Multilateral Enviromental Agreements and the Future of Global Biodiversity pdf

A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 1
A
SEAN
SEAN
C
C
ENTRE
ENTRE
B
B
IODIVERSITY
IODIVERSITY
FOR
FOR
www.aseanbiodiversity.org
Conserve Biodiversity, Save Humanity!
ASEAN Region’s Rich Biodiversity
Despite occupying only three percent of the earth’s surface,
the ASEAN region hosts 20 percent of all known species
that live deep in the region’s mountains, jungles, rivers,
lakes and seas. The region includes three mega-diverse
states (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines); several
bio-geographical units (e.g., Malesia, Wallacea, Sundaland,
Indo-Burma and the Central Indo-Pacific); and numerous
centers of concentration of restricted-range bird, plant and
insect species. ASEAN has one-third, translating to 284,000
square kilometers, of all coral reefs, which are among the
most diverse in the world. Common land and water borders
have allowed the ASEAN states to share many species that
are biologically diverse from the rest of the world. All these
make the ASEAN region significant to global diversity.

The Threat
The region’s rich biodiversity is heavily under threat. Out of
64,800 known species, two percent or 1,312 are endangered.
Seven of the world’s 34 recognized biodiversity hotspots are
in the ASEAN region. If the rate of deforestation continues,
the region will lose up to three-fourths of its forests, and up
to 42 percent of its biodiversity by 2100. Some 80 percent of
coral reefs are at risk due to destructive fishing practices and
coral bleaching.
Forest conversion, forest fires, shifting cultivation, large-scale
mining, wildlife hunting and trading, population growth and
poverty, climate change, and lack of conservation resources
greatly contribute to biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss could
trigger enormous effects on food security, health, shelter,
medicine, and aesthetic and other life-sustaining resources.
Without a concerted effort to protect and conserve biodiver-
sity, the ASEAN region’s 567 million people and the entire
human race would be in danger.
ASEAN’s Response:
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
As an intergovernmental regional organization, the ASEAN
Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) facilitates cooperation and co-
ordination among the members states of ASEAN, and with
relevant national governments, regional and international
organizations, on the conservation and sustainable use of bio-
logical diversity guided by fair and equitable sharing of benefits
arising from the use of such biodiversity in the ASEAN region.
ACB aims to contribute to the reduction of the current rate of
loss of biological diversity by enhancing regional cooperation,
capacitating stakeholders, promoting awareness for biodiver-

sity conservation, and maintaining the regional biodiversity
database. To contribute to the achievement of socially respon-
sible access, equitable sharing, use and conservation of natural
ecosystems and the biodiversity these contain, ACB builds stra-
tegic networks and partnerships geared to mobilize resources
towards optimally augmenting effective programmes on biodi-
versity conservation.
Contact Us
ACB Headquarters
3F ERDB Bldg., Forestry Campus
College, Laguna 4031,Philippines
Tel/fax: +632.534-4247, +6349.536-2865
Website: www.aseanbiodiversity.org
General Inquiry:
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 3
Inside
Vol. 8, No. 2  May - August 2009
Message from the Executive Director
ACB is now a full-fl edged International Organization 5
ASEAN Biodiversity Expert is 2009 Outstanding
Filipino Forester 6
Global Conservation News 7
Special Reports
MEAs: Why the Need for Harmonised Reporting? 12
ASEAN Action on MEAs 16
Global Harmonisation of National Reporting
to Biodiversity-Related Conventions 19
Issue-Based Modules for the Implementation of MEAs 23
The Ramsar Convention: Issues and Progress
in Harmonisation of Reporting 25

Indonesia: Using the Modular Approach 29
Thailand: Experiences in Harmonisation
of Reports to MEAs 35
Lao PDR: Case Study on Orchid Exports 39
The Development of a Consolidated Reporting
Template by Pacifi c Island Countries 45
Profiles
Indonesia
Ujung Kulon National Park 48
Thailand
Thungyai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries 52
Viet Nam
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park 56
Photos by Rolly Inciong
TINA MARIE C. DE LEON
Filipino amateur photographer
This photo with the caption
“A little boy with his newborn pet
bird” was among the fi nalists
in the amateur category of the
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity’s
ASEAN-wide photo contest
“Zooming in on Biodiversity.”
4 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
Letters, articles, suggestions and photos are
welcome and should be addressed to:
The Editor-in-Chief
ASEAN Biodiversity
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
College, Laguna

E-mail:

Editor-in-Chief
Monina T. Uriarte, PhD
Managing Editor
Bridget P. Botengan
Creative Artist
Nanie S. Gonzales
Writer-Researcher
Sahlee Bugna-Barrer
EDITORIAL BOARD
Rodrigo U. Fuentes
Executive Director
Clarissa C. Arida
Director, Programme Development and
Implementation
Rolando A. Inciong
Head, Public Affairs
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
Headquarters
3F ERDB Bldg. Forestry Campus
University of the Philippines-Los Baños
College, Laguna, Philippines
Telefax: +632.584-4247; +6349.536-2865
E-mail:
Website: www.aseanbiodiversity.org
ACB Annex
Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center
North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 1156
Philippines

Printed by: VJ Graphic Arts
No. of Copies: 2,000
Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed herein
do not necessarily represent any offi cial view
of the European Union nor the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat.
The authors are responsible for any data or
information presented in their articles.
Bookmarks
The Intricacies of Sharing the Benefi ts
of Nature’s Resources
60
The very fi rst MAD (Mangyan, Aeta, Dumagat)
Tribal Games: Wisdom from the Wild
61
ACB and PEMSEA to Promote Coastal and Marine
Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia
63
SEA’s Protected Area Execs Enhance Skills
in Conservation and Management
64
TV Maria Airs Videos on Biodiversity 65
ASEAN to Strengthen Sharing of Biodiversity Information 65
ACB joins ASEAN Day Celebration 66
Philippine Science Fair Highlights Water and Biodiversity
for Human Survival
67
2009 CSR Links Business and Biodiversity 68
ASEAN Workshop Promotes Biodiversity
Conservation in Business

70
Uniting with the World to Combat Climate Change 71
ASEAN Workshop Promotes Payment for Ecosystem
Services as Tool to Boost Economy and Reduce Poverty
72
Forest Management Bureau Hosts ASEAN Social
Forestry Network Meeting
73
Lao PDR Tracks Progress in Reducing Biodiversity Loss 74
IBD 2009 Highlights Invasive Alien Species 75
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Celebrates
the International Day for Biodiversity 2009
76
UPLB and Los Banos Youth Leaders Hold
Forum on Biodiversity
77
ACB, France and Japan Boost Southeast Asia’s
Taxonomic Capacity
78
ASEAN Countries Participate in the
2009 World Ocean Conference
79
ACB and UNESCO-Jakarta Partner to Popularize
Biodiversity Conservation 80
Surfing the Web of Life 64
ABOUT THE COVER. When countries become members of multilateral environmental agreements
(MEAs), they show their commitment to environmental protection and the future of humanity.
MEAs can provide more data, better cooperation among stakeholders, and increase efforts to
combat environmental issues such as climate change, loss of key species, and destruction of
habitats. These agreements thus provide a better picture of the status of global biodiversity,

set directions to protect the environment, and ensure a better quality of life for our children.
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 5
E
stablished in 2005 by the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and with support from the
European Union (EU), the ASEAN Centre for Biodi-
versity) ACB is regarded as the fi rst regional initiative to save
the ASEAN region’s critically threatened biodiversity. It is a re-
gional intergovernmental organization that works with partners
to study and advocate, use and save biodiversity. The Centre
promotes biodiversity conservation through policy and program
development, capacity building, information management and
sharing, and public advocacy.
The Establishment Agreement of the Centre, however, re-
quires the ratifi cation of majority of the ASEAN Member States
for the organization to become a full-fl edged international orga-
nization. This came into fruition when U Nyan Win, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar signed the instru-
ment of ratifi cation on 08 July 2009.
Following Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, the Philippines,
Singapore, and Viet Nam, Myanmar is the sixth ASEAN
Member State to ratify the agreement. The ACB Establish-
ment Agreement embodies the commitment of ASEAN Mem-
ber States in establishing ACB as a regional centre that facili-
tates cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member
States and with relevant organizations on the conservation and
sustainable use of Southeast Asia’s rich but highly threatened
biodiversity.
The ratifi cation augurs well for the peoples of ASEAN
who depend on biodiversity for food, medicine, livelihood,

