Mobilization; Biodiversity Information Management; Communication and Public Affairs; and Finance and Administration. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Policy and Research Specialist
Capacity Development Specialist
PDI Director
CHM and KM Officer
ICT Officer
Database Specialist
BIM Director
Executive Director
ACB Organizational Chart
4 Drivers
HR and Admin Officer
Development Communication Specialist
CPA Head
Accounting Officer
Cashier
Finance/ Budget Officer
FA Head
Contributing to Biodiversity Policy Development
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n contributing to policy development on ASEAN biodiversity, ACB employed various mechanisms and approaches. The policy domain was broken down into thematic areas, enabling for the more pressing biodiversity policy issues to be prioritized (e.g., climate change, wetlands, protected area management, etc.). Useful policy information was disseminated through publication of materials in popularized formats and languages. Various opportunities were created to address and suit special audiences, be they policymakers or business partners engaging in the biodiversity cause. During its first five years, the Centre helped galvanize the ASEAN position in global and regional biodiversity forums.
ACB’s thematic approach on biodiversity policy issues Following its thematic priorities, ACB conducted studies on the following strategic policy issues: • Guidelines on Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms/Living Modified Organisms (GMOs/LMOs) and Enforcement of Biosafety Regulations • Marine Protected Areas • Joint Research/Initiatives on Biodiversity • Transboundary Conservation • Biodiversity and Climate Change In one study conducted in the Philippines, ACB partnered with the Haribon Foundation to determine the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Southeast Asia. Initial findings showed that avian response to climate change causes species distributions to shift polewards and up-slopes, if current and projected ranges do not overlap and if species are unable to migrate. Interactions between climate change and landscape changes will impede
Members of the project team collect Crown of Thorns starfish as one of the major activities of the project “Nesting Beach and Coral Reef Monitoring and Management of Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, TawiTawi, Philippines” implemented by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Philippines. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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range shifts, resulting to range contractions and potential extinctions. These preliminary observations were included in a report submitted by Haribon to the ACB. ASEAN Member States found the results useful in conducting further research elsewhere in the region. The results also provided sound scientific bases for developing and implementing projects highlighting the relationship between biodiversity and climate change. Major initiatives conducted by ACB under its thematic thrusts include the following: a. Access and Benefit Sharing. The Centre supported a series of capacity building workshops and consultation meetings related to the development of the International Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) which was adopted at the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the CBD in Nagoya in October 2010. In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the CBD Secretariat, the ABS workshops provided an opportunity for ASEAN Member States to understand the developments on the International Regime and assess how national policies may be strengthened in light of the new global environmental protocol. The workshops also discussed priority activities to be implemented on ABS under the proposed project with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which was approved by the UNEP-GEF as endorsed by the participating ASEAN Member States, including Timor Leste. This new project, to be implemented for two years beginning on the second quarter of 2011, will continue to support the development of ABS national policies and framework under the new regime on access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of its utilization. b. Wildlife Regulation. As signatories to the CITES, all ASEAN Member States must address the poaching, trafficking, and illegal consumption of wildlife parts and products. ACB and the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) collaborated to arrest illegal wildlife hunting in Southeast Asia. Under the ACBASEAN-WEN collaboration, a series of capacity building activities enhanced the understanding by ASEAN Member States of CITES policy and helped developed national regulations and policies on wildlife trafficking, particularly in engaging other sectors and agencies outside of environment ministries. The two institutions, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the FREELAND Foundation, will continue their collaboration in the next five years. c. Climate Change, Forest and Biodiversity. As climate change continues to impact on all sectors, the ASEAN region must also take extra efforts to address deforestation, land degradation and other threats to biodiversity and ecosystems services. To this end, ACB established partnerships with ASEAN Member States, regional and national NGOs, United Nations (UN) agencies and the private sector to address the inter-linkages of biodiversity loss, forest degradation and climate change. Through support to regional meetings on forests and biodiversity and climate change, the Centre brought together key national focal points on these three areas to put in place or strengthen national policies on climate change and biodiversity, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD Plus), Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and valuing biodiversity. d. Urban Biodiversity. ACB, in partnership with Singapore and the CBD Secretariat, supported the development of the Singapore Index on Biodiversity, a tool to benchmark biodiversity and the environmental stewardship of cities. Given the rising population in cities, the index was designed to help evaluate progress in reducing the rate of biodiversity loss in urban ecosystems. The Centre also supported regional workshops on urban biodiversity which allowed ASEAN Member States to share knowledge and sound practices on enhancing urban biodiversity. e. Support to CBD Programmes of Work. The Centre supported the development of a number of regional guidelines and action plans by ASEAN Member States,
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particularly on the following: (1) AHP Regional Action Plan in Support of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA); (2) Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) Regional Action Plan in support of the GTI Programme of Work; (3) Guidelines on Transboundary Protected Area Management, also in support of PoWPA; and (4) Guidelines on Risk Assessment of LMOs and GMOs in support of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Learning new skills in taxonomy “Learning new skills in plant taxonomy helped me with my job as a researcher. It also benefited my institution because I can now help identify plants not yet known before at the Purwodadi Botanical Garden,” Tri said. “At the ACB training on plant taxonomy, I was able to share my experiences with other participants while I also learned from them. Knowing scientific culture in other countries increased my knowledge and skills in plant taxonomy.” – Tri Arfianti A researcher with the Purwodadi Botanical Garden, Indonesian Institute of Sciences based in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia
Leveling out the policy environment through multi-stakeholder dialogues ACB gained significant headway in engaging the international donor community and the public and private sectors in biodiversity conservation through the following initiatives: • Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Business and Biodiversity, 20-22 July 2009, Thailand • Seminar on Business and Biodiversity, 18 November 2009 and Meeting of Minds on Business and Biodiversity, 20 November 2009, Manila (as side events to the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility, co-organized by ACB with the Japan Business Initiative for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity) • Third ASEAN +3 Leadership Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 6-7 October 2010, Manila, co-managed with the ASEAN Secretariat, the United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies, and the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau • Business Opportunities in Biodiversity Conference and Exhibition, 8 October 2010, Manila.
Participants of the Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Business and Biodiversity held on 20-22 July 2009 in Thailand FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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These events, which drew participation of the corporate sector from ASEAN Member States and Japan, raised awareness on the various activities of businesses on biodiversity conservation; equipped business and industry leaders with the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to develop strategies for sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in their respective organizations; and increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the need for biodiversity conservation through the involvement of both public and private sectors.
Enhancing the capacity of policymakers and implementers During its first five years, ACB conducted 30 workshops for policymakers and implementers on various biodiversity concerns such as climate change, peatlands management, biofuels, community conserved areas, risk assessment of GMOs and LMOs and enforcement of biosafety regulations, national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAP) and mainstreaming of biodiversity, urban biodiversity conservation, transboundary collaboration, biodiversity indicators and database uses and applications, ecotourism and biodiversity, networking of marine protected areas, hornbill conservation, PES, GTI, Convention on the Laws of the Sea, and REDD and forest biodiversity.
The ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity On 21-23 October 2009, ACB organized the first ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity (ACB2009). Held in Singapore, ACB2009 provided a forum for exchanging perspectives in addressing biodiversity issues in the region and discussing steps forward in advancing the ASEAN biodiversity agenda in the context of meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target of reducing the loss of biodiversity. Co-organized with the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore, the event was attended by over 300 key ASEAN stakeholders from the government sector, academe, research and scientific community, donors, civil society and private sector, biodiversity experts, and partners from all over the world. ACB2009 strengthened and unified the common stand of ASEAN Member States towards conserving biodiversity in the region as it prepared and geared up for the CBD COP10 in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.
Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, executive director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, addresses participants of ACB2009. 16
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Outcomes and Recommendations of ACB2009 Climate Change and Biodiversity The ASEAN Member States recognize the twin issues of climate change and biodiversity as among the most crucial issues facing not only the region, but also the rest of the world. Exploring the impact of climate change on a number of ecosystems (e.g., mangrove, coral reef and tropical forest), the ASEAN C onference on Biodiversity (ACB2009) recommended the following: To focus efforts on examining the linkage of biodiversity and climate change to three major areas: 1) the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services and the climate system; 2) impacts of climate change on ecosystem services; and 3) biodiversity adaptation measures; To give more emphasis on the impact of people on ecosystems and give more attention to the human dimension in ecosystems dynamics; and To implement ecosystems-based adaptation strategies, so that humans and ecosystems may be better able to cope with risks associated to current and future climate change. Forest ecosystems • To develop a more holistic accounting system on carbon credits; • To broaden existing agreements that cover forests and carbon credits; and • To consider going beyond the Ecosystem-based Mitigation Approach, or carbon sequestration through trees, and recognize agro-forestry as one approach that can help enhance adaptive capacities for climate change. Marine ecosystems • To enhance international cooperation aimed at curbing the impacts of climate change on coral reefs; and • To study further the relationships between climate change, run-off, and over-fishing, and consider these areas as the three big issues that affect the biodiversity of marine ecosystems.
