One ASEAN,
Living in Harmony
with Nature
ACB in Action
NAIROBI, Kenya—In recognition of its contribution to the achievement of global environmental goals, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) officially...
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – As a significant leap forward for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in...
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity joins the global celebration of the World Wetlands Day 2024 with the theme, “Wetlands and...
BANGKOK, Thailand – Biodiversity and health experts from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) convened earlier in February to talk about...
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety
of all life on Earth.
It ensures food security,
environmental health,
and sustainable development.
More than
650 million people
in the ASEAN region
depend on biodiversity
for their
food
clean water
clean air
livelihood
Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity is the total number of characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.
Species Diversity
Species diversity is the number of different species that are represented in a given community.
Ecosystem Diversity
Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location an its...
The ASEAN Region
Brunei Darussalam
Location: Northwest coast of the island of Borneo
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Northeast: 130-kilometer coastline bordering the South China Sea consisting of high-profile sandy beaches with complex estuarine mangrove and mudflat zone
- West: Alluvial and swampy coastal plain backed by low hills with swamps
- East: Swampy coastal plain rising gradually to low hills to mountainous terrain inland
- Has a natural vegetation of tropical evergreen rainforest with 81% forest land area
Flora
- 15,000 vascular plant species
- 2,000 tree species
Fauna
- 300 resident animal species
- 100 non-flying mammal species, mostly rodents
- 98 amphibian species
- 50 reptile species
- 400 coral species
- 144 marine fish species
- 50 freshwater fish species
Cambodia
Location: Continental Southeast Asia bounded by Gulf of Thailand
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- 7,422 square kilometers of national parks
- 20,300 square kilometers of wildlife sanctuaries
- 97 square kilometers of protected landscapes
- 4,039 square kilometers of multiple-use areas
- 13,500 square kilometers of protected forests
- 235 square kilometers of fish sanctuaries
Flora
- 2,308 vascular plant species
- 8 seagrass speciess
Fauna
- 545 bird species
- 123 mammal species
- 88 reptile species
- 63 amphibian species
- 490 freshwater fish species
- 410 saltwater fish species
Indonesia
Location: Southeast Asia, between the continents of Asia and Australia
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Covers 1.3% of earth’s surface
- Has 17,000 islands comprised of a variety of habitats such as lowland rain forests, mangroves,
savanna grasslands, swamp forests, limestone hills, montane forests, alpine meadows, and snow-topped mountains - Has 21 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas including two corridors
- Has 44 Important Bird Areas
Flora
- Harbors 10% of all flowering plants
- 31,746 vascular plant species
- 8,000 to 11,000 flowering plant species
Fauna
-
Home to:
- 12% of the world’s mammals with 515 mammal species and 35 primate species
- 16% of the world’s reptiles and amphibians including 781 reptile species and 270 amphibian species
- 17% of all birds with 1,595 bird species
Lao PDR
Location: Center of Indochinese Peninsula
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- 80% of the country is predominantly mountainous with cultivated floodplains
- 40% forest land area
Flora
- 40% of the total land area is covered by forests
Fauna
- 150 to 200 reptile and amphibian species
- 700 bird species
- 90 bat species
- 100 large animal species
- 500 fish species
Malaysia
Location: Peninsular Malaysia, with two states located in the island of Borneo
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Ranks 12 th in the world’s most megadiverse countries
- 143,000 square kilometers of permanent reserved forest
- 19,000 square kilometers of national parks, wildlife and bird sanctuaries
- 2,357 square kilometers of marine protected areas
- Terrestrial biodiversity is concentrated in tropical rainforests, coastal plains, mountain areas with inland waters like lakes and rivers
Flora
- 15,000 vascular plant species
Fauna
- 298 mammal species
- 742 bird species
- 242 amphibian species
- 567 reptile species
- 290+ freshwater fish species
- 500 marine fish species
- 1,031+ butterfly species
- 1,200 ant species
Myanmar
Location: Northwest of the Indochina region
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Endowed with striking andunusual forests, plains, rivers, and plateaus
Flora
- 11,800 vascular plant species of gymnosperms and angiosperms
- 841 medicinal plant species
- 96 bamboo species
- 37 species of rattan
Fauna
- 251 mammal species
- 1,056 bird species
- 272 reptile species
- 82 amphibian species
- 310 freshwater fish species
- 465 marine water species
The Philippines
Location: In between the Philippine Sea
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Composed of 7,107 islands covering a total area of 300,000 square kilometers
- One of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries with high rates of endemism
Flora
- Fifth in the world in number of plant species, maintains 5% of the world’s flora
- With at least 25 genera of endemic plant species
Fauna
- 49% of its terrestrial wildlife is endemic
- Fourth in bird endemism in the world
- 3,214 fish species
Singapore
Location: Within the Malesian biogeographical region
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- A tropical island city-state consisting of one main island and about 60 smaller offshore islands
- Has 22 nature areas including four nature reserves
- With 47% green cover in 2007
- Close to 10% of total land area is allocated for parks and nature reserves
Flora
- 3,971 native vascular plant species
- 31 different true mangrove species
Fauna
- 52 mammal species
- 98 reptile species
- 28 amphibian species
- 364 bird species
- 295 butterfly species
- 200 sponge species
- 256 hard coral species
Thailand
Location: Center of mainland Southeast Asia
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- 13,115 square kilometers ofland area
- Has tropical ecosystems with forest types ranging from rainforest, evergreen,
deciduous and mangrove, to shrub forests and savannah forests - Has freshwater ecosystems including rivers, reservoirs, swamps and ponds
where the endemic species are found - Has coastal ecosystems with more than 2,000-kilometer coastline surrounding
over 200 islands are comprised by coral reefs, sandy beaches, muddy beaches and seagrass beds
Flora
- 8% of total number of plant species in the world
- 15,000 plant species
- 12,000 vascular plant species
- 658 fern species
- 25 uncovered seeds
- 10,000 flowering plant species
- 1,140 orchid species
Fauna
- 302 mammal species
- 982 bird species
- 350 reptile species
- 137 semi-water animal species
- 2,820 marine species
- 720 freshwater fish species
- 83,000 invertebrate animal species
- 14,000 insect species
Vietnam
Location: Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia
Biodiversity Highlights
Ecosystems
- Rich in tropical rainforests, monsoon savannah, marine life,
and mountainous sub-alpine scrubland - Lowland coastal zone is bisected by rugged limestone mountains
separating wetter forest types of the east from the drier forests of the Mekong Basin in the west
Flora
- 13,200 floral species
- 20 different types of marine ecosystems
Fauna
- 10,000 faunal species
- 3,000 aquatic creatures
- 11,000 forms of sea life such as crustaceans, mollusks, etc.
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Green Initiative
At least 10 million native trees across 10 ASEAN Member States in a span of 10 years
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Katrina Kendall: looking towards nature to protect biodiversity
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Antoinette Taus: finding meaning in protecting the planet
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
In Thailand, forests and oceans become classrooms for children
Southeast Asia: Into the Wild
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Our home. Our lives. Our stories.
Previous
Next
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Green Initiative
At least 10 million native trees across 10 ASEAN Member States in a span of 10 years
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Katrina Kendall: looking towards nature to protect biodiversity
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Antoinette Taus: finding meaning in protecting the planet
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
In Thailand, forests and oceans become classrooms for children
Southeast Asia: Into the Wild
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Our home. Our lives. Our stories.
Previous
Next
Our Partners
Previous
Next
Get in touch with the ACB
Join our newsletter to stay up to date on projects and programmes!
Resources
Menu
Opportunities
Menu