and shelter. With ACB’s new status as an international orga-
nization, we can sustain our efforts in assisting ASEAN Mem-
ber States in preventing the loss of known animal, plant and
marine species that are critical to sustainable food production,
health, and livelihood. ACB will be able to mobilize more re-
sources and forge more partnerships that will result in more
services to ASEAN Member States.
The ratifi cation will further strengthen the momentum
gained by ASEAN Member States, the European Union and
ACB in working together to build ASEAN Member States’
capability to meet their obligations to the Convention on Bio-
logical Diversity and other relevant Multilateral Environmen-
tal Agreements, and increase Southeast Asia’s signifi cant role
in reducing biodiversity loss by 2010, the International Year
of Biodiversity. We thank Myanmar and all those who ratifi ed
the Establishment Agreement. We also look forward to the
ratifi cation by Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand
this year which will greatly contribute to the One ASEAN,
One Community Vision.
Rodrigo U. Fuentes
Executive Director
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
ACB is now a full-fl edged int’l organization
6 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
R
odrigo U. Fuentes,
ACB Executive
Director, was chosen 2009
Outstanding Professional
in the fi eld of Forestry by

the Philippines Professional
Regulation Commission
(PRC). The forester
and biodiversity expert
received the Outstanding
Professional Forester Award
on 19 June 2009 during
the PRC Awards Night
after showing exemplary
performance in his fi eld.
The award is the highest
honor bestowed by PRC
upon a professional as
recommended by peers
and colleagues for having
amply demonstrated
professional competence
of the highest degree. PRC
also recognized Fuentes for contributing signifi cantly to
the advancement of the profession.
Fuentes has been specifi cally working in the fi eld of
environment and natural resources in the past 28 years
notably as consultant and technical advisor to various
intergovernmental and multilateral organizations such
as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asian
Development Bank, United Nations agencies, and
World Bank.
A sustainable development and urban and
regional planning expert, Fuentes also specializes
in environmental program design and project

development, policy and institutional assessment,
policy and institutional assessment, environmental
monitoring and assessment, and capacity development
in environmental management and sustainable
development.
His previous undertakings at the regional and
sub-regional levels included assisting governments to
comply with their commitments to global agreements
such as the implementations of Agenda 21 and UN
Convention to Combat Desertifi cation (UNCCD),
UN Framework Convention for Climate Change
(UNFCCC), and Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD). He is also credited for developing the
Regional Framework program for implementing the
UNCCD and the Regional Action Program for the
Asian region.
Prior to his appointment at ACB, Fuentes
was engaged by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines to undertake an
independent and thorough assessment and review of the
UNDP Country Program Action Plan (CPAP) on the
Environment and Energy Portfolios, within the ambit of
the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
He also served as advisor to the Secretariat of the
UNCCD in Geneva, Switzerland, where he established
the regional network and prepared the regional action
plan for developing and pursuing subsequent work in
implementing the commitment of Asian countries to the
UNCCD. His expertise was also sought by the Overseas
Economic Cooperation Fund’s (OECF) Environmental

Infrastructure Support Credit Program (EISCP), and by
the Asian Development Bank.
Before getting into the regional and international
arena, Fuentes was with the Philippines’ Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, which he served
for 14 years, and became the National Director (1991-
1994) of the Environmental Management Bureau.
Fuentes holds a B.S. Forestry degree and a masteral
degree in Urban and Regional Planning, both from the
University of the Philippines.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR!
ASEAN Biodiversity Expert is
2009 Outstanding Filipino Forester
ACB Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes (center), Outstanding Forester 2009, with offi cials
and guests of the Professional Regulation Commission.
6 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 7
rests within the Northern
Sierra Madre Natural Park,
one of the Philippines’ most
important parks. Nearby
communities are supportive
of the reintroduction and
are working to develop a
community-based ecotourism
project with the Mabuwaya
Foundation. – mongabay.com
Rat-eating plant
discovered in
Philippines

August 17 – A carnivorous
pitcher plant that eats rats and
insects has been discovered
in the Philippines and named
Nepenthes attenboroughii
after wildlife broadcaster Sir
David Attenborough. The
plant is among the largest of
all pitchers and is believed
to be the largest meat-eating
shrub, dissolving rats with
acid-like enzymes. The team
of botanists, led by British
experts Stewart McPherson
and Alastair Robinson, found
the plant on Mount Victoria
in the municipality of Narra,
Palawan, Philippines. The
team published details of their
discovery in the Botanical
Journal of Linnean Society
following a three-year study
of all 120 species of pitcher
plant. The Philippines is
home to 17 Nepenthes species,
16 of which are endemic.
Other discoveries were
made during the expedition,
including a new species of
sundew, strange pink ferns

and blue mushrooms, as
well as another pitcher plant
Nepenthes deaniana, which is
said to have not been visible
in the wild for a hundred
years. – abs-cbnNEWS.com
Palawan’s highest peak
now a protected area
August 15 – Mt.
Mantalingahan, towering
over Palawan, Philippines at
6,800 feet above sea level, has
been offi cially declared as a
protected site. The 120,457-
hectare Mt. Mantalingahan
Protected Landscape is a key
biodiversity area. A survey by
Conservation International
(CI) has recorded about 861
plant species in the area,
including eight that were
“previously undescribed by
scientists” and fi ve newly
discovered ones in the
province. CI also counted 169
species of vertebrates, 26 of
which are in varying stages
of threat or near-extinction,
and 90 bird species, making
it one of 11 important bird

sanctuaries in Palawan.
– GMANews.TV
Nearly half of Sabah
is protected forest
August 3 – Nearly half of
Sabah’s 7.6 million-hectare
land area is now under
permanent forest cover
following amendments to a
state law that has seen the
creation of 12 new forest
reserves. About 3.6 million ha
are now preserved as forests,
thus exceeding the national
forestry policy requiring states
to preserve 47 percent of their
land under forest cover. – the
star online
Hope of freedom for
orangutans dashed
July 27 – A program by the
Nyaru Menteng Orangutan
Rehabilitation Centre to
release orangutans into
the forests of Kalimantan
suffered a blow when the
mining company BHP Hilton
announced its withdrawal
from Indonesia. BHP
Hilton had been supporting

Wood-pigeon, Slender-billed
Curlew, Sulu Bleeding-heart,
and White-eyed River-martin.
– mongabay.com
Gold mining threatens
the Komodo dragon
August 24 – Critics
contend that the proposed
development of eight gold
mines around Komodo
National Park threatens the
ecology of the park and the
species within. The park is
home to the Komodo dragon
and the Timor deer, both
listed as vulnerable by the
IUCN. Created in 1980
over several islands, the park
contains half of the world’s
Komodo dragons: 2,500
individuals. Many also believe
that the mines will damage
tourism. Komodo National
Park brings annual revenues
of US$7 million. Mining
activities near the park will
only ruin the park’s image and
diminish the government’s
revenue. – mongabay.com
Birders asked to look

for extinct species
August 24 – Birdlife
International has called on
birders around the world
to keep an eye out for birds
classifi ed as extinct. It wants
to confi rm whether or not 47
species of birds have actually
disappeared from the face of
the earth. Since 1600, 133
bird species have gone extinct,
but, Birdlife International
is focusing on 47 species
that may still exist. Birdlife
is asking birders to look for
specifi c species in specifi c
regions. In Asia, these species
are Banggai Crow, Blue-
fronted Lorikeet, Crested
Shelduck, Himalayan Quail,
Javan Lapwing; Negros Fruit-
dove, Pink-headed Duck,
Rueck’s Blue-fl ycatcher,
Siau Scops-owl, Silvery
The Komodo dragon is endemic
to a small number of Indonesian
islands.
Photo by Rhett A. Butler
20,000 orangutans
killed or poached

in 10 years without
a single prosecution
August 24 – The Indonesian
Chainsaw Massacre, a report
published by Nature Alert
and the Centre for Orangutan
Protection, states that at least
20,000 orangutans have been
killed or captured for the
illegal pet trade in the past
10 years in Indonesia without
a single prosecution. The
report urges the Indonesian
government to enforce
existing laws designed to
protect endangered species;
immediately stop issuing
new permits, and cancel
existing permits for logging
and plantation concessions
in forests that contain
orangutans; and ban new
roads that bisect orangutan
habitat. – mongabay.com
50 Philippine crocodiles
released into the wild
August 18 – Fifty critically
endangered Philippine
crocodiles have been released
into Dicatian Lake, Isabela