Access and Benefit Sharing There is renewed interest to expand discussions on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) arising out of the utilization of genetic resources and the need for the ASEAN to become more actively involved in the ongoing process of global discussion. In this respect, ACB2009 recommended the following: To continuously support the current consultation process on the “Draft ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Access and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from the Utilization of Biological and Genetic Resources”, and have the draft agreement immediately adopted in the ASEAN region; To urge Parties to the CBD to adopt, at the CBD COP10, the International Regime on ABS in order to provide an incentive for the two other objectives of the CBD on conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity; To apply information and communication technology in tackling bio-piracy and the digitalization of biodiversity as bio-information; To support cross-country collaboration, capacity building and technology transfer, and likewise enhance the potential of open source and common
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licensing models as tools for promoting collaboration and reducing transaction costs; To focus ABS efforts on the pharmaceutical industry, given the region’s strong traditional medicinal base and potentials for drug discovery; and To examine closely the genuine implementation of ABS on the ground, as there remain several issues especially on benefit sharing and traditional knowledge that need to be further addressed.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Valuing biodiversity and its benefits is critical. There are, however, continuing debates on how value should be attached to biodiversity resources and ecosystem services. ACB2009 recommended the following: To strongly support current efforts in understanding the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, it must follow a framework wherein the incentives for people to pay or be rewarded for the protection of these resources, as well as the disincentives for the destruction of such resources, should be in place; To further define and refine the role of the key sectors in the process of valuing the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services; To promote ecosystem services investments by the private sector and governments as a tool for risk management and for promoting competitive regional economies; To expand the promotion of valuation that shows the return on investments in ecosystem services, and support delimitation and management (especially marine protected areas); To prioritize incentives and mechanisms for economic activities which rely more directly on ecosystem services, e.g., hydropower and water; To enhance communication among ASEAN stakeholders (i.e., policymakers, scientists and civil society) on the potential pros-and-cons of payment for ecosystem services and the economic perspectives of environmental issues; To ensure that incentives in the promotion of ecosystem services are backed up by complementary regulation, noting that both ‘carrot-and-stick’ are needed; and To pay attention to ecosystem services in agricultural policy and land use management.
Cross-cutting Concerns There are cross-cutting concerns that need to be given attention, and all key sectors are encouraged to focus on these concerns, either as part of their respective programmes of action or their activities. ACB2009 recommended the following: To be more aggressive in public awareness campaigns and emphasize the message of conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services as a determinant of life. This effort must involve harnessing resources from all sectors and communities, (e.g., the private sector, international and regional organizations, the academe, NGOs, and other relevant sectors), for message dissemination; To forge the interphase between policy and science, integrating different fields, e.g., social sciences, biology and economics (or for transdisciplinary research to form the basis for advocacy and decision-making support that
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would ensure the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity resources); and To link biodiversity needs to the issues of poverty alleviation and climate change, and actively support the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation with other sectors, e.g., agriculture, health, development, education, water, energy, private and business, and get them to commit to this cause.
Over 300 stakeholders from Southeast Asia and partner countries and organizations gathered at ACB2009 to assess the status of the region’s biodiversity and discuss the way forward to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss.
ACB also organized workshops and conferences to strengthen regional positions on biodiversity, specifically on ASEAN integration, development cooperation, environment policy, CBD negotiation issues, and harmonization of reporting to biodiversity-related conventions. These workshops promoted and advanced common positions among ASEAN Member States on matters relating to biodiversity. Worth noting among these initiatives were the series of activities that allowed for harmonized country reporting to the various multilateral environmental agreements, cooperation on wildlife enforcement, and the link between biodiversity and business. Most ASEAN Member States are parties to various multilateral environmental agreements which require regular reporting. The series of workshops resulted in improved efforts in harmonizing reports to multilateral environmental agreements, thus, optimizing limited financial and human resources in preparing reports. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Technical and financial assistance to national and regional initiatives The Centre assisted six Member States (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) in the preparation of their respective Fourth National Reports to the CBD by organizing meetings and extending financial and technical support in the conduct of the country-level consultative workshops. ACB pursued the finalization of the Provisional List of Biodiversity Indicators for the ASEAN Member States, jointly with institutions such as the UNEP-WCMC, and parallel with the preparation of the ASEAN Member States’ Fourth National Reports. The Centre also provided inputs to the ASEAN Secretariat in developing the chapter on Biodiversity in the Fourth ASEAN State of the Environment Report. ACB funded the Joint Research Initiatives (JRI) on Biodiversity, providing technical and funding assistance to ASEAN Member States to support capacity building activities that extend to biodiversity research and policy development across the region. The JRI equipped ASEAN Member States with science-based policies on biodiversity conservation. It supported strengthening cooperation and networking across the region by developing strategic thematic areas that are in line with the local and regional needs of ASEAN Member States. The JRI was a combination of practical research on policy development and capacity building on various thematic areas. A Scientific Advisory Committee composed of experts from several ASEAN Member States was formed to review and approve JRI proposals. ACB disbursed a total of Euro 300,316.61 to fund the JRI programme. Through such technical and financial support, the Centre reinforced the current capacity levels of ASEAN Member States, particularly in complying with the reporting requirements of the CBD, as well as in complementing ongoing biodiversity research in the region.
Various publications from ASEAN Member States and ACB partner organizations 20
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Members of the Scientific Advisory Committee meet in Manila, Philippines.
Translating regional guidelines and manuals into ASEAN languages ACB translated the outcome of relevant studies and undertakings into some of the region’s major languages. These were then published and distributed to ASEAN Member States. Specifically, the Manual for Establishing Interpretative Signs on Invertebrates in Nature Trails for Ecotourism and The ASEAN Guidelines on Competence Standards for Protected Area Jobs were produced in Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese. The Competence Standards for Protective Areas were developed from a one-year consultative process conducted by the ARCBC Project. The publication consisted of recommendations on the skills and knowledge required for 24 employment positions in protected area work, divided into 17 technical categories and five employment levels. A key recommendation of the Third Southeast Asia Regional Meeting of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas has been the adaptation and adoption of these standards in Southeast Asia. Such guidelines and manuals have proven to be valuable tools in providing support and assistance in the area of protected area management. As a result, a number of ASEAN Member States have shown interest in developing their own manuals on interpretative signs or some other similar instruments for their respective national parks.
Publication of workshop outputs on policy development The Centre enhanced the ASEAN Member States’ capacities in biodiversity policymaking through the publication of guidelines and conclusions from various policy development workshops. Among these outputs were: Guidelines for the Availment of Technical Assistance Resources for JRI on Biodiversity; and Regional Technical Guidelines on Risk Assessment of GMOs/LMOs. In crafting the Guidelines on GMOs/LMOs, the Centre contracted the services of experts from the Federal Environment Agency of Austria; presented an annotated outline of the guidelines during the 20-22 October 2008 Workshop in Viet Nam; and conducted the Southeast Asian Forum on the Draft Regional Technical Guidelines for Risk Assessment of GMOs/LMOs on 29-30 October 2009, which served as venue in completing the second draft of the Guidelines. The revised draft Guidelines was presented and discussed during the Fourth Special Meeting of the AWGNCB and the Seventh Meeting of the ASEAN Genetically Modified Food Testing Network. These instruments have provided ASEAN Member States with comprehensive guides on various biodiversity related themes that are relevant to the region at both the national and regional levels. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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The ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook A major ACB publication is the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook (ABO). Launched at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD held in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and ACB’s contribution to the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, the ABO reported on the status of ASEAN biodiversity and progress of ASEAN Member States in meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target. The ABO was based mainly from the ASEAN Member States’ Fourth National Reports to the CBD, NBSAPs and similar national reports and action plans, as well as on global and regional datasets analyzed and synthesized by ACB and other international and regional organizations. The PDF file of the ABO may be downloaded from the ACB website – www.aseanbiodiversity.org.
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Developing Human and Institutional Capacities
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o enhance the human and institutional capacities of ASEAN Member States in conserving and sustainably managing the region’s biodiversity, ACB conducted training workshops and lectures on communication and community relations, management effectiveness, competence and performance standards, transboundary protected area management, terrestrial and marine gap analysis, protected area integration, wetlands management, and ecotourism, among others. These activities contributed to ASEAN Member States’ capacities in meeting their commitments as parties to various multilateral environmental agreements and the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD. Training courses and modules for executives, middle-level and field staff in protected areas were developed, and good practices for key policy areas in the ASEAN and EU regions were identified and documented. Guidelines for transboundary protected area management and manuals for wildlife law enforcement were developed for use by protected area officials and staff.
