ACB: The First Five Years

“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

iiiFACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Acronyms and Abbreviations

ABS Access and Benefi t SharingACB ASEAN Centre for BiodiversityACB2009 ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009ADB Asian Development BankAHP ASEAN Heritage ParkARCBC ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity ConservationASEAN Association of Southeast Asian NationsASEAN-WEN ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement NetworkASOEN ASEAN Senior Offi cials on the EnvironmentAWGNCB ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and BiodiversityBISS Biodiversity Information Sharing ServiceCBD Convention on Biological DiversityCEPA Communication, Education and Public AwarenessCEPA-Net Southeast Asia CEPA and Media Network for BiodiversityCHM Clearing House MechanismCITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and FloraCOP Conference of the PartiesESABII East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Information InitiativeEU European UnionFOB Friends of BiodiversityGBIF Global Biodiversity Information FacilityGEF Global Environment FacilityGMO Genetically Modifi ed OrganismGTI Global Taxonomy InitiativeIAS Invasive Alien SpeciesIBA Important Bird AreaISEAS Institute of Southeast Asian StudiesIT Information TechnologyIUCN International Union for Conservation of NatureJRI Joint Research InitiativeLMO Living Modifi ed OrganismMEA Multilateral Environmental AgreementMPA Marine Protected AreaNBSAP National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan

iv ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

NCBP National Committee on Biosafety of the PhilippinesNGO Non-Government OrganizationNParks National Parks Board of SingaporePA Protected AreaPCU Program Coordination UnitPEMSEA Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East AsiaPES Payment for Ecosystem ServicesPoWPA Programme of Work on Protected AreasREDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest DegradationSCBD Secretariat of the Convention on Biological DiversitySGP Small Grants ProgrammeTBPA Transboundary Protected AreaTEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and BiodiversityUN United NationsUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentWCMC World Conservation Monitoring CentreWCPA World Commission on Protected Areas4NR Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity

vFACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

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

vi ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

Message

Biodiversity 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 a time-bound project, but a permanent institution that will address biodiversity loss. Thus was born the ASEAN Centre 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.

DR. SURIN PITSUWANSecretary-General

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

viiFACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Message

Biodiversity brings enormous benefi ts 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 signifi cant positive developments in the ACB during the past fi ve years. After all these years of continuous efforts, diffi culties and complex processes, one can now say that the ACB has contributed to strengthening ASEAN countries’ capacity to formulate and coordinate biodiversity-related policy, strategy and action, fulfi lling relevant treaty obligations, as well as promoting and advancing common positions on matters related to biodiversity conservation.

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 fi nancially, 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.

DR. VANN MONYNEATHChairman, ACB Governing Board

Chairman, ASOEN-CambodiaDeputy Director General for Technical

Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

viii ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

I am pleased to present the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity’s Project Completion Report for the period

2005 to 2010. For fi ve 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 benefi ted 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 benefi ts sharing. These and more activities have resulted in a number of successes for biodiversity conservation in the region.

What is needed now is to ensure that the momentum will be sustained for biodiversity conservation. I believe 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.

RODRIGO U. FUENTESExecutive Director

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)

Message

1FACILITATING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The 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 fi ve 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 signifi cant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefi t 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 benefi ts 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 fi nancing mechanisms.

During its fi rst fi ve 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 fi eld 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 fi nancial 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 fi eld- and mid-level practitioners; provided technical and fi nancial 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.

Executive Summary

2 ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

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 fi eld staff in protected areas were developed, and good practices on key policy areas in the ASEAN and European Union were identifi ed and documented. The capacity of ACB offi cers 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 identifi cation of reporting requirements and standards for digital data exchange; development of regional data analyses; harmonization of reporting requirements and standards; identifi cation 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, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization.

Partnerships resulted in donor funding for various initiatives. Donor funding outside the EU contribution totaled €334,750.

During its fi rst fi ve 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 fl ow 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 benefi ts and sustainable use. To carry


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 benefi t 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 fl ow and exchange of scientifi c information on biodiversity from international organizations to the ASEAN organizations and institutions down to the grassroots.