Province on Luzon Island.
Ten crocodiles were fi tted
with radio transmitters, so
their movements can be
monitored by the Mabuwaya
Foundation, an NGO devoted
to saving the crocodile, and
the Philippines’ Department
of Environment and Natural
Resources. The groups
hope to gather information
that will be helpful in
future reintroductions of
the crocodile. Dicatian
Lake was chosen as a
reintroduction site since it
Rat-eating pitcher plant.
Photo by Stewart McPherson
GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS
8 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
longer. Its largest passageway
has been measured at 460 by
460 ft. The cave features an
underground river, poisonous
centipedes, and monkeys that
enter the cave through various
skylights. A more extensive
survey will be done in 2010.
– National Geographic
World’s 1st commission

on ecosystem loss
launched
July 21 – The International
Commission on Land Use
Change and Ecosystems
was set up by the Global
Legislators Organization
(GLOBE) with fi nancing
from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the Untied
National Environment
Programme (UNEP). The
aim of the commission is
to propose public policy
frameworks that will build on
the increased understanding
of the economic value of the
world’s natural capital. The
commission was launched in
Nairobi, Kenya, where the
commission discussed policy
instruments that can place
an economic valuation on
ecosystem services, such as
generating rainfall, preventing
fl ooding, regulating the soil,
storing carbon, and providing
clean air and clear water.
Other measures included the
creation of a Global Network

of Marine Protected Areas,
a globally consistent ban on
the trade in illegal timber
and a payment mechanism
to ensure that forests are
protected. – China.org.cn
Malaysia’s rainforests
being replaced with
plantations of clones
July 20 – Rainforests once
managed for selective logging
in Malaysia are now being
replaced with latex-timber
clones—rubber trees that
yield latex and can be
harvested for timber. Up
to 80 percent of Malaysia’s
remaining forest cover
could be at risk. Permanent
forest reserves are forest
areas that have been set
aside for selective logging
under sustainable forest
management. They account
for 82 percent of Malaysia’s
remaining forest cover.
The development has been
facilitated by a system which
classifi es single-species
monocultures as forests.

The replacement of natural
forests with plantations
has signifi cant ecological
implications. Plantations
house fewer plant and
animals species and generally
store less carbon than natural
forests. Clear-cutting also
results in soil erosion and
increases the risk of fi re.
– mongabay.com
the rehabilitation centre
by airlifting and releasing
endangered orangutans into
forests that were concessions
of the mining company. 650
orangutans are currently
housed in the rehabilitation
center and 48 were set to
be released into the wild.
A plan for BHP to create
a 250,000-hectare wildlife
reserve in central Borneo
that could have sited 1,000
orangutans is now unlikely.
Some conservationists fear
that orangutans could be
wiped out in the wild in little
more than a decade due to the
destruction of their habitat

for logging, mining and
palm oil plantations. – The
Independent
World’s biggest cave
found in Viet Nam
July 24 – Measuring 262-by-
262 feet in most places, the
Son Doong cave in Phong
Nha-Ke National Park in
Viet Nam beats the previous
world-record holder, Deer
Cave in the Malaysian section
of the island of Borneo.
Explorers walked 4.5 kms into
the cave before being blocked
by seasonal fl oodwaters and
the passage may be even
ecological service and save
governments millions
of dollars a year in pest
destruction as natural
controllers of termites and
ants. – mongabay.com
G8 pledges US$20
billion for agriculture
July 11 – G8 leaders
meeting in Italy unveiled
a plan to commit US$20
billion of funding to the
development of agriculture

to tackle persistent food
shortages in developing
countries. The initiative
will also help developing
countries develop scientifi c
research in agriculture; foster
international collaborations
and improve the
dissemination of research. By
linking the efforts of partners
and stakeholders around the
world, the leaders agreed to
design and implement a food
security strategy whose core
principles will be country
ownership and effective
management. – SciDev.net
Conservationist Lone Dröscher
Nielsen interacts with a baby
orangutan.
Photo by AP
Photo by BARM/Fame Pictures
Pangolins threatened
by illegal trade for
traditional Chinese
medicine
July 14 – Due to poaching
for use in traditional Chinese
medicine, Asian pangolin
populations are rapidly

declining and are nearly
wiped out in Cambodia,
Viet Nam and Lao PDR.
Though the species has
been protected under the
Convention on International
Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) since 2002,
slowing international trade in
pangolin will require better
enforcement of existing
national and international
laws, better monitoring of
the illegal trade, and basic
research to fi nd where viable
pangolin populations still
exist and whether ravaged
populations can recover.
Pangolins provide a major
Malayan pangolin. Photo by Bjorn
Olesen and © 2009 TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
New conservation fund
to protect Singapore’s
endangered species
July 10 – Wildlife Reserves
Singapore (WRS) has set
aside S$1 million to protect
and save Singapore’s native
endangered species. The fund

will concentrate on native
animal conservation efforts
and the issue of climate
change. The fi rst recipient
is the National University
of Singapore’s (NUS’) Ah
Meng Memorial Conservation
Fund, which will receive
S$500,000 over fi ve years.
This will support the
Wildlife Healthcare
& Research Centre
GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 9
academic research and study
of endangered native wildlife
undertaken by students and
faculty members of NUS.
The fi rst NUS project will
focus on a detailed study of
the ecology of the banded leaf
monkey. More information is
available at www.wrscf.org.sg.
– Channelnewsasia
Forest clearings leave
orphaned orangutans
June 25 – As Borneo’s rain
forests are razed for oil palm
plantations, wildlife centers
are taking in more and

more orphaned orangutans.
Orangutans at the Nyaru
Menteng Center run by the
Borneo Orangutan Survival
Foundation (BOS) are mainly
“oil palm orphans” whose
forest habitats were destroyed,
and parents killed, by the
swiftly spreading oil palm
industry in Indonesia. BOS
hopes to eventually release
all of these orangutans back
into their natural habitat,
but increasing deforestation
mean that many orangutans
will remain in captivity. Two
thousand orangutans are
currently in the rehabilitation
system. Indonesia and
Malaysia are the world’s
largest producers of palm oil,
accounting for more than
85 percent of global output.
– Yale Environment 360
wood and soil. Peat forests
can release more than 2,000
tonnes of carbon dioxide
per hectare when drained
and burned, as well as large
amounts of methane, a far

more powerful greenhouse
gas than CO2. The program
is one of the fi rst large-scale
demonstration projects under
the UN forest carbon scheme
called reduced emissions from
deforestation and degradation
(REDD), which aims to use
carbon credits from saving
forests to reward developing
nations. KFCP aims to tackle
the causes of deforestation,
such as subsistence farming,
logging or other uses of
the forests, and focus on
economic development
opportunities to address
them. – Reuters
Biofuel does well
in fl ight test
June 17 – Continental
Airlines said a blend of
biologically derived fuel
and jet fuel performed
slightly better than jet fuel
alone during a test fl ight.
Continental estimates
greenhouse gas emissions
were cut at least 60 percent by
using the blend. Airlines have

been exploring alternative fuel
sources for years in an effort
to counter volatile fuel prices.
Jet fuel rivals labor as the top
cost at most major airlines.
The biofuel blend consisted
of oil derived from algae and
jatropha plants. – Reuters
Mekong dolphins on
the brink of extinction
June 18 – The Mekong River
Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella
brevirostris) population
inhabits a 190-km stretch of
the Mekong River between
Cambodia and Lao PDR.
Since 2003, the population
has suffered 88 deaths of
which over 60 percent were
calves under two weeks old.
The latest population is
estimated between 64 and 76
members. Necropsy analysis
identifi ed a bacterial disease
coasts. This prompted vows
from the Timorese leadership
to declare the area a protected
national park and develop it
for ecotourism. – Associated
Press