A park manager from Myanmar participates in the Demonstration Enforcement Ranger Training Course conducted by the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), FREELAND Foundation, and the Government of Thailand at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Identifying capacity gaps in protected area management ACB conducted a rapid assessment of the capacity building needs of protected area (PA) staff in relation to their functions as specified in the ASEAN Guidelines on Competence Standards for Protected Area Jobs. Results showed that, except for financial and physical resource management, PA managers and staff needed assistance in augmenting their knowledge on PA management most especially on management effectiveness, enforcement, PA integration and ecotourism. In collaboration with Birdlife International Asia, the Haribon Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature International, IUCN-WCPA, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand, ACB conducted workshops which provided the ASEAN Heritage Parks and PA managers and staff with appropriate knowledge and skills needed in the effective management of PAs and in fulfilling their countries’ commitments to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD. The workshops, attended by 496 participants from the ten ASEAN Member States, were in the areas of communication and community relations, management effectiveness tools and assessment, gap analysis for marine and terrestrial PAs, governance assessment and categories of PAs, job standards for PA staff, ecotourism and PA integration. Two important workshops on PA management were the Regional Workshop for the Development of Course Programmes and Trainings for Protected Area Staff held on 20-25 October 2009 in Sabah, Malaysia; and the Platform for Knowledge Sharing for Executives in the ASEAN Region on 10-14 August 2009 held in the Philippines. The first workshop enhanced the technical and managerial acumen of PA officers and staff assigned to protected areas and community conserved areas and identified possible courses and course programmes for executives (e.g, policymakers and directors), middlelevel staff (e.g., PA managers and division chiefs) and training of trainers for field staff (e.g., tour guides, protection and enforcement managers and park rangers). The following were the course recommendations: 1) for executives - conservation values and human ecology, conflict resolution and negotiation skills, and conservation policies and legislation; 2) for middle-level staff and skilled workers - monitoring and evaluation, ecotourism, enforcement and interpretation of law procedures, effective communication and community relations, and basic concepts of conservation and knowledge on taxonomy. The second workshop enhanced the PA executives’ understanding of the following topics: contemporary issues, international platform and protocols, climate change and PA management, conflict resolution and negotiation, conservation principles and international negotiations, invasive alien species in PA management, and project development and management. A course curriculum for executives was developed. Other course curricula developed were: PA integration and ecotourism for PA managers; and law enforcement and patrolling for field enforcement rangers and protection managers. The Centre also conducted workshops on ecotourism, the conservation and management of terrestrial and marine transboundary protected areas, marine gap analysis; and training courses for enforcement rangers and for protection and enforcement managers, PA integration, and access and benefit sharing. These activities strengthened the capacity of ASEAN Member States to effectively manage and safeguard their protected areas, especially the ASEAN Heritage Parks. The participants were able to observe good practices on park management during their field trips and study visits in selected PAs in the ASEAN region.
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Between 2007 and 2010, ACB trained 1,925 individuals across the 10 ASEAN Member States. The workshops and training activities encompassed a range of thematic areas, including access and benefit sharing, biodiversity indicators, biodiversity information management, biosafety, business and biodiversity, communication, ecotourism, payment for ecosystem services, protected area management (terrestrial, marine, transboundary, ASEAN Heritage Parks), taxonomy, and urban biodiversity, among other topics. Please refer to Annex A for more details.
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Addressing common gaps through professional competence and performance standards ACB prepared and distributed training and development tools and materials and conducted training and learning activities (e.g., lecture courses, exchange visits and study tours within the ASEAN region). The course modules developed by ACB provided standard guidance for trainings and workshops. These include: Course Modules on Protected Area Integration for Middle-level PA Staff; Course Modules on Ecotourism for PA Managers; Course Module on Platform Sharing for Executives; Course Module for Enforcement Rangers; and Course Module for Enforcement and Protection Managers. The ASEAN Transboundary Protected Area (TBPA) Guidelines: Merging Nature, People and Protected Area Management was formulated to provide practical and realistic measures that will guide TBPA planning, establishment, management, and monitoring and evaluation. A notable achievement in capacity building is the arrangement between ACB, ASEANWEN and the FREELAND Foundation. As a result of a series of dialogues between these institutions in 2008 and 2009, joint activities for the enhancement of capacities in wildlife law enforcement leading to biodiversity conservation were conducted. A Regional Enforcement Ranger Basic Training Course and a Protected Area Protection and Enforcement Training Management Course were conducted at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. These workshops also gave rise to the development of two manuals on law enforcement. The Enforcement Ranger Manual for Counter Poaching Operations, developed by the FREELAND Foundation, ACB and ASEAN-WEN, was designed for government officers tasked with enforcing laws in PAs or forests in Southeast Asia. It includes topics on the role of enforcement rangers, patrolling operations procedures, hostile engagements, intelligence gathering patrols, takedown and raids, and vehicle checkpoints, among
The partnership among FREELAND Foundation, ACB and ASEAN-WEN is empowering wildlife enforcers across the ASEAN region by conducting training workshops. 26
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others. The manual has been used in implementing enforcement ranger training courses in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. The Protected Area Enforcement Manual: A Guideline for PA Protection and Enforcement Managers was developed to strengthen the capacities and skills of PA managers on PA protection and enforcement, command leadership and management, patrol encounters and engagement, crime scene processing, and intelligence operations, among others. The lessons are linked to practical applications from the field tactical level into an overall strategic planning and operational decision making process in order to understand all levels of effective enforcement management. ACB, ASEAN-WEN and FREELAND Foundation have agreed to continue exploring opportunities for future collaboration. Collaboration prospects include link-ups of information and database on wildlife trade, and coordination work with the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry and the Asia Forest Law, Enforcement, Governance and Trade.
Partnering with ASEAN and EU institutions ACB engaged a number of international and regional institutions as partners and resource persons in the development of course programmes and in the conduct of workshops and trainings. These include among others, the following: a. BirdLife International and IUCN-WCPA, on the conduct of gap analysis for marine and terrestrial protected areas; b. National Parks Board of Singapore, for urban biodiversity; c. ASEAN-WEN and FREELAND Foundation, on law enforcement; d. Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks-Ecotourism Division, for ecotourism and study tours; e. RAMSAR Secretariat, on wetlands; f. Wildlife Conservation Society, on protected area integration; and g. CBD Secretariat and The Nature Conservancy, for e-learning modules. By engaging in joint activities, ACB was able to leverage resources of partner organizations for the greater benefit of ASEAN Member States.
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The ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme The ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Programme is a flagship biodiversity initiative of the ASEAN. AHPs are protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems and species of the region. The AHP Programme aims to instill greater awareness, promote conservation, and provide a sense of pride and enjoyment of the rich natural heritage sites among the ASEAN peoples. These key life supporting major ecosystems have provided a common agenda and united the ASEAN Member States to better protect the environment and take responsibility and leadership for the sustainable management of their shared resources. The implementation of the AHP Programme promotes the fundamental thrusts embodied in the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD. The region has declared 28 areas as ASEAN Heritage Parks. ACB serves as secretariat of the programme.
To ensure the successful implementation of the programme, the ASEAN conducts regular AHP Conferences. The first AHP Conference was organized by the ASEAN Secretariat and the ARCBC Project on 20-24 September 2004 in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. ACB, in succeeding the ARCBC Project as secretariat of the AHP Programme, organized two AHP Conferences. The Second AHP conference, conducted on 23-27 April 2007 in Sabah, Malaysia, was organized with the Birdlife International, IUCN-WCPA and Sabah Parks. The event was attended by 232 heads of PA management agencies, AHP/PA managers, international and regional NGOs, representatives of local communities, and other PA practitioners. The conference resulted in the development of an AHP Regional Action Plan. The Third AHP Conference, held on 23-25 June 2010 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, was organized with the Government of Brunei Darussalam and the ASEAN Secretariat. The event was attended by 56 park managers, experts and officials of agencies involved in biodiversity conservation. The conference enhanced the AHP Regional Action Plan and developed strategies for AHPs; identified, discussed and prioritized activities, 28
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Participants to the 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference
such as capacity development and public awareness initiatives to effectively manage the AHPs; and identified possible partners for the implementation of selected activities in the pilot areas. The third conference resulted in the: 1) formation of a network of AHP Managers, and 2) crafting of a Regional Work Plan for AHPs for 2011-2013, covering, among others, the following areas: resource assessment and monitoring (including species identification and habitat management), ecotourism, law enforcement, information sharing, communication and outreach, and exchange programs and study tours. To further strengthen the AHP Programme, the ACB Governing Board created an AHP Committee to provide technical assistance to AHP managers in the development of work plans and management plans of the parks. The Committee serves as an important link between governments and park managers so that national authorities may better understand the needs of AHPs. During its meeting in Brunei Darussalam on 22 June 2010, the Committee approved for ACB funding, 12 on-the-ground projects on management effectiveness, law enforcement, ecotourism, and public awareness with a total grant of US$ 171,900. ACB established a web portal for the AHP Programme to promote greater public awareness and establish a communication network among the parks. To further promote the programme, ACB published The ASEAN Heritage Parks: A Journey to the Natural Wonders of Southeast Asia. A tool to encourage greater public appreciation of the ASEAN’s natural heritage, generate support for their protection and conservation, and encourage more collaborative activities for sustainable development and management, the book captured the essence of each AHP, particularly each one’s natural integrity, for the public to understand why these gifts have to be preserved and conserved for the present and future generations’ enjoyment, appreciation and benefit. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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Managing and Sharing Biodiversity Information
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he Centre developed an information management facility so that data on Southeast Asia’s protected areas and species may be organized and enhanced into knowledge that is easily accessible, especially to policymakers, in aid of legislation and decision making in biodiversity conservation. Organized in digital format, data analyses at both the national and regional levels evolve into more significant knowledge quickly and with better accuracy. It also disencumbered the ASEAN Member States from the often repetitive exercise of data-gathering when fulfilling multilateral environmental agreements reporting requirements and standards. The facility enabled the identification of knowledge gaps in ASEAN Member States to better address biodiversity concerns, through technical assistance, whether these are shortfalls either in funding or scientific expertise.