Biological 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) defi nes 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 benefi ts 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 benefi ts 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 signifi cant 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 Pacifi c.

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 fi ve 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-Pacifi c 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 fi sh 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, over-

Southeast Asia’s Biodiversity in Distress


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.

The ASEAN region occupies only three per cent of the earth’s surface but it is home to18 per cent of all species


Responding 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 signifi cant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefi t of all life on earth.

In 1995, the ASEAN Member States adopted the Vientiane Action Programme (2004-2010) 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 refl ect 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 collaborationResponding 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 BiodiversityIn 2005, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) was established and offi cially

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 fi ve 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 ratifi ed the agreement were

Responding to the Challenge of Biodiversity Loss


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 ratifi cation of the two agreements, ACB was endowed with the status of a full-fl edged international organization.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leads the signing of the Host Country Agreement between the ACB and the Philippines.


ACB’s mandatesACB’s mandates are to support the ASEAN Member States in meeting the call made

by the World Summit on Sustainable Development to achieve a signifi cant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 and strengthen their capacity to formulate biodiversity-related policy, strategy and action; fulfi ll 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.


Defining ACB’s directions

To clearly defi ne 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, fl agship themes and thematic areas.

Developing ACB as an Institution

VisionBiodiversity is protected, conserved, managed and sustainably used, and its benefi ts

are fairly and equitably shared for the social, economic and environmental well-being of ASEAN Member States.

MissionTo champion biodiversity conservation in the region and enhance ACB’s global

standing as a centre of excellence.

The ACB headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines


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 effi ciently 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 Fulfi lling 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 benefi ts arising from its utilization.

Thematic areasACB’s thematic areas are of global and regional importance. These areas have been

identifi ed 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 security2. Access to, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefi ts from biological and genetic

resources3. Climate change and biodiversity conservation4. Ecotourism and biodiversity conservation5. Payments for ecosystem services scheme6. Wildlife enforcement7. Managing invasive alien species8. Peatland management and biodiversity9. Support to the Global Taxonomic Initiative of the CBD10. Support to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD11. Managing biodiversity information and knowledge12. Business and biodiversity


Managing the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

Policy GuidanceA Governing Board provides overall policy guidance to ACB. The Board is

comprised by the ASEAN Senior Offi cials 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.

The Board also reviews ACB’s performance annually and holds key staff, particularly the Executive Director, responsible for ensuring that all objectively verifi able indicators as specifi ed in the ACB Logical Framework are met.

Technical guidanceACB 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 Offi cials. The AWGNCB plays an important role, especially in defi ning the technical basis for ACB’s activities.

CoordinationEach 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.

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In 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 fi rst fi ve 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 Modifi ed Organisms/Living Modifi ed

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 fi ndings showed that avian response to climate change causes species distributions to shift pole-wards 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

Contributing to Biodiversity Policy Development

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, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines” implemented by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Philippines.


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 scientifi c 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 Benefi t Sharing. The Centre supported a series of capacity building

workshops and consultation meetings related to the development of the International Regime on Access and Benefi t 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 benefi ts arising out of its utilization.

b. Wildlife Regulation. As signatories to the CITES, all ASEAN Member States must address the poaching, traffi cking, 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 ACB-ASEAN-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 traffi cking, 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 fi ve 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,


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.

Participants of the Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Business and Biodiversity held on 20-22 July 2009 in Thailand

Leveling out the policy environment through multi-stakeholder dialoguesACB gained signifi cant 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.

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


Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, executive director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, addresses participants of ACB2009.

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 implementersDuring its fi rst fi ve 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 BiodiversityOn 21-23 October 2009, ACB organized the fi rst 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 scientifi c community, donors, civil society and private sector, biodiversity experts, and partners from all over the world. ACB2009 strengthened and unifi ed 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.