New online tool
for conservation
June 20 – The Zoological
Society of London has
developed a National Red
List website that currently
holds over 50,000 species
from 40 countries and
regions. It highlights that
some of the world’s most
biodiverse countries, such as
Indonesia and Madagascar,
lack National Red Lists
and are in dire need of
conservation investment.
This is the fi rst time that
National Red Lists have been
centralised, and is a powerful
complementary information
source to the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. The
website will also allow people
to track the success of their
nation in meeting the targets
set by the Convention on
Biological diversity to reduce
biodiversity loss by 2010.
– Red Orbit
Borneo project to yield
lessons on saving

forests
June 18 – Conservation
groups are currently helping
Australia and Indonesia
develop the Kalimantan
Forests and Climate
Partnership (KFCP) which
aims to preserve and
rehabilitate 100,000 hectares
of carbon-rich peat land in
Central Kalimantan. Half
the area has been cleared
and half is still forested but
under threat unless alternative
livelihoods are found for
the 20,000 people living
in and around the project
area. Australia has pledged
A$30 million to fund the
project until 2012. Tropical
rainforests and particularly
peatland forests, soak up vast
amounts of carbon-dioxide,
locking away carbon in the
More animals than
ever in danger of
becoming extinct
July 2 – The extinction crisis
facing the world’s wildlife
could be even worse than

previously thought with
more than 44,000 species
under threat. The Wolrd
Conservation Union (IUCN)
of Nature reports that
there are currently 44,838
species on the IUCN Red
List considered under threat
– the greatest figure ever
recorded. Of those, 16,928
species are in danger of
going extinct. Considering
that only 2.7 percent of the
world’s 1.8 million known
species have been analysed,
conservationists say this is a
gross underestimate. Nearly
one third of amphibians and
coral, more than one in eight
birds and nearly a quarter
of mammals are threatened
with extinction. For some
plant groups, the situation is
even more serious with
28 percent of conifers in
danger of dying out. The
situation is expected to get
worse as a result of climate
change. Since records began,
more than 1,000 species

have gone extinct including
the dodo and passenger
pigeon and more recently
species like the golden toad.
- telegraph.co.uk
Photo by PA
Orphaned orangutans at the
Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation
center in the Borneo.
Photo by Rhett
Butler/ mongabay.com
Timor seeks help
to protect whale,
dolphin hotspot
June 25 – The government
of East Timor says it plans to
establish a national park to
protect a bounty of dolphins
and whales. East Timor is one
of a few places in the world
with an exceptional diversity
and abundance of large sea
mammals due to its unusual
geography and years of
relative isolation. Researchers
have spotted endangered blue
whales, sperm whales and sei
whales, as well as spinner and
spotted dolphins along the
island’s northern and southern

GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS
10 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
as the cause of the calf deaths.
This disease would not be
fatal unless the dolphin’s
immune systems were
suppressed by environmental
contaminants. In these cases,
researchers found toxic levels
of pesticides such as DDT,
polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), and high levels of
mercury were found in some
of the dead dolphins. A
transboundary preventative
health programme is urgently
needed to manage the disease
affected animals in order to
reduce the number of deaths
each year. The Mekong River
Irrawaddy dolphin has been
on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species since
2004. – WWF
information on the long-
beaked echidna’s biology,
feeding behavior and ecology
has prevented conservationists
from formulating plans for
its protection. Echidnas are

members of the monotremes,
an order of mammals that
lay leathery eggs. They are
more reptile-like than other
mammals. Echidnas lay a
single egg, which the female
holds in a sticky pouch.
The hatchling resides in the
pouch for between 40-50 days
and receives milk from two
mammary patches. Once the
hatchling develops spines,
the mother digs a nursery,
which she returns to every fi ve
days to nurse the hatchling.
The baby is weaned in seven
months. – ENN
Forest conservation
in Indonesia could
be as profi table as
palm oil plantations
June 5 – A study in the
journal Conservation Letters
found that selling credits for
the billions of tons of carbon
that are locked in Indonesia’s
tropical rain forests could
be quite profi table. It also
found that conserving the
3.3 million hectares that are

slated to become plantations
on Kalimantan on the island
of Borneo would boost the
region’s biodiversity. The
800 proposed plantations
that were studied contain
40 of the region’s 46
threatened mammals
including orangutans and
pygmy elephants. The study
concluded that conserving
forests would be more
profi table than clearing them
for palm oil if the credits
could be sold for $10 to $33
per ton. Currently, the rate
per ton is around $20. – ENN
Degraded ecosystems
can recover in less
than a lifetime
May 31 – A study by the
Yale School of Forestry
and Environmental Studies
rebuts a common assumption
that ecosystem recovery
take centuries. Researchers
analyzed 240 independent
studies that explored the
recovery of degraded
ecosystems due both to

human-caused disturbances
and natural disasters. In the
study published in PLoS
ONE, the researchers found
that on average forests
recover in 42 years, while
ocean bottoms recover in less
than a decade. Ecosystems
that suffered from a variety
of disturbances took on
average 56 years, while those
recovering from mining,
invasive species, oil spill,
and trawling recovered on
average in fi ve years. These
recoveries may not mean
the ecosystem returned to a
truly natural state and many
of the ecosystems had likely
already experienced large-
scale changes such as loss in
biodiversity, loss in water
and air quality, and climatic
changes. The message
however is that if societies
choose to become sustainable,
ecosystems will recover.
– mongabay.com
change could see animals and
plants “trapped” in homes

that become too hot or dry,
raising the possibility of
extinction. Some scientists
have developed a plan that is
partly funded by the National
Science Foundation (NSF),
which involves moving species
into more accommodating
habitats. Species that could
be saved by assisted migration
include the Spanish lynx,
which has become trapped in
increasingly arid pockets of
the Iberian peninsula, while
certain species of butterfl ies
and corals have been
previously identifi ed as good
candidates. Rare fi sh trapped
in lakes could also be moved
to cooler waters. – telegraph.
co.uk
“Alien” pests wreak
vast economic damage
May 21 – The United
Nations noted that many
governments are ignoring
invasive alien species (IAS)
such as weeds or rats but these
cause $1.4 trillion in damages
a year to the world economy.

The cost is split between
losses from introduced pests
in crops, pastures and forests
and other environmental
damage. IAS spread from
one continent to another
via the global agricultural,
horticultural and pet trades or
by hitch-hiking lifts in ballast
water and on ship’s hulls. The
UN stressed that too many
countries have failed to grasp
the threat of IAS to global
biodiversity, and praised
countries such as South Africa
for eradication programs or
New Zealand for imposing
tough customs controls.
– Reuters
Logging threatens
orangutans, tigers,
elephants
May 19 – Five conservation
groups warned that a logging
operation by Asia’s biggest
pulp producer in Indonesia’s
Sumatra island threatens the
habitat of rare orangutans,
Irrawaddy dolphins at Koh Kon
Sat, Mekong River, Cambodia.