Defining reporting requirements and standards for digital data exchange To facilitate the identification of standard reporting requirements and establishment of a digital information exchange mechanism for PAs and species, ACB initiated partnerships with global data holders as it undertook the development of encoding convention standards which conform to internationally accepted formats. The availability of inter-operable data in the ASEAN region helped enhance the development of sciencebased policies and decisions for conserving biodiversity resources. To this end, ACB established partnerships with the following relevant organizations for information sharing and analysis. a. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). ACB and GBIF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on March 2009 which aims to enhance ACB’s role as a Regional Training Hub in biodiversity informatics to build capacities of ASEAN Member States on data mobilization and utilization for planning and decision-making. Two workshops on biodiversity informatics were conducted in November 2009 and October 2010, which introduced the GBIF as a data facility organization and developed the ASEAN Member States’ awareness and familiarity with cutting edge technologies for data collection/harvesting and publication. Coordination with GBIF is ongoing, particularly for the local installation of industrial productivity tools in the ASEAN Biodiversity Information Sharing Service (BISS). b. Fishbase Information and Research Group Inc (FIN). ACB and FIN signed two MOCs in 2010 for strengthening the ASEAN BISS as the Regional Ocean Biodiversity Information Service (OBIS) Node and for the development of aquatic biodiversity management (ABM) tools. The Fishbase and Sealife Base data have been harvested and incorporated into the ASEAN BISS, as new tools on ABM were also installed. c. United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). ACB and UNEP-WCMC signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in 2009 to assist ASEAN Member States in complying with their commitments to the 30
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CBD. The MOC aims to strengthen the ASEAN BISS as a Regional World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) Node. The two institutions are developing the ASEAN Regional Node for the WDPA as part of the ASEAN BISS. To initiate this process, the WDPA data validation methodology developed by UNEP-WCMC was pilot tested in Indonesia and Thailand, with ACB simultaneously testing the regional nodal function. The objective is to create a standard updating mechanism for the PA database. d. Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD). ACB and SCBD signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in January 2008 detailing collaborative arrangements to implement a joint work programme in the areas of biodiversity research, capacity building and training, public education and awareness, exchange of information, policy development and coordination, and technical and scientific cooperation. Other ACB efforts in standardizing reporting requirements and defining digital data exchange include the following: adoption of the Darwin Core to facilitate the exchange of information on geographic occurrence of species and existence of specimens in collections; strengthening of the ASEAN BISS as the SEA OBIS Node; discussions with the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) for the establishment of an ASEAN BON; development of a PA encoding interface which conforms with UNEP-WCMC’s WDPA encoding formats; preparation of a draft data biodiversity information sharing mechanism to spell out the proposed arrangements and protocols for sharing and exchanging biodiversity information in the ASEAN region for effective country- and region-wide planning and decision making for biodiversity conservation; and establishment of the Friends of Biodiversity (FOB), a contacts database envisioned to keep track of individuals and institutions sharing a common interest in biodiversity conservation and advocacy; and a medium for collaboration among such individuals and institutions. The membership features of the FOB may be viewed at http://chm.aseanbiodiversity.org/networks-friends-of-biodiversity. The Centre established networks and linkages with regional, thematic and global data holders by actively participating in international meetings and workshops. Periodic meetings included those sponsored by the GBIF, GEO-BON, AP-BON, IUCN, and CBD.
Managing biodiversity information in Malaysia “The workshop increased my understanding of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) concept, methodology, necessary resources and expected outputs. I experienced hands-on training on data processing/presentation and report preparation for website uploading; hands-on mapping inputs, map layers, and refinements based on the criteria of manageability to include the uploading of KBA information in our Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM). I also learned CHM content uploading, data processing/presentation and report preparation for website uploading and mapping inputs, map layers, and refinements based on the criteria of manageability,” Ms. Aslina said. Citing the benefits of the ACB workshop on her organization, Ms. Aslina said that from CHM Malaysia (www.chm.frim.gov.my), they are expanding the Malaysia CHM content with Taxon Data Information Sheet (TDIS). The TDIS contains a minimal but fundamental set of information that provides rational to support the Red List category given to the taxon concerned. “Our yearly target from 2007 to 2011 is to upload illustrated photo of 500 plant species and E-newsletters of selected species into the system achieved. A spatial data for protected areas and management system that can be browsed through Google map has recently been incorporated into the CHM system. The database has expanded with more information and features on flora and fauna, protected areas and the database is expected to include information on lower plants and fungi in near future,” Ms. Aslina explained. – Aslina Binti Baharum Information Technology Officer with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) based in Selangor. She was a participant in a biodiversity information management workshop organized by ACB.
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Identifying gaps and corrective measures in digital capacity ACB conducted internal assessments, country visits and workshops to determine gaps and support database generation in the ASEAN Member States. A rapid assessment survey was conducted covering eight countries in January 2007. The processing and tabulation of survey results were finalized and completed in January 2009. The survey report detailed an inventory of information technology (IT) facilities and available data in each of the ASEAN Member States. Gaps in data availability and capacities for data establishment and maintenance were likewise identified consequent to the series of biodiversity information sharing and harmonization workshops held in Vientiane, Lao PDR (2007), and in Viet Nam and Lao PDR in 2008. To elevate the capacities of ASEAN Member States to generate, manage and analyze biodiversity data, a series of capacity-enhancement workshops were conducted. A notable ACB achievement was in identifying PA gaps. The Centre conducted regional technical workshops on Marine and Terrestrial Gap Analysis in Bali, Indonesia in 2008 and Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2009. These workshops developed the capacities of ASEAN Member States to prepare terrestrial (tGAP) and marine (mGAP) gap analyses as part of their PoWPA commitments to establish and strengthen the national and regional systems of PAs integrated into a global network, as a contribution to globally agreed goals. In the preparation of the tGAP and mGAP gap analyses reports, ACB provided capacity building support through the conduct of the Regional Technical Workshop on KBAs for Gap Analysis of Protected Areas, held in March 2010 in Los BaĂąos, Philippines to enable ASEAN Member States to identify KBAs in their respective localities Outputs generated from this workshop were assessed and used to validate the PA section of the ASEAN BISS. Technical assistance funds amounting to US$ 30,000 were provided to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. From the mGAP and tGAP reports submitted by ASEAN Member States, an integrated report was prepared to provide a regional perspective of gaps in managing marine and terrestrial protected areas in the region. Highlights of the reports were presented at a Side Event on Gap Analysis of Protected Areas during the CDB COP10 on 18 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. Panelists from Birdlife International and the UNDP commended the process and underscored the importance of capacity building that will bring up the level of knowledge and skills in decision making related to PA management in the region.
Developing regional data analyses for ASEAN The Centre established the Biodiversity Information Sharing Service (BISS) and the ASEAN Clearing-house Mechanism (CHM) as platforms for information exchange within the region. The BISS provides regional data analyses of biodiversity information in the ASEAN region, while the ASEAN CHM serves as the single entry point to the ASEAN Member States’ national CHMs. As part of the development processes of these two services, functional needs assessments and user acceptance and usability tests were conducted in 2009. The BISS was developed to support the biodiversity information needs of ASEAN Member States. Based on data and information shared by designated national focal 32
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
points, partners and resources made universally available, the BISS collects species and PA information and continuously updates the inventory of biological resources of the region. The BISS houses historical and current biodiversity metadata and functions as a platform that presents a growing collection of knowledge products to aid policy development, projects development, and biodiversity conservation decision making. Information found in the BISS databases are correlated, overlaid or integrated with those made available from other sources and are presented as text, graphs, trends and map-based regional summaries. The BISS Home page provides information on country profiles, summaries of recent species assessments, summary information on threatened species and regional maps of marine protected areas, terrestrial protected areas, and key biodiversity areas or biodiversity hotspots. The BISS, which also features an e-library and knowledge products, is hosted at http://bim.aseanbiodiversity.org/biss.