Climate Change and BiodiversityThe 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-fi shing, 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 benefi t-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 Benefi ts 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

Outcomes and Recommendations of ACB2009


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 benefi t sharing and traditional knowledge that need to be further addressed.

The Economics of Ecosystems and BiodiversityValuing biodiversity and its benefi ts 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 defi ne and refi ne 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 ConcernsThere 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 fi elds, e.g., social sciences, biology and economics (or for transdisciplinary research to form the basis for advocacy and decision-making support that


ACB also organized workshops and conferences to strengthen regional positions on biodiversity, specifi cally 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 fi nancial and human resources in preparing reports.

would ensure the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefi ts 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.


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 fi nancial and technical support in the conduct of the country-level consultative workshops.

ACB pursued the fi nalization 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 Scientifi c 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 fi nancial 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


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. Specifi cally, 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 fi ve 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 policy-

making 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 Modifi ed 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.

Members of the Scientific Advisory Committee meet in Manila, Philippines.


The ASEAN Biodiversity OutlookA 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 fi le of the ABO may be downloaded from the ACB website – www.aseanbiodiversity.org.


To 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 fi eld staff in protected areas were developed, and good practices for key policy areas in the ASEAN and EU regions were identifi ed and documented. Guidelines for transboundary protected area management and manuals for wildlife law enforcement were developed for use by protected area offi cials and staff.

Developing Human and Institutional Capacities

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.


Identifying capacity gaps in protected area managementACB conducted a rapid assessment of the capacity building needs of protected

area (PA) staff in relation to their functions as specifi ed in the ASEAN Guidelines on Competence Standards for Protected Area Jobs. Results showed that, except for fi nancial 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 fulfi lling 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 fi rst workshop enhanced the technical and managerial acumen of PA offi cers and staff assigned to protected areas and community conserved areas and identifi ed possible courses and course programmes for executives (e.g, policymakers and directors), middle-level staff (e.g., PA managers and division chiefs) and training of trainers for fi eld 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, confl ict 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, confl ict 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 fi eld 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 benefi t 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 fi eld trips and study visits in selected PAs in the ASEAN region.


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 benefi t 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.


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, ASEAN-WEN 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 offi cers 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.


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 fi eld 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 Offi cials on Forestry and the Asia Forest Law, Enforcement, Governance and Trade.

Partnering with ASEAN and EU institutionsACB 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 benefi t of ASEAN Member States.


The ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme The ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Programme is a fl agship 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 fi rst 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 offi cials of agencies involved in biodiversity conservation. The conference enhanced the AHP Regional Action Plan and developed strategies for AHPs; identifi ed, discussed and prioritized activities,


such as capacity development and public awareness initiatives to effectively manage the AHPs; and identifi ed 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 identifi cation 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 benefi t.

Participants to the 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference


The 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 signifi cant knowledge quickly and with better accuracy. It also disencumbered the ASEAN Member States from the often repetitive exercise of data-gathering when fulfi lling multilateral environmental agreements reporting requirements and standards. The facility enabled the identifi cation of knowledge gaps in ASEAN Member States to better address biodiversity concerns, through technical assistance, whether these are shortfalls either in funding or scientifi c expertise.

Defining reporting requirements and standards for digital data exchangeTo facilitate the identifi cation 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 science-based 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

Managing and Sharing Biodiversity Information


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 scientifi c cooperation.

Other ACB efforts in standardizing reporting requirements and defi ning 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 BaharumInformation 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.


Identifying gaps and corrective measures in digital capacityACB 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 fi nalized 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 identifi ed 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 Baños, 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


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 profi les, 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.


ACB 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 identifi es 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 profi le 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 creativelyACB 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 fi rst 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

Promoting the Values of Biodiversity


media. The project generated US$ 64,144.10 in funding support from the ASEAN Foundation, the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c 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 sporting skills and share lessons on how 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

An athlete from the Aeta tribe in the Philippines takes aim at the target during the ASEAN Tribal Games.