Photo by David Dove / WWF Greater Mekong
First study on rare
egg laying mammals
June 10 – A study by the
Wildlife Conservation
Society, published in the
Journal of Mammalogy,
chronicles the behaviors of
the long-beaked echidna (also
called the spiny anteater),
the fi rst mammal to lay eggs.
The long-beaked echidna is
widespread in the montane
forests of New Guinea and
fi nds refuge in hollow logs,
root or rack cavities, and
burrows. The long-beaked
echidna population has
greatly declined largely due
to hunting, since it is a highly
prized game animal. Limited
Echidna
Deforestation in Borneo.
Photo by Rhett A. Butler
Rare animals to be
moved from native
habitats because of
climate change
May 25 – Conservationists
fear that rapid climate

The Spanish Lynx has become
trapped in increasingly
arid pockets of the Iberian
peninsula.
Photo by EPA
GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 11
The Kutai National Park has
been changing into a city,
complete with an airport, gas
stations, marketplace, towers,
and a bus terminal. Only
time can tell if orangutans
can survive in the area. The
population of orangutans
in Borneo is uncertain, but
most scientists estimate
there are fewer than 50,000
individuals. – mongabay.com
More bird species
facing extinction
May 14 – An update of the
IUCN Red List indicates
that 12 percent or 1,227
bird species worldwide are
facing extinction, with 24
more threatened now than
in 2008. This includes two
bird species - the Gorgeted
Puffl eg and the Sidamo Lark

- which have been added to
a list of critically endangered
birds, bringing the total
in this group to 192. The
Gorgeted Puffl eg, a type of
hummingbird, was recently
discovered in Colombia,
but its 1,200 hectares of
habitat is shrinking annually
by eight percent as they are
being turned into cocoa
plantations. The Sidamo
Lark from Ethiopia faces the
danger of becoming Africa’s
fi rst extinct bird species
as pastures are overgrazed.
The rising number of
critically endangered birds
on the IUCN Red List is
worrisome given the number
of successful conservation
initiatives around the world.
– Agence France-Presse
WWF warns vast coral
reef in Southeast Asia
may disappear by end
of the century
May 13 – Pollution,
overfi shing and climate
change are destroying the

area known as the Coral
Triangle, which covers an
area about half the size of the
United States and is home
to more than 30 percent of
the world’s corals and more
than 35 percent of coral-
reef fi sh – around 3,000
species. The Coral Triangle
spans Indonesia, Malaysia,
Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines, Solomon Islands
and Timor-Leste and covers
around 18,500 islands rich
in mountain forests and
woodlands. The escalation
of modern practices, such
as deforestation, coastal
reclamation, destructive
fi shing and the pumping
of pollution and sewage
into sea, over the last 40
years have already destroyed
about 40 percent of coral
reefs and mangroves in this
unique environment. If such
practices are unchecked,
half the species in the Coral
Triangle will continue to
disappear at a rate of 1-2

percent a year. This will have
tremendous impacts on the
economy of the six nations
within the area, where 100
million residents depend on
mangroves, seafood beds, and
marine resources for their
food, livelihood, and housing
material. – guardian.co.uk
Protecting global
biodiversity must
include islands
May 12 – A new study
in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of
Sciences states that islands
are the key to saving global
biodiversity. While islands
have fewer overall species
than continental areas of the
same size, they have far more
endemic species, i.e. animals
and plants that can be found
nowhere else in the world.
The study also found that
while islands make up less
than four percent of Earth’s
land area, they are home to
nearly a quarter of the world’s
known plants, 70,000 of

which are not found on the
continents. Due to small
populations and limited
habitats on many islands,
species extinction is always a
very real possibility. Modeling
future human impacts on
biodiversity up to 2100,
the study found that island
biodiversity will face greater
pressure than continental
biodiversity, due largely to
human land-use, including
deforestation and agricultural
expansion. – mongabay.com
tigers and elephants. A
license has been given to a
joint venture between Asia
Pulp & Paper and the Sinar
Mas Group to clear 50,000
hectares of forest near the
Bukit Tigapuluh National
Park in Jambi to supply a
nearby pulp mill. The forests
are home to around 100
orangutans that have been
successfully reintroduced into
the wild, 100-400 critically
endangered Sumatran tigers,
and up to 60 endangered

Sumatran elephants. The
green groups - the Sumatran
Tiger Conservation and
Protection Foundation,
Frankfurt Zoological Society,
Zoological Society of London,
WWF-Indonesia and WARSI
- have sent a letter to the
Ministry of Forestry asking it
to protect the area. – Reuters
Orangutan population
in Borneo park plunges
90% in 5 years
May 16 – The population
of orangutans in Indonesia’s
Kutai National Park has
plunged by 90 percent in
the past fi ve years due to
large-scale deforestation
promoted by local authorities,
reports the Centre for
Orangutan Protection (COP).
The population of morio
orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus
morio) declined from 600
in 2004 to 30-60 this year.
COP attributes the drop to
state-sponsored colonization
of the Kutai, which has led to
hunting and forest clearing.

A critically endangered
Antilophia bokermanni,
a bird from the Manakin
family.
Photo by AFP
Thailand aims
to raise forest cover
40% in 8 years
May 9 – In Thailand, several
forest plantation projects
will be launched to help
the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment
achieve the goal raising forest
cover over 40 percent in
eight years. Aside from tree
planting schemes, the Royal
Forest Department is also
preparing to launch a project
that will offer fi nancial aid to
farmers who want to invest in
planting economic trees such
as teak, neem, and eucalyptus.
– Bangkok Post
The endangered kagu
(Rhynochetos jubatus) of New
Caledonia.
Photo by Miguel Vences
Sumatran Tiger
GLOBAL CONSERVATION NEWS

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MULTILATERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
AGREEMENTS
G
lobal agreements are crucial to resolving
international issues and concerns, and this
is particularly important in environmental
conservation. Loss of species and habitats,
wetlands conservation, wildlife trade,
pollution, and climate change are concerns requiring concerted
global effort to be effectively addressed.
12 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
WHY THE
NEED FOR
HARMONISED
REPORTING?
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 13
Ratifi cation of multilateral environ-
mental agreements (MEAs) is largely
motivated by national concern for eco-
systems and species. ASEAN Member
States are now Parties to a number of
biodiversity-related international agree-
ments including the Convention on
Biological Diversity
(CBD), Convention
on Wetlands of In-
ternational Impor-

tance (Ramsar),
Convention on In-
ternational Trade in
Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES), Con-
vention on Migratory
Species (CMS), and
the World Heritage
Convention (WHC). These were devel-
oped to establish wide-ranging coopera-
tion in protecting plants, animals, and
other species.
MEAs require national reporting
from all Parties to create a global pic-
ture of environmental efforts, as well as
provide directions for the future. Re-
ports often require data from different
national agencies covering a wide range
of bio-geographical, social, economic,
legal and political information. These
have to be meticulously prepared by
the focal points or reporting agencies
and crafted according to formats set by
the secretariats of MEAs. These formats
may be different across conventions, but
they often require similar or cross cut-
ting information, such as habitat cov-
erage, species inventory, composition
of local communities, human activities

that may affect the local environment,
protected area status, number of rang-
ers, and others. Since a number of issues
may need to be presented in reports to
various MEAs, there is a need to har-
monize the gathering of and manage-
ment of data. Streamlining reporting to
MEAs will reduce reporting burdens on
Parties, encourage more data sharing,
and create synergy in environmental
work among concerned national and
international agencies.
Reporting such information, how-
ever, may be hindered
by lack of coordina-
tion among relevant
agencies. There is also
limited collaboration
between the secretari-
ats of various global
agreements to stream-
line their approaches.
Gathering and use of
information also pos-
es a problem.
The CBD en-
courages parties to harmonize the
gathering and management of data for
the biodiversity-related conventions.
The Conference of Parties (COP)

encouraged the Liaison Group of the
Biodiversity-related Conventions to
give further consideration to issues
of harmonization of reporting among
the biodiversity-related conventions,
and to develop proposals thereon.
“Ratification of multilateral environmental
agreements (MEAs) is largely motivated
by national concern for ecosystems and
species. ASEAN Member States are now
Parties to a number of biodiversity-related
international agreements.”
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 13
SPECIAL REPORTS
Photo by TunAung
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SPECIAL REPORTS
Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD)
The CBD was inspired by the
understanding that the Earth’s biological
resources are vital to humanity’s
economic and social development. As a
result, there is a growing recognition that
biological diversity is a global asset of
tremendous value to present and future
generations. At the same time, the threat
to species and
ecosystems
has never