Harmonizing ASEAN Member States’ capacities to comply with MEA reporting requirements and standards ACB established linkages with relevant international and regional institutions to promote and exchange biodiversity-related information. The exchange of biodiversity information and knowledge among ASEAN Member States is vital to their policy making decisions on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management; and in meeting multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) commitments, which include the regular submission of reports. Acknowledging that the data and information required for various MEA reports are either repetitive or overlapping, the Centre obtained data sharing and harmonization standards that would ease the ASEAN Member States’ burden of collecting the same data and information for every MEA report. To this end, ACB conducted a series of workshops on biodiversity data and information harmonization in Vientiane, Lao PDR (November 2007); Hanoi, Viet Nam (March 2008); and Luang Prabang, Lao PDR (June 2008). The two major outputs of these workshops were: 1) a list of core data sets for species, and 2) PA information for sharing and minimum CHM content. The workshops on Biodiversity Indicators and Database Uses and Applications in Siem Reap Cambodia (25-27 August 2008) and Bangkok, Thailand (18-21 November 2008) produced a provisional set of regional biodiversity indicators. The list was validated through the conduct of follow-up visits in nine ASEAN Member States in 2009. A Workshop on Harmonization of Reporting to Biodiversity Related Conventions was conducted in Hanoi, Viet Nam in April 2009. The workshop assisted ASEAN Member States in streamlining their reports to various MEAs by encouraging harmonized reporting systems at the national and regional levels. A general outline on harmonized reporting was crafted during the workshop. To implement the agreements made during the workshop, a MEA page was developed in the ASEAN BISS. The MEA page includes a report harmonization database and report harmonization editor. These functionalities allow registered users to access data easily and generate reports from the database.
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
33
Promoting the Values of Biodiversity
A
CB crafted and implemented a communication strategy to generate public and leadership awareness of the values of biodiversity. The Centre’s pro-active engagement with media generated free newspaper spaces and radio/television airtime worth over US $600,000. Moreover, 23 institutions from various sectors were drawn into partnerships through various public awareness efforts. These gains enabled the ACB to widen its advocacy network for biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region.
Communicating biodiversity strategically ACB crafted and implemented a communication strategy to promote leadership and public awareness on the values of biodiversity. The strategy focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of ACB’s vision, mission, goals, key thrusts, programmes and accomplishments, as well as its biodiversity messages. The strategy identifies ACB’s target audiences, key messages, and communication tools and products. As a result of implementing the strategy, the Centre was able to: 1) increase its profile among donors and stakeholders; 2) generate interest among funding institutions for sustained and new funding support; 3) provide capability building support for ASEAN Member States in implementing their Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) programmes; 4) leverage the communication efforts of ASEAN Member States and ACB partners in advocating biodiversity conservation; and 5) establish and maintain a communication network among media, ASEAN Member States and ACB partners in spreading biodiversity messages.
Popularizing biodiversity conservation creatively ACB implemented a variety of creative initiatives to increase public awareness and understanding of biodiversity issues. Activities included the search for ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity, a photo contest, the innovative ASEAN Tribal Games, and events to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 and promote the Green Wave global tree planting campaign. The ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity is the first recognition programme for outstanding initiatives on biodiversity conservation and advocacy in the ASEAN region. It aims to generate greater leadership, public and media awareness of the need for a concerted effort in biodiversity conservation and advocacy. To be awarded in 2011 are the outstanding biodiversity conservation projects by the business sector, youth organizations, and 34
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
media. The project generated US$ 64,144.10 in funding support from the ASEAN Foundation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH of Germany. The “Zooming in on Biodiversity” Photo Contest in 2009 popularized biodiversity through the medium of photography. The project drew over a thousand entries from all over the region. By depicting biodiversity alongside health, food security, climate change and day-to-day human issues through powerful images, ACB was able to present the often elusive concept of biodiversity loss. The photos generated greater public awareness and wide media coverage as winning entries were exhibited in a number of ASEAN Member States and used in various publications.
To showcase how the indigenous peoples of the ASEAN region conserve their natural environments and generate greater awareness for biodiversity conservation, ACB partnered with the Philippine Olympic Committee for the Philippines Tribal Games in 2009 in the highlands of the Philippines and the ASEAN Tribal Games in 2010 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. This innovative public awareness initiative, which also featured ACB exhibits, provided a venue for indigenous peoples to exercise their An athlete from the Aeta tribe in the Philippines takes sporting skills and share lessons on how aim at the target during the ASEAN Tribal Games. they protect biodiversity. The Centre took the lead in promoting the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) 2010 within the ASEAN region. The campaign’s launch was held on 5 March 2010 at the Dusit FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
35
Launch of the International Year of Biodiversity: Dr. Raman Letchumanan, Head of Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat; Atty. Dave Torres, Chief Legal Officer of Philippine Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri; Dr. Vann Monyneath, Chairman of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity’s Governing Board; Dato’ Misran Karmain, Deputy SecretaryGeneral, ASEAN Secretariat; H.E. Alistair MacDonald, Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines; Mr. Demetrio Ignacio, Undersecretary of the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Dr. Filemon Uriarte, Jr., Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation; and Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
Thani Hotel in Makati City, Philippines and attended by Dato’ Misran Karmain, the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN, as well as members of the diplomatic community, media and key environment officials from ASEAN Member States. After the launch, a series of exhibits, forums, and briefings were conducted in celebration of IYB. Various public awareness materials were distributed to key audiences all over the region. The Centre’s IYB campaign forged a stronger partnership with the SCBD and reached out to a greater number of audiences, particularly the youth, media and business sectors. The Green Wave is a multi-year global campaign to generate biodiversity conservation awareness among the youth through tree planting. ACB promoted this initiative not only
“Saving One Tree at a Time” participants plant trees at the sprawling Tagaytay Highlands in the Philippines. 36
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
among schools but also within the business sector and the diplomatic community. Media forums, exhibits, and the dissemination of public awareness materials also formed part of the Centre’s campaign to promote the Green Wave.
Using a variety of communication tools to spread the word on biodiversity Awareness and understanding of biodiversity increased among ACB’s target audiences with the production and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) materials that promoted the values of biodiversity. The Centre produced and distributed 14 issues of the quarterly ASEAN Biodiversity Magazine, featuring various informative articles and stories on a number of biodiversity thematic areas. ACB also produced the following materials: two books (The ASEAN Heritage Parks: A Journey to the Natural Wonders of Southeast Asia and the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook); 174 news and features; 27 issues of the ASEAN Biodiversity Updates (e-news for the general public); two issues of the ACB Executive Updates (e-news for officials of governments and key target audiences); 16 brochures; six posters; four policy briefs; 10 full video documentaries and short video presentations; three booklets, including one on best CEPA practices; 11 exhibits; and thousands of promotional materials (e.g., calendars, planners, t-shirts and bags). The Centre also coordinated 45 radio and television interviews. A video documentary entitled Values of Biodiversity was translated from English into three ASEAN languages: Bahasa, Vietnamese and Thai.
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
37
Reaching out through the Worldwide Web The ACB website (www.aseanbiodiversity.org) serves as a key source of information on biodiversity-related matters in the ASEAN region. It includes news about ACB and its work, information about thematic subjects such as biodiversity and climate change, business and biodiversity, invasive alien species, and ecotourism and biodiversity conservation, among others. The ACB website serves as portal to the ASEAN BISS and CHM.
Enhancing capacity of ASEAN Member States to communicate biodiversity With support from the Government of the Netherlands, ACB and the CBD Secretariat organized a CEPA and Media Training Workshop on 30 November - 3 December 2009 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Sixty journalists and government and non-government organizations information officers from the ASEAN Member States participated in the workshop which provided a venue to share knowledge and experience among civil servants responsible for CEPA activities on biodiversity and media practitioners who report about biodiversity; increased the participants’ awareness about the importance of the IYB 2010; improved their skills in strategic planning and organizing national activities for the IYB 2010; and developed the government information officers’ awareness on the importance of the media and their skills in media handling. The workshop resulted in the establishment of the Southeast Asia CEPA and Media Network for Biodiversity (CEPA-Net).
Members of CEPA-Net 38
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
CEPA Workshop: Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; Mr. Peter Bos, Senior Executive Officer of the Directorate for Nature, Netherlands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality; Prof. Dr. H. Gusti Muhammad Hatta, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia; Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity; and Mr. Erik Habers, First Counsellor of the Delegation of the European Union to Jakarta.