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 offi cials from ASEAN Member States. After the launch, a series of exhibits, forums, and briefi ngs 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

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 Secretary-General, 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

“Saving One Tree at a Time” participants plant trees at the sprawling Tagaytay Highlands in the Philippines.


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 offi cials 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.


Reaching out through the Worldwide WebThe 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 offi cers 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 offi cers’ 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


Networking for biodiversity advocacyCEPA-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 offi cers, 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 Foreign Correspondents’ Association 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 fi rst fi ve years, ACB gained 23 partners in its public awareness efforts. These partnerships enabled the ACB to widen its advocacy network for biodiversity conservation.

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.

A participant to the CEPA workshop presents the results of group discussions.


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 ACBThe 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 ResurreccionPresident, PSciJourn

Science Editor, BusinessMirror


Organizing special events to promote biodiversityThe 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 fi rst 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, specifi cally 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.


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.

Another initiative that led to stakeholders’ increased awareness of the key principles of biodiversity and sustainable development was the conduct of media forums, press briefi ngs and roadshows. The roadshows were conducted in the Philippines and Lao PDR to introduce ACB to its stakeholders.

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 fi lm festival focusing on biodiversity. Simultaneously launched in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand as part of the celebration of IYB 2010, the fi lm festival was seen by over 20,000 students.

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.

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.


Raising funds for biodiversity

ACB 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 fi nancing support, which led to a

fi nancial 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-on-one 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.

Laying the Grounds for a Sustainable ACB


Impact

Since its establishment in 2005, ACB has steadily built up a respectable international reputation. Specifi c 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 gainsACB 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 effi ciently 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 Scientifi c 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 profi le. 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.

Lessons Learned and Way Forward


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-à-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 fi eld rangers.

Policy achievementsThe Centre’s support in policy review and coordination was anchored on fulfi lling 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 Benefi t 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 headwayACB 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 signifi cantly in alleviating poverty in the ASEAN region in terms of improving natural resource protection and promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefi ts arising from its rich natural heritage.

Lessons learned During its fi rst fi ve 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 unifi ed 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 diffi culty 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.


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 fl ow 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 fi elds. The experiences created mutual benefi ts and proved to increase learning through working together, which enhanced the fl ow of information among all parties concerned.

Way forwardThe 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 benefi ts 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 fl ow and exchange of scientifi c information on biodiversity from international organizations to the ASEAN organizations and institutions, up to the grassroots.


Our PartnersSponsoring Organizations ASEAN Member States European Union

Non-country Partners

ASEAN Foundation

ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für 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, Scientifi c 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