been as
great as it is today. Species extinction
caused by human activities continues
at an alarming rate. The CBD traces
its origins to the 1992 Earth Summit
in Rio de Janeiro, where world leaders
agreed on a comprehensive strategy for
“sustainable development” meeting
our needs while ensuring that we leave
a healthy and viable world for future
generations. The CBD was one of the
key agreements adopted at Rio. This pact
among the vast majority of the world’s
governments sets out commitments
for maintaining the world’s ecological
underpinnings as countries go about the
business of economic development. The
Convention establishes three main goals:
the conservation of biological diversity,
the sustainable use of its components,
and the fair and equitable sharing of
the benefi ts from the use of genetic
resources. There are currently 191
Parties to the CBD (www.cbd.int).
Convention on the International
Trade of Endangered Species
of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
The aim of CITES is to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild
animals and plants does not threaten their

survival. Annually, international wildlife
trade is estimated to be worth billions
of dollars and
includes hundreds
of millions of
plant and animal
specimens. Trade
ranges from live animals and plants
to a vast array of derived products,
including food, exotic leather goods,
wooden musical instruments, timber,
tourist curios and medicines. Levels of
This has resulted in collaborations
with other convention secretariats to
develop measures to harmonize re-
porting to various conventions. The
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity thus
conducted the ASEAN Workshop
on Harmonization of Reporting to
Biodiversity-Related Conventions
on 15-17 April 2009 in Hanoi, Viet
Nam to assist ASEAN Member States
(AMS) in streamlining their reports
to various MEAs. The workshop
sought to promote national and re-
gional efforts to harmonize or syner-
gize reporting to biodiversity-related
conventions; strengthen national ca-
pacities in harmonized reporting by
providing training on use of relevant

tools and approaches; and discuss pos-
sible ways and means for harmoniza-
tion of reporting at the global level.
Meaningful discussions on global
and regional initiatives to harmonize re-
porting to biodiversity-related conven-
tions; exchange of national approaches
and experiences; training on relevant
tools and approaches for harmoniza-
tion; as well as refl ections on challenges
to harmonized reporting allowed repre-
sentatives of AMS to craft an outline of
general observations and recommenda-
tions on harmonized reporting. This
outline will provide the basis for an
action plan for AMS, as Parties to the
Conventions, to guide their efforts to
harmonize their reporting and for con-
vention secretariats to pursue harmoni-
zation and standardization of reporting
formats.
The outline contains elements for
action at the national and global level.
General observations that merit atten-
tion at the national level include the fol-
lowing:
• Lack of a single model for
improved information man-
agement, collaboration and
harmonization as national cir-

cumstances vary between coun-
tries.
• Emphasis on the need to un-
derstand that reporting is an
output of information man-
agement which serves national
implementation of the conven-
tions.
These observations underline the
need to strengthen information man-
agement and collaboration between
national focal points and agencies to
improve national reporting. Improved
information management will require
the need for a fully operational (meta)
data warehouse, such as a Clearing-
House Mechanism or National Biodi-
versity Information Network, to cover
all biodiversity-related conventions; in-
volvement of all stakeholders that hold
relevant information; and the use of on-
line tools to assemble national reports.
Stronger collaboration is also needed
among national focal points of various
exploitation and trade of some animal
and plant species are high, and combined
with other factors, such as habitat loss,
is capable of heavily depleting their
populations and even bringing some
species close to extinction. Many wildlife

species in trade are not endangered, but
the existence of an agreement to ensure
the sustainability of the trade is important
in order to safeguard these resources for
the future. The trade in wild animals and
plants often crosses borders between
countries, and the effort to regulate it
requires international cooperation to
safeguard certain species from over-
exploitation. CITES was conceived in
the spirit of such cooperation. Today, it
accords varying degrees of protection
to more than 30,000 species of animals
and plants, whether they are traded as
live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs.
There are currently 175 Parties to the
convention (www.cites.org).
Convention on Migratory Species
(CMS or Bonn Convention)
The CMS aims to conserve terrestrial,
marine and avian migratory species
14 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
SOME MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 15
SPECIAL REPORTS
throughout their range. It
is an intergovernmental
treaty, concluded under
the aegis of the United
Nations Environment

Programme, concerned
with the conservation
of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.
Since the Convention’s entry into force, its
membership has grown steadily to include
110 Parties. Migratory species threatened
with extinction are listed on Appendix
I of the Convention. CMS Parties strive
towards strictly protecting these animals,
conserving or restoring the places where
they live, mitigating obstacles to migration
and controlling other factors that might
endanger them. Aside from establishing
obligations for each member state, CMS
promotes concerted action among the
Range States of many of these species.
Migratory species that need or would
signifi cantly benefi t from international
cooperation are listed in Appendix II of the
Convention (www.cms.int).
Convention on Wetlands
of International Importance
(Ramsar)
The Ramsar Convention is an
intergovernmental treaty that provides
the framework for national action
and international cooperation for the
conservation and wise use of wetlands
and their resources. It is the only
global environmental treaty that deals

with a particular ecosystem, and the
Convention’s 159 member countries
cover all geographic regions of the
planet. The Convention’s mission is “the
conservation and wise use of all wetlands
through local and national actions
and international
cooperation, as a
contribution towards
achieving sustainable
development
throughout the world”.
The Convention
uses a broad defi nition of the types of
wetlands covered in its mission, including
lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes,
wet grasslands and peatlands, oases,
estuaries, deltas and tidal fl ats, near-
shore marine areas, mangroves and coral
reefs, and human-made sites such as
fi sh ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and
salt pans. At the centre of the Ramsar
philosophy is the “wise use” concept. The
wise use of wetlands is defi ned as “the
maintenance of their ecological character,
achieved through the implementation of
ecosystem approaches, within the context
of sustainable development”. “Wise use”
MEAs, and these can be facilitated by
reviewing institutional and administra-

tive arrangements for the implementa-
tion of conventions, and development
of formal collaborative mechanisms
with a specifi c lead agency to include
various focal points, among others.
At the global level, there is a need to
address the following concerns:
• Development of models for har-
monization of national reporting
between the biodiversity-related
conventions;
• Formulation of specifi c guide-
lines for the preparation of the
reports, such as the CBD 4th
National Report (4NR) Report-
ing Guidelines;
• Harmonization of reporting
cycles to maximize time and re-
sources; and
• Use of online reporting systems
and increasing capacity to use
online tools.
therefore has at its heart the conservation
and sustainable use of wetlands and their
resources, for the benefi t of humankind
(www.ramsar.org).
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
The UNFCCC sets an overall

framework for intergovernmental efforts
to tackle the challenges posed by climate
change. It recognizes that the climate
system is a shared resource whose
stability can be affected by industrial and
other emissions of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. The Convention
enjoys near
universal
membership,
with the
ratifi cation of 192 countries. Under the
Convention, governments gather and
share information on greenhouse gas
emissions, national policies and best
practices; launch national strategies for
addressing greenhouse gas emissions
and adapting to expected impacts,
including the provision of fi nancial and
technological support to developing
countries; and cooperate in preparing
for adaptation to the impacts of climate
change (unfccc.int/2860.php).
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 15
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ASEAN
ACTION ON
MEAs
T

he Association of Southeast Asian Nations
facilitates obligations to various MEAs with
the assistance of the ASEAN Working Group
on Multilateral Environmental Agreements
(AWGMEA).
The policy frameworks that provide the foundation for the
AWGMEA include the following:
ASEAN Vision 2020 – In 1997 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
the heads of government of the ASEAN Member States
developed the ASEAN Vision 2020, which aimed to chart a new
development for ASEAN that features dynamic development and
economic integration, and a community of caring societies that is
conscious of its ties of history, aware of its cultural heritage, and
bound by a common regional identity.
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 17A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 17
This is highlighted by a vision for a
“…clean and green ASEAN with fully
established mechanisms for sustainable
development to ensure the protection of
the region’s environment, the sustainabil-
ity of its natural resources, and the high
quality of life of its peoples.”
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Communi-
ty Plan of Action – In Bali, Indonesia in
2003, the ASEAN Member States issued
the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II,
a framework to achieve a dynamic, co-
hesive, resilient and integrated ASEAN
Community by adopting plans on the
reports for policy-making and

addressing impacts on the envi-
ronment.
Aside from addressing global envi-
ronmental issues, the VAP also primar-
ily promotes national and regional co-
operation to address measures related to
the cluster of multilateral environmen-
tal agreements addressing atmospheric
issues such as climate change, the Vien-
na Convention and its protocols. It also
supports national and regional coopera-
tion on measures related to MEAS that
gotiations in MEAs.
The AWGMEA primarily focuses on
the following international conventions:
Atmosphere related conventions
• Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer
- This landmark international
agreement was designed to pro-
tect the stratospheric ozone
layer. The treaty was originally
signed in 1987 and substantially
amended in 1990 and 1992. The
Montreal Protocol stipulates that
SPECIAL REPORTS
ASEAN Security
Community, ASEAN
Economic Commu-
nity, and the ASEAN