Networking for biodiversity advocacy CEPA-Net, a product of the CEPA and Media Training Workshop in Jakarta, is a knowledge network composed of 60 media practitioners, government and NGO information officers, and communications experts from Southeast Asian countries who are committed to promoting the importance of biodiversity conservation in the region. Among the network’s activities are forums on biodiversity conservation, regular exchange of best practices on effective communication techniques for biodiversity, sharing of success stories, media advocacy programmes, and capacity building activities. Through this network, ACB was able to reach a greater number of audiences in the region. Members of CEPA-Net serve as force multipliers in spreading the importance of conserving biodiversity. As part of its networking initiative, ACB, through its magazine, joined the A participant to the CEPA workshop presents the results of Foreign Correspondents’ Association group discussions. of the Philippines as an institutional member. The Centre signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Philippines Science Journalists Association to leverage resources in promoting biodiversity among media practitioners. During its first five years, ACB gained 23 partners in its public awareness efforts. These partnerships enabled the ACB to widen its advocacy network for biodiversity conservation.
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
39
ACB-PsciJourn Partnership: Ms. Angelina Resurreccion, president of PsciJourn, and Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Executive Director of ACB (center) shake hands after signing the memorandum of cooperation between their organizations. Witnessing the event are (left to right) Congressman Angelo Palmones, Dr. Edwino Fernando, professor at the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources; Dr. Gil Saguifuit, Jr., director, SEARCA; and Rolando A. Inciong, head of the Communication and Public Affairs department of ACB.
Media as partners of ACB The Philippine Science Journalists Association Inc. (PSciJourn) and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) signed of a Memorandum of Cooperation on 30 September 2010. As part of the partnership, PSciJourn held a biodiversity seminar, supported by ACB, on 30 September - 1 October 2010 at the SEARCA Auditorium in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, where 35 science journalists learned various issues related to biodiversity conservation. “PSciJourn would like to thank ACB for giving our organization the privilege to be its media partner in disseminating significant information on biodiversity, said Ms. Lyn Resurreccion, President of PSciJourn and Science Editor of BusinessMirror. “As partner, we are supporting ACB by covering its activities. We disseminate information by publishing and broadcasting ACB’s press releases and other materials in our respective media outlets.” “ACB has helped PSciJourn members become aware of the many issues concerning biodiversity. For our part, PSciJourn members have become more conscious of the importance of our role in disseminating information on biodiversity in order to make the public aware of the need to protect and conserve biodiversity. We are ACB’s partners in its advocacy to protect and conserve biodiversity through the articles we write for newspapers and cyber media, or the materials we broadcast for radio and television,” Ms. Resurreccion explained. “PSciJourn hopes this partnership with ACB would produce more fruitful projects in the many years to come.” – Ms. Lyn Resurreccion President, PSciJourn Science Editor, BusinessMirror
40
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Organizing special events to promote biodiversity The Centre organized two side events during the CBD COP10 in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, namely, the Presentation of Marine Protected Areas Gap Analysis in the ASEAN Region and Communicating Biodiversity in the ASEAN Region. The first side event provided a venue for experts and marine protected area managers and practitioners to share insights on how to improve the process of mGAP analysis; highlighted the importance of the mGAP process in the context of the larger global environment picture; and generated a greater awareness for the need to conserve the coastal and marine environment of the ASEAN region. The second side event highlighted ACB’s work, specifically the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme. The event included the launching of a coffee table book, The ASEAN Heritage Parks: A Journey to the Natural Wonders of Southeast Asia; presentations on CEPA Best Practices of ASEAN Member States; and launching of the ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity and the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook. In 2008, ACB organized an Ambassadors’ Day which was attended by Ambassadors of member states of ASEAN and the European Union. The event, which featured tree planting activity and a dialogue on cooperation on biodiversity conservation and advocacy, drew wide media coverage and further strengthened ACB’s relationship with stakeholder leaders.
EU and ASEAN ambassadors join ACB and its partners in a Green Wave tree planting activity at the foothills of Mt. Makiling in the Philippines. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
41
ACB co-organized a fun-run in the Philippines with the Teletech Santa Rosa Delivery Centre and a marathon co-managed with Macrunners Sports Inc. These events drew public and media attention to biodiversity messages.
ACB and TeleTech employees participate in the Fun Run.
About 700 people joined the first Biodiversity Run.
A man and his canine friend joined the run.
Another initiative that led to stakeholders’ increased awareness of the key principles of biodiversity and sustainable development was the conduct of media forums, press briefings and roadshows. The roadshows were conducted in the Philippines and Lao PDR to introduce ACB to its stakeholders.
Speakers at the Biodiversity 101 Media Forum
Dr. Edwino Fernando, professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources, delivers a lecture on biodiversity conservation.
Engaging students to advocate biodiversity conservation In reaching out to students, ACB established an internship programme with the University of the Philippines’ College of Development Communication. Twenty students have undergone on-the-job training with ACB, producing a variety of communication materials on biodiversity. The Centre co-sponsored a science film festival focusing on biodiversity. Simultaneously launched in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand as part of the celebration of IYB 2010, the film festival was seen by over 20,000 students. 42
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Laying the Grounds for a Sustainable ACB
Raising funds for biodiversity
A
CB is currently establishing an ASEAN Biodiversity Fund (ABF), an endowment fund envisioned to ensure the sustained operations of the Centre. The Terms of Reference for the management and operations of the ABF was adopted by the ACB Governing Board during its 10th Meeting in August 2009 in Thailand. The Centre sought Germany’s KfW for possible financing support, which led to a financial cooperation project between Germany and ACB for the Development and Establishment of a Financing Mechanism for the ACB: the ASEAN Biodiversity Fund. The project will create the legal, strategic and operational basis that will lead to the establishment of the ABF. ACB convened a Partners Forum in October 2009 in Singapore for major partners and prospective donors during the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009 to update them on the progress of ACB’s work and generate support for its activities. One-onone meetings with ASEAN Member States and donor governments, as well as funding institutions and international NGOs, were conducted for potential partnerships. Among the notable partnerships forged were those with Germany’s GIZ and KfW, the Secretariat of the CBD, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, UNEP-WCMC, ASEAN Foundation, ESABII, and the Fishbase Information and Research Group Inc. Some of these partnerships augmented ACB’s resources and enhanced the Centre’s capacities.
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43
Lessons Learned and Way Forward
Impact
S
ince its establishment in 2005, ACB has steadily built up a respectable international reputation. Specific activities, such as regional workshops organized around the various biodiversity thematic areas, promoted regional cooperation and strengthened the capacities of ASEAN Member States in implementing their National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans and in meeting their commitments to various multilateral environmental agreements. As a result of the strong support and commitment of both the ASEAN and the EU, the Centre was able to enhance policy cooperation on biodiversity in the ASEAN region; strengthen institutional capacity within the ASEAN on regional and global biodiversity issues; and boost public awareness on biodiversity issues and conservation needs. More importantly, ACB fostered closer collaboration among the ASEAN Member States’ various levels of governance.
Institutional gains ACB was established under the aegis of the ASEAN structure and is part of the ASEAN Charter under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. This enabled the Centre to establish a strong working relationship with ASEAN institutions. ACB’s engagement process with ASEAN Member States involves both formal and informal participation in their various programmes and activities. Such participation enhanced networking with ASEAN experts, institutions and ASEAN bodies. Of primary consideration is the nature of ACB’s relationship with designated ACB National Focal Points, the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, and the Governing Board, which enabled ACB to efficiently and effectively carry out its mandate. Beyond these ASEAN bodies and institutions, ACB also reached out to individual experts in the region by engaging them as resource persons and speakers in various conferences, meetings, workshops and training courses. For instance, the members of the ACB Scientific Advisory Committee, whose primary role is to review and approve the Joint Research/Initiatives on Biodiversity projects, also served as resource persons in a number of activities organized by ACB. Furthermore, the trainers and participants in various capacity building activities have been included in ACB’s Friend of Biodiversity database, which now serves as an informal network comprising the pool of ASEAN regional experts on biodiversity covering a wide range of thematic areas. The Centre’s participation in various regional and international meetings, particularly those organized by the CBD, UNEP and other UN agencies, has enhanced its visibility and profile. In many regional undertakings, ACB was engaged as the regional arm of the CBD to reach out to ASEAN Members States and its various stakeholders in capacity building activities, regional policy forums, CEPA activities, as well as in building and strengthening biodiversity information data and knowledge management. 44
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
The various training modules on PA management, enforcement, ecotourism, and wetlands management developed by ACB were borne out of collective and collaborative efforts in partnership with ASEAN Member States and various partner institutions. The combination of theoretical and practical hands-on training and learning-by-sharing approach among ASEAN Member States vis-Ă -vis the support provided by host countries in the conduct of pilot training courses enhanced ownership of the training modules. Some key capacity building tools which were developed from various regional forums have been translated into ASEAN languages. The translations from English to various ASEAN languages of these instructional manuals and best practices facilitated the implementation of international agreements and the enhancement of capacities of protected area managers and field rangers.