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ore

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N Wo

rksho

p on U

rban

Biodiv

ersity

Cons

ervati

on

PDI

23

21

00

21

12

14

2008

14

01

-02 M

ay, M

anila

, Ph

ilippin

es AS

EAN

Pre-CO

P Me

eting

/Work

shop

PDI

10

00

12

20

12

9

2008

15

22

-24 M

ay Vi

etnam

Str

ength

ening

Tran

sboun

dary

Colla

borat

ion be

twee

n Ca

mbod

ia, La

o PDR

and V

iet

Nam

for th

e Truo

ng So

n Ra

nge�s

Biod

iversi

ty

PDI

01

01

00

00

020

020

2

2008

16

01

-30 J

un, P

hilipp

ines

Desig

n and

Deve

lopme

nt of

Natio

nal C

HM

BIM

00

00

00

00

00

0

2008

17

08

-10 J

un Lu

ang

Praba

ng, L

ao PD

R Su

b-Re

giona

l Work

shop

on

Mech

anism

for B

iodive

rsity

Data

Shari

ng an

d Ha

rmon

izatio

n

BIM

00

27

00

00

12

12

2008

18

22

-24 J

une S

iem

Reap

, Cam

bodia

Wo

rksho

p on R

isk As

sessm

ent

of GM

Os/LM

Os an

d En

forcem

ent o

f Biod

iversi

ty Re

gulat

ions

PDI

16

22

20

30

214

32

2008

19

07

-09 J

ul, Ph

ilippin

es Tra

ining

on CM

S - fo

r CHM

Ad

minis

trator

sBIM

0

00

00

0 3

00

03

2008

20

22

- 25

July,

Jaka

rta,

Indon

esia

Regio

nal W

orksh

op on

the

Cons

ervati

on of

Terre

stial

and

Marin

e Tran

sboun

dary

Protec

ted Ar

eas

PDI

13

142

30

20

22

29

2008

21

Au

g, Ph

ilippin

es Tra

ining

of CH

M Ne

twork

Me

mbers

on us

e of th

e CHM

an

d the

CMS

0

00

00

0 20

00

020

2008

22

25

-27 A

ug Si

em Re

ap,

Camb

odia

Regio

nal W

orksh

op on

Bio

divers

ity In

dicato

rs an

d Da

tabase

Uses

and

Appli

cation

s

PDI

313

44

40

44

42

42

2008

23

20

-25 O

ct Sa

bah,

Malay

siaRe

giona

l Work

shop

for th

e De

velop

ment

of Co

urse

Progra

mmes

and T

rainin

gs for

Pro

tected

Area

Staff

PDI

00

20

110

40

10

18

2008

24

18

-21 N

ov Ba

ngko

k, Th

ailan

d Bio

divers

ity In

dicato

rs: Th

eir

Calcu

lation

, Inter

pretat

ion an

d Co

mmun

icatio

n

PDI

02

22

22

22

24

20

2008

25

23

-28 N

ov Ch

iang M

ai Th

ailan

d Re

giona

l Tech

nical

Works

hop

on M

echan

ism fo

r Biod

iversi

ty Da

ta Sh

aring

and

Harm

oniza

tion:

