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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...

Our Programme Areas

Biodiversity Conservation

Sustainable Use, and Access and Benefit Sharing

Mainstreaming Biodiversity

Capacity Development

Partnerships

Knowledge Management

Communication, Education, and Public Awareness

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

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

Get in touch with the ACB

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

A regional response to the need to conserve biodiversity.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity4 weeks ago
#Didyouknow that there are ecosystems built on partially decomposed vegetation?

Peatlands are watery areas that are created due to piled-up layers of partially decayed organic matter. Though the description is unpleasant, peatlands are important as they store high amounts of carbon, help in the water cycle process, and prevent floods.

From 2 to 5 September, representatives from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) gathered in Brunei Darussalam for the 𝘈𝘚𝘌𝘈𝘕 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘉𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, an event hosted by the Forestry Department, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam, and organised by the 𝘋𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘧ü𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘡𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘎𝘮𝘣𝘏 - Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN/Strengthening Regional Experiences on Sustainable Peatland Management in ASEAN, in collaboration with the ACB. The forum’s main focus was to raise awareness of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy 2023-2030.

Dr. Mundita Sison Lim, ACB Executive Director, sent a pre-recorded message for the event participants, highlighting the importance of sustainable management of peatlands, and inviting the AMS to nominate peatlands as ASEAN Heritage Parks.

The event also included a presentation by the Director of the ACB’s Strategy and Planning Division Carlo Carlos. Here, he discussed the role of peatlands in biodiversity and climate change, in line with the #BiodiversityPlan, and the forthcoming CBD COP 16 and UNFCCC COP 29. The forum allowed the AMS to identify key entry points on peatland biodiversity, peatland management and conservation, as well as insights in the updating of their respective National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. During the discussions, the participants exchanged best practices in peatland management.

As a culminating activity, the forum participants visited the Badas Peat Swamp Forest to learn from Brunei Darussalam’s initiatives with the University of Brunei Darussalam on peatland research and ecosystem restoration.

#WeAreASEANBiodiversity #aseancentreforbiodiversity #ASEANBiodiversity #peatlands #brunei
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity4 weeks ago
👍❤️😄😮 Cast your votes for the #ZoomingInOnBiodiversity Photo Contest People’s Choice Award!

Here are the finalists for the Life in ASEAN Heritage Parks Category.

Make sure to like the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity's official Facebook page. Browse through the album and react on your favourite photos. The photo with the highest number of reactions wins the People's Choice Award and USD 300.

Voting period: 7 September 2024 to 23 September 2024 18:00 (GMT+8)
Winners will be announced on 27 September 2024 through our social media pages.
🌱🌱🌱
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity #ZoomingInOnBiodiversity #BiodiversiToks #ASEANBiodiversity #PhotoContest #TiktokChallenge #BePartofthePlan

REMINDER: The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity will not ask for payment at any stage of the contest. The ACB will only use its email address [email protected] to reach out to participants.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity4 weeks ago
👍❤️😄😮 Cast your votes for the #ZoomingInOnBiodiversity Photo Contest People’s Choice Award!

Here are the finalists for the Caught in the Act Category.

Make sure to like the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity's official Facebook page. Browse through the album and react on your favourite photos. The photo with the highest number of reactions wins the People's Choice Award and USD 300.

Voting period: 7 September 2024 to 23 September 2024 18:00 (GMT+8)

Winners will be announced on 27 September 2024 through our social media pages.
🌱🌱🌱
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity #ZoomingInOnBiodiversity #BiodiversiToks #ASEANBiodiversity #PhotoContest #TiktokChallenge #BePartofthePlan

REMINDER: The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity will not ask for payment at any stage of the contest. The ACB will only use its email address [email protected] to reach out to participants.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity4 weeks ago
Here’s our fun fact for this Friday 💡📖

You may be healthy because you mostly eat fish, but is your diet keeping the ocean ecosystems healthy? 🐠🪼🦐

The commonly fished and consumed groupers and trevally are predators, and keep the food web balanced by hunting other marine animals. A rapid decrease in their population will tip the balance off.

Similarly, herbivore fish like parrotfish, surgeonfish, and rabbitfish, play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs by scraping algae off hard surfaces, which allow coral larvae to settle and grow. Without these herbivores, algae—an opportunistic organism—can take over, smothering the reefs and leaving marine life homeless.

That’s why ASEAN ENMAPS project is all about keeping the balance in its pilot marine protected area sites, and expanding its efforts to other marine protected areas to ensure both predators and herbivores play their part in a thriving ocean.

#aseanenmaps #WeAreASEANBiodiversity #ASEANBiodiversity #aseancentreforbiodiversity #ForPeopleForPlanet #ForNature #MarineProtectedAreas

UNDP in Asia and the Pacific
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity4 weeks ago
Catch the latest episode of Biodiversitalks on Spotify! 🌳🌺🐘🐠🐞

In our second episode, know more about young science communicator Biogirl MJ of Just Keep Thinking and her work on popularising biodiversity through social media.

We are also happy to introduce our new co-host, Dr. Arvin C. Diesmos, Senior Director of the ACB Biodiversity Knowledge Management Department and an Academician at the NAST PHL.

Don't forget to click FOLLOW so you will be among the first to know about our latest content on Spotify!

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aseanbiodiversity/episodes/BiodiversiTalks-EP-2-Communicating-Science-and-Biodiversity-e2nt5jn

#WeAreASEANBiodiversity #ASEANBiodiversity #aseanfood #singapore #BiodiversityTalks
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