Policy achievements The Centre’s support in policy review and coordination was anchored on fulfilling the ASEAN Member States’ commitments as parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its related agreements and protocols (CITES, Ramsar Convention, Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and the recently adopted Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing). ACB facilitated consultations and meetings to discuss various issues related to the implementation of these agreements at the regional level which support appropriate policy development at the national level.
Socio-economic headway ACB has directly and indirectly contributed to addressing poverty and social dimensions of biodiversity through joint activities on wildlife law enforcement, payment for ecosystem service scheme, effective management of protected areas, and promoting the link between business and biodiversity. Although it is still too soon to assess this impact, ACB has already helped significantly in alleviating poverty in the ASEAN region in terms of improving natural resource protection and promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from its rich natural heritage.
Lessons learned During its first five years, ACB drew the following important lessons: 1. More sectors of society must be engaged in conservation initiatives; biodiversity should be mainstreamed into sectoral plans and programmes. ACB encouraged multi-disciplinary collaboration among biodiversity institutions in ASEAN Member States and opened up the doors of closely related nations to draw up strategies for unified and concerted approaches in addressing biodiversity conservation issues. However, much of the partners on the ground are those engaged mainly in protected area management and biodiversity conservation. Engaging other ASEAN groups and sectors at the regional and national levels would heighten further support to biodiversity. 2. Communication barriers between international organizations and ASEAN conservation practitioners at the national and community level must be overcome. The Centre recognized the difficulty in coming up with a common understanding of biodiversity issues at the regional and national levels, and more so at the community level. While negotiations at the international level progress at a very informed albeit slow pace, there has to be a systematic facilitation and leveling on issues at the national and community levels. Thus, the translation of best practices and principles to different ASEAN languages facilitated the discussion of issues. More importantly, it created genuine awareness among stakeholders. 3. Understanding cultural differences between ASEAN and its partners is key to success. ACB is composed of managers and staff from broadly varying cultures. FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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It was a rewarding experience to work in an atmosphere of mutual respect among players that created harmony for the attainment of the goals of the Centre. 4. Partnership between ASEAN and expertise from other countries is an invaluable approach to the easy flow of knowledge and long- term learning. Generally, the ASEAN did not have adequate capacity and facility to preserve and manage biodiversity reference collections. ACB provided the mechanism to access data and specimens found in institutions from other countries through its publications and website and conduct of taxonomic studies in various fields. The experiences created mutual benefits and proved to increase learning through working together, which enhanced the flow of information among all parties concerned.
Way forward The Centre has communicated loudly and clearly the imperative to conserve biodiversity not only through the conventional conservation of biological resources but also through conservation governed by the equitable sharing of benefits and sustainable use. To carry forth the momentum gained in biodiversity conservation, ACB will pursue the following courses of action: • Continue policy support and coordination with ASEAN Member States to target efforts focusing on critical areas and ecosystems (i.e., ASEAN Heritage Parks, Key Biodiversity Areas, Coral Triangle, Greater Mekong Sub-region, Sulu-Sulawesi, etc); • Support mainstreaming biodiversity into national development processes and plans and policies, including integrating climate change adaptation strategies and biodiversity management; • Continue to support capacity development efforts to understand and enhance science and policy linkages on biodiversity and ecosystem services; • Support efforts to further develop and enhance ABS policies at the regional and national levels; • Intensify awareness among ASEAN leaders and the general public on the importance and value of biodiversity conservation through the website, publications, guidelines and other printed materials; and • Sustain the flow and exchange of scientific information on biodiversity from international organizations to the ASEAN organizations and institutions, up to the grassroots.
46
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Our Partners Sponsoring Organizations ASEAN Member States European Union
Non-country Partners ASEAN Foundation ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) Deutsche Gesellschaft f端r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Fishbase Information and Research Group, Inc. FREELAND Foundation Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Environment Progamme (UNEP) United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) United Nations University-Institute of Advance Studies (UNU-IAS) Winrock International
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
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48
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2008
2008
22 28 Mar. Malaysia and Singapore
14-18 Mar, Hanoi Viet Nam
3-8 Mar Viet Nam
14-18 Jan Singapore
12-15 Nov Vientiane, Lao PDR
25 -28 Sep Thailand
24 27 Apr Sabah, Malaysia
23-27 Apr Sabah, Malaysia
21 -23 Mar Thailand
8-9 Feb Philippines
02 Feb Bangkok, Thailand
30 Jan 01 Feb Bangkok, Thailand
Period covered, Place
Year
Regional Workshop on Recreation, Tourism and Ecotourism on 17 -21 Mar 2008 in Malaysia and Study Tour to Selected Ecotourism Sites and PAs in Malaysia and Singapore
Sub-Regional Workshop on Biodiversity Data and Information Sharing Mechanism and Harmonization
Regional Workshop on the Development of MEA Tools for the AMCs
Regional Workshop for South, Southeast, and East Asia on Capacity building for NBSAP and Mainstreaming of Biodiversity
Regional Workshop on Biodiversity Data and Information Harmonization
Regional Orientation Workshop on Job Standards for PAs
Governance & Categories of PAs
2nd AHP Conference & 4th Regional Conference on PAs in the SEA
Management Effectiveness Assessment (MEA)
Philippine PA database development workshop
Consultation Meeting
Community & Community Relations
Workshop Title
PDI
BIM
PDI
PDI
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
Unit
2
0
2
2
2
1
1
2
0
0
1
Brunei Darussalam
2
0
2
2
2
2
2
11
2
0
2
Cambodia
1
0
3
2
0
2
5
29
2
0
2
Indonesia
0
0
2
2
6
0
0
1
2
0
2
Lao PDR
8
2
2
2
1
2
4
79
6
0
2
Malaysia
Annex A. Number of Individuals Trained by ACB in the 10 ASEAN Member States
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
9
7
0
0
Myanmar
2
2
0
1
0
3
7
44
3
19
2
Philippines
2
0
3
2
2
1
1
7
2
0
2
Singapore
0
0
2
2
2
5
1
22
12
0
9
5
Thailand
2
11
2
2
2
2
2
14
3
0
2
Vietnam
19
15
18
17
17
18
24
218
39
19
20
Total no. of pax
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
49
21
22
23
24
25
2008
2008
2008
2008
18
2008
2008
17
2008
20
16
2008
2008
15
2008
19
14
2008
2008
13
2008
23-28 Nov Chiang Mai Thailand
18-21 Nov Bangkok, Thailand
20-25 Oct Sabah, Malaysia
25-27 Aug Siem Reap, Cambodia
Aug, Philippines
22 - 25 July, Jakarta, Indonesia
07-09 Jul, Philippines
22-24 June Siem Reap, Cambodia
08-10 Jun Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
01-30 Jun, Philippines
22-24 May Vietnam
01-02 May, Manila, Philippines
13 -17 Apr Singapore
Period covered, Place
Year
Regional Technical Workshop on Mechanism for Biodiversity Data Sharing and Harmonization: The Clearing house Mechanism
Biodiversity Indicators: Their Calculation, Interpretation and Communication
Regional Workshop for the Development of Course Programmes and Trainings for Protected Area Staff
Regional Workshop on Biodiversity Indicators and Database Uses and Applications
Training of CHM Network Members on use of the CHM and the CMS
Regional Workshop on the Conservation of Terrestial and Marine Transboundary Protected Areas
Training on CMS - for CHM Administrators
Workshop on Risk Assessment of GMOs/LMOs and Enforcement of Biodiversity Regulations
Sub-Regional Workshop on Mechanism for Biodiversity Data Sharing and Harmonization