The C

learin

g ho

use M

echan

ism

BIM

00

23

30

30

72

20


Year

Pe

riod c

over

ed, P

lace

Work

shop

Title

Un

itBr

unei

Daru

ssalam

Ca

mbod

iaIn

done

sia

Lao P

DR

Malay

siaMy

anma

r Ph

ilippin

es

Singa

pore

Th

ailan

dVie

tnam

Total

no. o

f pa

x

2008

26

4-

7 Nov

Bali,

Indon

esia

Expe

rts' M

eetin

g on M

arine

Ga

p Ana

lysis

for th

e Ph

ilippin

es, M

alaysi

a, Ind

onesi

a and

VietN

am

PDI

00

30

20

110

01

17

2008

27

24

-26 N

ov Ph

ilippin

es 1s

t Scie

ntific

Advis

ory

Comm

ittee M

eetin

g PD

I 0

01

00

00

11

14

2009

28

21

-29 M

arch

Singa

pore

5th H

ornbil

l Con

feren

ce PD

I c/o

Nati

onal

Parks

Board

-Sin

gapo

re

2009

29

15

-17 A

pril H

anoi,

Vie

tnam

ASEA

N Wo

rksho

p on

Harm

oniza

tion o

f Rep

orting

to

Biodiv

ersity

-Rela

tedCo

nven

tions

PDI

02

51

10

20

210

23

2009

30

27

-30 A

pr Pa

kse, L

ao

PDR

ASEA

N Ye

ar of

Envir

onme

nt 20

09 an

d Reg

ional

Works

hop

on Be

st Pra

ctices

in

Ecotou

rism

Deve

lopme

nt an

d Ma

nage

ment

PDI

310

05

00

30

30

24

2009

31

19

-23 M

ay La

guna

, Ph

ilippin

es AS

EAN

+ 3

Regio

nal

Works

hop o

n Glob

al Ta

xonom

y Ini

tiativ

e: Ne

eds A

ssessm

ent

and N

etwork

ing

PDI

14

40

43

146

44

44

2009

32

29

June

- 01

July

Bang

kok,

Thail

and

South

-East

Asia

Regio

nal

Works

hop o

n Pay

ments

for

Ecosys

tem Se

rvices

PDI

26

911

24

20

1415

65

2009

33

29

June

- 03

July

Bogo

r, Ind

onesi

a Re

giona

l Tech

nical

Traini

ng on

Cle

aring

Hou

se Me

chan

ism-

Netw

orking

and C

ollab

oratio

n To

ols

BIM

02

62

12

20

22

19

2009

34

01

-03 J

uly Si

ngap

ore

ASEA

N Wo

kshop

on th

e UN

Conv

entio

n on t

he La

ws of

the

SEAS

PDI

03

23

22

38

34

30

2009

35

20

-22 J

uly Ba

ngko

k, Th

ailan

d So

uth-Ea

st As

ian Re

giona

l Wo

rksho

p on B

usine

ss an

d Bio

divers

ity: E

xposi

ng Li

nks,

Explo

ring O

pport

unitie

s, an

d En

courag

ing Pa

rtners

hip an

d Pa

ymen

ts for

Ecosy

stem

Servi

ces

PDI

01

11

01

11

101

17

2009

36

03

-04 A

ug,

Bang

kok,T

haila

nd

Incep

tion W

orksh

op fo

r the

condu

ct on

"Enh

ancin

g the

Qu

ality

of Pro

tected

Area

Da

ta:De

velop

ing an

d Fiel

d tes

ting a

s Exp

ert Re

view

Proces

s to I

mprov

e Data

in th

e Wo

rld Da

tabase

on pr

otecte

d Are

as in

Asia

0

04

01

0 0

013

018


Year

Pe

riod c

over

ed, P

lace

Work

shop

Title

Un

itBr

unei

Daru

ssalam

Ca

mbod

iaIn

done

sia

Lao P

DR

Malay

siaMy

anma

r Ph

ilippin

es

Singa

pore

Th

ailan

dVie

tnam

Total

no. o

f pa

x

2009

37

10

-14 A

ug, T

agay

tay,

Philip

pines

Platfo

rm on

Know

ledge

Sh

aring

for E

xecuti

ves i

n the

AS

EAN

Regio

n

PDI

02

22

22

61

22

21

2009

38

26

-28 A

ug, S

iem

Reap

, Cam

bodia

AS

EAN

Regio

nal W

orksh

op on

Ac

cess a

nd Be

nefit-

Shari

ng on

Ge

netic

Resou

rces a

nd th

eir

use o

n Seim

Reap

,Camb

odia

PDI

034

12

22

22

22

49

2009

39

01

-04 S

ept, S

ingap

ore

Fores

t Biod

iversi

ty an

d Clim

ate

Chan

ge W

orksh

op

PDI

c/o N

ation

al Pa

rks Bo

ard-

Singa

pore

0

2009

40

28

Sept.

-2 O

ct.