Socio-Cultural Com-
munity. The ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Com-
munity Plan of Action
expressed the need for
coordinating responses
to MEAs since it strives
for the “…harmonisa-
tion of environmental
policies, legislation,
regulations, standards
and databases, taking
into account the na-
tional circumstances of
Member Countries, to
support the integration
of the environmental,
social and economic
goals of the region.”
Vientiane Action Programme
(2004-2010) – The VAP promotes sus-
tainable development, monitoring and
reporting/database harmonization in the
region and recommends the following
actions:
1. Implement the 13 priority envi-
ronmental parameters and ensure
region-wide harmonisation in
terms of measurement (method-
ology), monitoring and report-

ing.
2. Consolidate and promote syner-
gy in the reporting requirements
under the various multilateral
environmental agreements, aim-
ing for consolidated region-wide
reporting.
3. Produce informative periodi-
cal state of the environment
address chemical and chemical wastes
such as the Basel, Stockholm and Rot-
terdam Conventions.
The AWGMEA aims to:
• Strengthen cooperation in the im-
plementation of existing interna-
tional instruments or agreements
in the fi eld of environment.
• Identify and address problems in
implementing international envi-
ronmental agreements or instru-
ments.
• Promote and support the effec-
tive participation of ASEAN
countries in the negotiation of
obligations to conventions.
• Exchange views and information
on new or revised MEAs.
• Upgrade ASEAN capacity for ne-
the production and consump-
tion of compounds that deplete

ozone in the stratosphere - chlo-
rofl uorocarbons (CFCs), halons,
carbon tetrachloride, and methyl
chloroform - are to be phased
out by 2000 (2005 for methyl
chloroform). Scientifi c theory
and evidence suggest that, once
emitted to the atmosphere, these
compounds could signifi cantly
deplete the stratospheric ozone
layer that shields the planet from
damaging UV-B radiation.
• United Nations Framework Con-
vention on Climate Change and
the Kyoto Protocol - The UN-
FCCC sets an overall framework
for intergovernmental efforts to
tackle climate change. It recog-
Note:
AWGNCB - ASEAN Working
Group on Nature Conservation
and Biodiversity
AWGCME - ASEAN Working
Group on Coastal and Marine
Environment
AWGMEA - ASEAN Working
Group on Multilateral
Environment Agreements
AWGWRM - ASEAN Working
Group on Water Resources

Management
AWGESC - ASEAN
Working Group on
Environmentally Sustainable
Cities
AWGEE - ASEAN
Working Group on
Environmental Education
ASEAN Summit
(ASEAN Heads of State/
Government)
ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting (AMM)

(ASEAN Foreign Ministers)
ASEAN Environment
Ministers Meeting
(AMME, IAMME)
Secretary-General
of ASEAN
ASEAN Standing
Committee (ASC)
ASEAN Senior Offi cials
on the Environment
(ASOEN)
ASEAN Secretariat
(Bureau for Resources
Development)
AWGNCB AWGCME AWGMES AWGWRM AWGESC AWGEE
Other Environmental

Activities
(ASEAN Secretariat)
Institutional Framework - Environment
18 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
SPECIAL REPORTS
nizes that the climate system is
a shared resource whose stability
can be affected by industrial and
other emissions of carbon diox-
ide and other greenhouse gases.
Under the Convention, govern-
ments gather and share informa-
tion on greenhouse gas emissions
(GHGs), national policies and
best practices; launch national
strategies for addressing green-
house gas emissions and adapting
to expected impacts, including
the provision of fi nancial and
technological support to devel-
oping countries; and cooperate
in preparing for adaptation to the
impacts of climate change. The
Kyoto Protocol is linked to the
UNFCC and sets binding targets
for 37 industrialized countries
and the European Community
for reducing GHGs (unfccc.
int/2860.php).
Chemicals related conventions

• Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movement of Haz-
ardous Wastes and their Disposal
– This is the most comprehensive
global environmental agreement
on hazardous and other wastes.
The Convention has 172 Par-
ties and aims to protect human
health and the environment
against the adverse effects result-
ing from the generation, man-
agement, transboundary move-
ments and disposal of hazardous
and other wastes. A central goal
of the Convention is “environ-
mentally sound management”
(ESM), which addresses the issue
of hazardous waste through an
“integrated life-cycle approach”,
which involves strong controls
from the generation of a hazard-
ous waste to its storage, transport,
treatment, reuse, recycling, recov-
ery and fi nal disposal (www.basel.
int).
• Rotterdam Convention on the
Prior Informed Consent for Cer-
tain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade
– The Convention aims to pro-

mote shared responsibility and
cooperative efforts among Parties
in the international trade of cer-
tain hazardous chemicals in or-
der to protect human health and
the environment from potential
harm; and contribute to the en-
vironmentally sound use of those
hazardous chemicals, by facilitat-
ing information exchange about
their characteristics; providing
for a national decision-making
process on their import and ex-
port; and disseminating these de-
cisions to Parties (www.pic.int).
• Stockholm Convention on Persis-
tent Organic Pollutants – This is
a global treaty to protect human
health and the environment from
chemicals that remain intact in
the environment for long peri-
ods, become widely distributed
geographically and accumulate
in the fatty tissue of humans and
wildlife. Exposure to Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs) can
lead to serious health effects in-
cluding certain cancers, birth
defects, dysfunctional immune
and reproductive systems, greater

susceptibility to disease and even
diminished intelligence. Given
their long range transport, no
government acting alone can pro-
tect its citizens or environment
from POPs. In response, the
Stockholm Convention, which
was adopted in 2001 and entered
into force 2004, requires Parties
to take measures to eliminate or
reduce the release of POPs into
the environment (chm.pops.int).
At the AWGMEA 12, which was
held on 19-20 June 2008 in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, the following ac-
tions were proposed in ASEAN in rela-
tion to the various MEAs:
• Montreal Protocol - close coop-
eration among ASEAN Member
States (AMS) both at the nation-
al and regional level to combat
illegal trade in Ozone Depleting
Substances (ODS). Further ex-
change of information among
AMS is necessary to effectively
address imbalance in halons.
• UNFCCC - detailed studies
should be conducted for the
ASEAN region to make in-
formed policy decisions, as well

as develop appropriate mitiga-
tion and adaptation measures.
It was suggested that a workshop
be conducted to discuss the im-
plementation of such a study for
the ASEAN region.
• Basel Convention – a Basel
Convention Regional Centre
for South-East Asia (BCRC-
SEA) proposal was developed
on regional database develop-
ment on hazardous chemicals
and wastes management in
ASEAN countries.
• Rotterdam Convention – ASEAN
should consider acceding to
the Convention expeditiously
so that AMS can participate in
training programmes for capac-
ity building in implementing
the Rotterdam Convention.
• Stockholm Convention – the
meeting discussed a project
on Persistent Organic Pollut-
ants (POPs) information ware-
house, as well as the need to
identify the priority areas for
the regional training workshop
on “Familiarisation and Use of
UNEP’s Standardised Toolkit

on Identification and Quanti-
fication of Dioxins and Furans
Releases.”
More information on the ASEAN
Working Group on Multilateral
Environmental Agreements (AWGMEA)
can be accessed at environment.asean.
org.
ASEAN Participation in MEAs
Atmosphere related conventions ASEAN
Vienna Convention 100%
Montreal Protocol 100%
UNFCCC 90%
Kyoto Protocol 50%
Chemicals related conventions
Rotterdam Convention 30%
Stockholm Convention 60%
Basel Convention 80%
Source: ASEAN SoER3
18 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 19
SPECIAL REPORTS
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 19
GLOBAL
HARMONISATION
OF NATIONAL
REPORTING TO
BIODIVERSITY-
RELATED
CONVENTIONS

P
arties to multilateral environmental agreements
(MEAs) are required to submit national reports to
convention secretariats primarily to demonstrate
compliance with the convention, develop an overview
of its implementation, assess its effectiveness and
take stock of the work that has been done to identify measures
that have to be undertaken for the future. National reports also
provide information on the status and trends on biodiversity that
will enable informed decision-making as well as identify necessary
interactions with other processes and agencies in biodiversity
conservation.
20 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
SPECIAL REPORTSSPECIAL REPORTS
There are a number of challenges
to reporting, and these include the de-
velopment of reports to a multitude of
conventions (thus creating a ‘reporting
burden’ on Parties), as well as duplica-
tion or lack of information necessary
for the reports. There is also the issue
of the lack of cooperation and coordi-
nation among agencies, and sometimes,
Parties do not submit reports at all.