Design and Development of National CHM
Strengthening Transboundary Collaboration between Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam for the Truong Son RangeÂ’s Biodiversity
ASEAN Pre-COP Meeting/Workshop
ASEAN Workshop on Urban Biodiversity Conservation
Workshop Title
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
BIM
PDI
BIM
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
Unit
0
0
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
Brunei Darussalam
0
2
0
13
0
3
0
6
0
0
1
0
3
Cambodia
2
2
2
4
0
14
0
2
2
0
0
0
2
Indonesia
3
2
0
4
0
2
0
2
7
0
1
0
1
Lao PDR
3
2
11
4
0
3
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
Malaysia
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
Myanmar
3
2
4
4
20
2
3
3
0
0
0
2
2
Philippines
0
2
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Singapore
7
2
1
4
0
2
0
2
1
0
0
1
1
Thailand
2
4
0
2
0
2
0
14
2
0
200
2
2
Vietnam
20
20
18
42
20
29
3
32
12
0
202
9
14
Total no. of pax
50
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
2008
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
26
2008
03-04 Aug, Bangkok,Thailand
20-22 July Bangkok, Thailand
01-03 July Singapore
29 June - 03 July Bogor, Indonesia
29 June - 01 July Bangkok, Thailand
19-23 May Laguna, Philippines
27-30 Apr Pakse, Lao PDR
15-17 April Hanoi, Vietnam
21-29 March Singapore
24-26 Nov Philippines
4-7 Nov Bali, Indonesia
Period covered, Place
Year
Inception Workshop for the conduct on "Enhancing the Quality of Protected Area Data:Developing and Field testing as Expert Review Process to Improve Data in the World Database on protected Areas in Asia
South-East Asian Regional Workshop on Business and Biodiversity: Exposing Links, Exploring Opportunities, and Encouraging Partnership and Payments for Ecosystem Services
ASEAN Wokshop on the UN Convention on the Laws of the SEAS
Regional Technical Training on Clearing House MechanismNetworking and Collaboration Tools
South-East Asia Regional Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services
ASEAN + 3 Regional Workshop on Global Taxonomy Initiative: Needs Assessment and Networking
ASEAN Year of Environment 2009 and Regional Workshop on Best Practices in Ecotourism Development and Management
ASEAN Workshop on Harmonization of Reporting to Biodiversity-Related Conventions
5th Hornbill Conference
1st Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting
Experts' Meeting on Marine Gap Analysis for the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and VietNam
Workshop Title
PDI
PDI
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
Unit
0
0
0
0
2
1
3
0
c/o National Parks BoardSingapore
0
0
Brunei Darussalam
0
1
3
2
6
4
10
2
0
0
Cambodia
4
1
2
6
9
4
0
5
1
3
Indonesia
0
1
3
2
11
0
5
1
0
0
Lao PDR
1
0
2
1
2
4
0
1
0
2
Malaysia
0
1
2
2
4
3
0
0
0
0
Myanmar
0
1
3
2
2
14
3
2
0
11
Philippines
0
1
8
0
0
6
0
0
1
0
Singapore
13
10
3
2
14
4
3
2
1
0
Thailand
0
1
4
2
15
4
0
10
1
1
Vietnam
18
17
30
19
65
44
24
23
4
17
Total no. of pax
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
51
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
16-20 November Bangkok
30 November to 03 December 2009 Gran Melia Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia
8-22 November Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
2-7 Nov Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
29-30 Oct Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
23 Oct, Singapore
22 Oct, Singapore
21 Oct, Singapore
21-23 Oct, Singapore
19-27 Oct, Singapore
28 Sept. -2 Oct. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
01-04 Sept, Singapore
26-28 Aug, Siem Reap, Cambodia
10-14 Aug, Tagaytay, Philippines
Period covered, Place
Year
Asian Regional Meeting and Biodivesity Informatics Workshop
Sub-Regional Capacity Development Workshop for ASEAN Countries on Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) and Media Relations
Enforcement Ranger Training Course
Regional Workshop on Transboundary Protected Area Management
South East Asian Regional Forum on the Draft Regional Technical Guidelines for Risk Assessment of GMOs/LMOs
SAC Meeting
AHP Meeting
Partners' Forum
ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity
ASEAN Wetland Management Training Course
Regional Workshop on Gap Analyses for Marine and Terrestrial Protected Areas in the ASEAN Region
Forest Biodiversity and Climate Change Workshop
ASEAN Regional Workshop on Access and Benefit-Sharing on Genetic Resources and their use on Seim Reap,Cambodia
Platform on Knowledge Sharing for Executives in the ASEAN Region
Workshop Title
PA
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
ACB
ACB
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
PDI
Unit
0
2
2
2
1
2
1
0
6
2
0
c/o National Parks BoardSingapore
0
0
Brunei Darussalam
1
6
2
2
3
1
1
1
9
2
0
34
2
Cambodia
5
8
2
2
1
1
1
2
10
2
7
1
2
Indonesia
4
2
2
11
2
1
2
1
14
2
0
2
2
Lao PDR
0
2
2
2
6
1
0
0
19
2
0
2
2
Malaysia
0
4
2
0
0
1
1
1
8
2
1
2
2
Myanmar
2
8
3
2
5
1
1
9
22
2
0
2
6
Philippines
1
6
0
0
1
1
1
9
47
2
0
2
1
Singapore
4
4
2
2
1
1
1
8
20
2
1
2
2
Thailand
2
6
0
3
1
1
1
1
10
2
1
2
2
Vietnam
19
48
17
26
21
11
10
32
165
20
10
0
49
21
Total no. of pax
52
ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
2009
2009
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
51
2009
31 August -1 September, Dusit Thani, Philippines
30-31 August 2010, SEARCA, Los Ba単os, Laguna, Philippines
23-25 June, Radisson Hotel, Brunei Darussalam
22 June, Radisson Hotel, Brunei Darussalam
21-22 June, Da Lat, Viet Nam
10-13 March, SEARCA Training Room, Los Ba単os, Laguna
7-10 March, SEARCA Training Room, Los Ba単os, Laguna
7-19 December Dengkil, Selangor, Malaysia
4-6 December Siem Reap, Cambodia
23-26 November Pattaya, Thailand
Period covered, Place
Year
Taxonomic Capacity Building and Governance for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Project: Inception Workshop
Terminal Workshop on Enhancing the Quality of Protected Area Data: Developing an expert review process to improve data in WDPA in Asia
3rd AHP Conference
2nd AHP Committe Members Meeting
South-East Asia Regional Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services: Regional Policy Enabling Conditions
Regional Techical Workshop on Key Biodiversity Areas for Gap Analysis of Protected Areas
Regional Techical Workshop on CHM: Content Establishment and Management
Regional Training on Ecotourism for Middle-level Protected Area Staff and Technical Visit to Selected ASEAN Heritage Parks and Other Protected Areas
Regional Consultation for Asia in support of the finalization of the International Region on ABS
Workshop for Protection and Enforcement Managers for Protected Areas
Workshop Title
PDI
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
BIM
BIM
PDI
PDI
PDI
Unit
2
-
22
5
-
-
-
2
0
2
Brunei Darussalam
1
-
3
1
10
2
2
2
2
2
Cambodia
2
3
4
2
6
3
2
2
0
2
Indonesia
1
-
1
1
4
3
2
2
0
2
Lao PDR
4
-
4
1
-
2
2
7
2
2
Malaysia
-
-
7
1
3
3
2
2
0
2
Myanmar
1
2
4
1
1
4
3
3
1
3
Philippines
1
-
1
1
-
-
-
0
1
0
Singapore
1
5
5
1
2
4
3
2
2
2
Thailand
1
-
4
1
50
2
2
3
1
0
Vietnam
14
10
55
15
76
23
18
25
9
17
Total no. of pax
FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
53
61
62
63
64
65
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
5
6
2011
2011
Total
4
31 May-30June Bangkok, Thailand
31 May-30June Bangkok, Thailand
22 June, Makati, Philippines
Corals Taxonomy Internship Programme
Plants Taxonomy Internship Programme
Capacity Building and Orientation Meeting/Workshop of ASEAN's GTI National Focal Points on Species and Protected Areas Database Interface
Training Workshop on Terrestrial Plant Taxonomy
PDI
PDI
PDI
BIM
2
-
-
-
-
-
2011
10 March 2011 PCARRD, Los Banos, Philippines
PDI
3
Training Workshop on Terrestrial Plant Taxonomy
2011
15-22 February 2011 Bogor, Indonesia
2
PDI
2011
Training of Trainers (ToT) on CITES Policies and Identification of Threatened Species (Reptiles)
2
17 – 20 January 2011 Kuala, Lumpur
1
3
2
2
-
2
Brunei Darussalam
2011
PDI
PDI
PDI
BIM
PDI
Unit
87
Training Workshop on Corals Taxonomy
3rd SAC Meeting
Regional Workshop on Protected Area Integration
Asia Regional Training Workshop on Bioinformatics
Protected Area Protection Enforcement Managers
Workshop Title
Total
4-8 December, University Sains Malaysia, Penang
12-13 November, Somerset Millenium, Makati, Philippines
8-11 November, Somerset Millenium, Makati, Philippines
20-22 October, Bangkok, Thailand
4-16 October, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Period covered, Place
Year
8
-
2
-
-
2
4
181
4
1
1
1
2
Cambodia
9
-
1
-
5
3
190
4
1
1
1
2
Indonesia
6
-
2
1
-
-
3
131
4
1
2
1
2
Lao PDR
9
-
1
-
2
6
217
3
1
2
-
2
Malaysia
8
2
2
-
1
3
87
-
1
2
1
2
Myanmar
37
-
-
1
31
2
3
271
3
1
10
2
3
Philippines
5
-
-
1
-
2
2
126
4
1
-
1
-
Singapore
9
2
1
1
-
2
3
224
4
1
2
2
5
Thailand
11
2
2
1
-
2
4
411
1
1
1
1
1
Vietnam
104
6
9
7
31
18
33
1925
30
11
23
10
21
Total no. of pax