Yogy

akart

a, Ind

onesi

a Re

giona

l Work

shop

on Ga

p An

alyses

for M

arine

and

Terre

strial

Prote

cted A

reas i

n the

ASEA

N Re

gion

PDI

00

70

01

00

11

10

2009

41

19

-27 O

ct, Si

ngap

ore

ASEA

N We

tland

Man

agem

ent

Traini

ng Co

urse

PDI

22

22

22

22

22

20

2009

42

21

-23 O

ct, Si

ngap

ore

ASEA

N Co

nferen

ce on

Bio

divers

ity

ACB

69

1014

198

2247

2010

165

2009

43

21

Oct,

Sing

apore

Pa

rtners

' Foru

m AC

B 0

12

10

1 9

98

132

2009

44

22

Oct,

Sing

apore

AH

P Mee

ting

PDI

11

12

01

11

11

10

2009

45

23

Oct,

Sing

apore

SA

C Mee

ting

PDI

21

11

11

11

11

11

2009

46

29

-30 O

ct Ku

ala

Lump

ur, M

alaysi

a So

uth Ea

st As

ian Re

giona

l Fo

rum on

the D

raft R

egion

al Te

chnic

al Gu

idelin

es for

Risk

Asses

smen

t of G

MOs/L

MOs

PDI

13

12

60

51

11

21

2009

47

2-

7 Nov

Luan

g Pra

bang

, Lao

PDR

Regio

nal W

orksh

op on

Tra

nsbo

unda

ry Pro

tected

Area

Ma

nage

ment

PDI

22

211

20

20

23

26

2009

48

8-

22 N

ovem

ber K

hao

Yai N

ation

al Pa

rk,

Thail

and

Enfor

cemen

t Ran

ger T

rainin

g Co

urse

PDI

22

22

22

30

20

17

2009

49

30

Nov

embe

r to 03

De

cembe

r 200

9 Gra

n Meli

a Hote

l, Jak

arta,

Indon

esia

Sub-

Regio

nal C

apaci

ty De

velop

ment

Works

hop f

or AS

EAN

Coun

tries o

n Co

mmun

icatio

n, Ed

ucati

on

and P

ublic

Aware

ness

(CEPA

) an

d Med

ia Re

lation

s

PA

26

82

24

86

46

48

2009

50

16

-20 N

ovem

ber

Bang

kok

Asian

Regio

nal M

eetin

g and

Bio

divesi

ty Inf

ormati

cs Wo

rksho

p

01

54

00

21

42

19


Year

Pe

riod c

over

ed, P

lace

Work

shop

Title

Un

itBr

unei

Daru

ssalam

Ca

mbod

iaIn

done

sia

Lao P

DR

Malay

siaMy

anma

r Ph

ilippin

es

Singa

pore

Th

ailan

dVie

tnam

Total

no. o

f pa

x

2009

51

23

-26 N

ovem

ber

Patta

ya, T

haila

nd

Works

hop f

or Pro

tectio

n and

En

forcem

ent M

anag

ers fo

r Pro

tected

Area

s

PDI

22

22

22

30

20

17

2009

52

4-

6 Dece

mber

Siem

Reap

, Cam

bodia

Re

giona

l Con

sulta

tion f

or As

ia in

supp

ort of

the f

inaliz

ation

of

the In

terna

tiona

l Reg

ion on

AB

S

PDI

02

00

20

11

21

9

2009

53

7-

19 De

cembe

r De

ngkil

, Sela

ngor,

Ma

laysia

Regio

nal T

rainin

g on

Ecotou

rism

for M

iddle-

level

Protec

ted Ar

ea St

aff an

d Te

chnic

al Vis

it to S

electe

d AS

EAN

Herita

ge Pa

rks an

d Ot

her P

rotect

ed Ar

eas

PDI

22

22

72

30

23

25

2010

54

7-

10 M

arch,

SEAR

CA

Traini

ng Ro

om, L

os Ba

ños,

Lagu

na

Regio

nal T

echica

l Work

shop

on

CHM:

Conte

nt Est

ablish

ment

and

Mana

geme

nt

BIM

-2

22

22

3-

32

18

2010

55

10

-13 M

arch,

SEAR

CA

Traini

ng Ro

om, L

os Ba

ños,

Lagu

na

Regio

nal T

echica

l Work

shop

on

Key B

iodive

rsity

Areas

for

Gap A

nalys

is of

Protec

ted

Areas

BIM

-2

33

23

4-

42

23

2010

56

21

-22 J

une,

Da La

t, Vie

t Nam

So

uth-Ea

st As

ia Re

giona

l Wo

rksho

p on P

ayme

nts fo

r Eco

system

Servi

ces: R

egion

al Po

licy En

ablin

g Con

dition

s

PDI

-10

64

-3

1-

250

76

2010

57

22

June

, Rad

isson

Ho

tel, B

runei

Darus

salam

2nd A

HP Co

mmitte

Mem

bers

Meeti

ng

PDI

51

21

11

11

11

15

2010

58

23

-25 J

une,

Radis

son

Hotel

, Brun

ei Da

russal

am

3rd AH

P Con

feren

ce PD

I 22

34

14

7 4

15

455

2010

59

30

-31 A

ugus

t 201

0, SE

ARCA

, Los

Baño

s, La

guna

, Phil

ippine

s

Term

inal W

orksh

op on

En

hanc

ing th

e Qua

lity of

Pro

tected

Area

Data:

De

velop

ing an

expe

rt rev

iew

proces

s to i

mprov

e data

in

WDPA

in As

ia

BIM

--

3-

--

2-

5-

10

2010

60

31

Augu

st -1

Se

ptemb

er, Du

sit

Than

i, Phil

ippine

s

Taxon

omic

Capa

city B

uildin

g an

d Gov

ernan

ce for

Co

nserv

ation

and S

ustai

nable

Us

e of B

iodive

rsity

Projec

t: Inc

eptio

n Work

shop

PDI

21

21

4-

11

11

14


Year

Pe

riod c

over

ed, P

lace

Work

shop

Title

Un

itBr

unei

Daru

ssalam

Ca

mbod

iaIn

done

sia

Lao P

DR

Malay

siaMy

anma

r Ph

ilippin

es

Singa

pore

Th

ailan

dVie

tnam

Total

no. o

f pa

x

2010

61

4-

16 O

ctobe

r, Kha

o Yai

Natio

nal P

ark,

Thail

and

Protec

ted Ar

ea Pr

otecti

on

Enfor

cemen

t Man

agers

PD

I 2

22

22

2 3

-5

121

2010

62

20

-22 O

ctobe

r, Ba

ngko

k, Th

ailan

d As

ia Re

giona

l Trai

ning

Works

hop o

n Bioi

nform

atics

BIM

-1

11

-1

21

21

10

2010

63

8-

11 N

ovem

ber,

Some

rset M

illeniu

m,

Maka

ti, Ph

ilippin

es

Regio

nal W

orksh

op on

Pro

tected

Area

Integ

ration

PD

I 2

11

22

2 10

-2

123

2010

64

12

-13 N

ovem

ber,

Some

rset M

illeniu

m,

Maka

ti, Ph

ilippin

es

3rd SA

C Mee

ting

PDI

21

11

11

11

11

11

2010

65

4-

8 Dece

mber,

Un

iversi

ty Sa

ins

Malay

sia, P

enan

g

Traini

ng W

orksh

op on

Coral

s Ta

xonom

y PD

I 3

44

43

- 3

44

130

Total

87

181

190

131

217

87

271

126

224

411

1925

2011

1

17 �

20 Ja

nuary

2011

Ku

ala, L

umpu

r Tra

ining

of Tr

ainers

(ToT

) on

CITES

Polici

es an

d Ide

ntific

ation

of Th

reaten

ed

Speci

es(R

eptile

s)

PDI

24

33

63

32

34

33

2011

2

15-2

2 Feb

ruary

2011

Bo

gor, I

ndon

esia

Traini

ng W

orksh

op o

n Te

rrestr

ial Pl

ant T

axon

omy

PDI

-2

5-

21

22

22

18

2011

3

10 M

arch 2

011

PCAR

RD, L

os Ba

nos,

Philip

pines

Traini

ng W

orksh

op o

n Te

rrestr

ial Pl

ant T

axon

omy

BIM

--

--

--

31-

--

31

2011

4

22 Ju

ne, M

akati

, Ph

ilippin

es Ca

pacit

y Buil

ding a

nd

Orien

tation

Mee

ting/

Works

hop

of AS

EAN's

GTI N

ation

al Fo

cal

Point

s on S

pecie

s and

Pro

tected

Area

s Data

base

Interf

ace

PDI

--

11

1

11

11

7

2011

5

31 M

ay-3

0Jun

e Ba

ngko

k, Th

ailan

d Pla

nts Ta

xonom

y Inte

rnship

Pro

gramm

ePD

I -

22

2-

-1

29

2011

6

31 M

ay-3

0Jun

e Ba

ngko

k, Th

ailan

d Co

rals T

axon

omy I

nterns

hip

Progra

mme

PDI

--

--

-2

--

22

6

Total

28

96

98

375

911

104

Documents

ACB: The First Five Years