Steps towards harmonisation
The United Nations Environment
Programme - World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
has been working to produce a for-

mula that would allow streamlining
and harmonization of national reports
to MEAs. Some of the activities con-
ducted towards this end include the
following:
• Feasibility Study for a Harmo-
nized Information Management
Infrastructure for Biodiversity-
related Treaties (UNEP-WCMC,
1989)
• WCMC Handbooks on Bio-
diversity Information Manage-
ment (1998)
• Cambridge workshop (UNEP
& UNEP-WCMC, 2000)
• Pilot projects: Ghana, Indone-
sia, Panama, Seychelles (UNEP/
UNEP-WCMC 2001-2003)
• Haasrode workshop (2004) on
pilot project results (Belgium,
UK, UNEP-WCMC, 2004)
• UNEP – MEA Secretariats‘
Knowledge Management proj-
ect (2006-08)
• Streamlining reporting by Pacif-
ic Island Countries (DEWHA,
SPREP)
In 2008, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Forestry
Department of Malaysia organized the

Regional Workshop on Strengthening
of Harmonization of National Report-
ing to the Global Forest Resources As-
sessment 2010 and Other International
Processes on Forests in Asia in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. The workshop par-
ticipants emphasized that coordination
among different national agencies and
programmes is essential, and that coor-
dination among different focal points is
challenges remain for both conven-
tion secretariats and the Parties to the
various conventions. MEAs often have
different reporting cycles. Informa-
tion also usually comes from different
ministries and agencies, and some of
the data required maybe very specifi c
(such as greenhouse gas inventories for
the United Nations Framework Con-
vention on Climate Change). Biodi-
versity knowledge has to be managed
in a manner where national reports do
not become a by-product of national
biodiversity information management.
Rather, such information should sup-
port the implementation of the various
environmental conventions.
Approaches to harmonisation
There are promising approaches to
streamlining national reports, such as

the use of joint reporting portals; mod-
ular reporting; core reports; joint the-
matic reporting formats; consensus on
information needs and sources; and on-
line reporting.
The Collaborative Partnership on
Forests (CPF) Portal is an example and
facilitates the streamlining of forest-re-
lated reporting. It provides access to for-
est-related information from reporting
to various conventions and processes,
and allows users to search national re-
ports by process (e.g. MEAs) or coun-
try.
Modular reporting is another ap-
proach that is gaining ground and has
been piloted in some countries to deter-
mine its feasibility.
The core report, on the other hand,
is the model used for human rights
conventions. These feature a common
core report for all the treaties, as well
as smaller treaty-specifi c reports. The
potential elements of a core report in-
clude:
• General factual and statistical
information about the reporting
Party – this may encompass an
overview of the state of biodiver-
sity as well as relevant govern-

ment departments and agencies.
• General framework for conserva-
tion and sustainable use of bio-
diversity – including the status
of conventions and agreements;
legislation, strategies, plans, and
required to facilitate national reporting
on global forest resources. This will also
require signifi cant strengthening of in-
stitutional coordination and scientifi c
studies to improve data quality. Partici-
pants also suggested the development of
regional cooperation among countries
for sharing of experience and expertise
to improve national capacities for for-
est-related reporting.
Recent Conference of Party (COP)
mandates from various MEAs also di-
rect convention secretariats to develop
mechanisms for harmonizing reports to
better assist Parties, streamline the man-
agement of information, and provide a
better picture of the conservation of the
world’s natural resources. These resolu-
tions include the following:
• Ramsar: Resolutions IX.5, X.11
• Convention on Biological Di-
versity (CBD): VIII/14, VIII/20,
IX/19
• Convention on the Internation-

al Trade of Endangered Species
(CITES): Decisions 14.37 and
14.38
• Convention on Migratory Spe-
cies (CMS): Resolutions 8.11,
8.24, 9.4
Resolutions from Ramsar specifi -
cally state the following:
Ramsar resolution IX.5: 9 addition-
ally requests the Secretary General to
continue working with UNEP’s Divi-
sion of Environmental Conventions
and the secretariats of other biodiver-
sity-related conventions and agreements
concerning more effective convention
implementation. Topics could include,
inter alia, and as appropriate, the devel-
opment and implementation of issue-
based modules and harmonization of
national reporting requirements subject
to the mandate of each individual con-
vention bearing in mind their Contract-
ing Parties.
Ramsar resolution VIII.26 further
urges Parties to consider initiating trials
of joint reporting involving Ramsar and
other multilateral environmental agree-
ments, seeking the advice, as appropri-
ate, of the United Nations Environment
Programme.

While recognizing the need for
streamlining reports to MEAs, many
20 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 21
programmes; communication,
education and public awareness
plans; and a description of the
reporting process.
• Implementation of substantive
provisions common to the bio-
diversity-related treaties - e.g.
monitoring, indicators, protected
areas, sustainable use, training.
• Measures for streamlining the
implementation of biodiversity-
related treaties – this may in-
clude collaboration of national
focal points and strengthened
biodiversity information man-
agement.
Joint thematic reporting formats
are already mandated by various con-
ventions. The CBD, for instance, has
joint reporting formats with Ramsar on
inland water ecosystems, and with the
United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertifi cation (UNCCD) on dryland
biodiversity. The joint reporting format
for CBD and Ramsar is based on the
following decisions:

• Ramsar Resolution X.11: Re-
quests the Secretariat and the
Scientifi c Technical and Review
Panel (STRP) to continue to
cooperate with the CBD Sec-
retariat, UNEP, and UNEP-
WCMC in the development of
a framework for harmonized
reporting on implementation on
SPECIAL REPORTS
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 21
Modular Approach to Reporting
22 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
SPECIAL REPORTSSPECIAL REPORTS
inland waters for the CBD and
the Ramsar Convention.
• CBD Decision IX/19: Invites
the Ramsar Convention, UNEP
and UNEP-WCMC to continue
their joint work on harmonized
reporting between the Ramsar
Convention and the CBD.
The joint reporting format is or-
ganised around the Ramsar reporting
format and indicator questions, which
cover institutional information; sum-
mary of national implementation; wise
(sustainable) use of wetlands; Wetlands
of International Importance; interna-
tional cooperation; and implementa-

tion capacity.
Another approach to harmonizing
national reporting to MEAs is to iden-
tify and agree on information needs and
sources. In the case of CBD and Ramsar
on the issue of inland water biodiversity,
the two conventions agreed on the use
of the following:
• Defi ne the information needs
(resolution X.14: A framework
for Ramsar data and informa-
tion needs).
• Internal information sources
(national reports, indicators).
• External information sources
(scientifi c institutions, NGOs).
• Identify the overlaps for Ramsar
and CBD.
• Potential decision: Who collects
what information (harmonized
but not joint reporting).
Online reporting is another ap-
proach, and this is used by the Indian
Ocean – Southeast Asian (IOSEA)
Marine Turtle Memorandum of Un-
derstanding and the Agreement on the
Conservation of African-Eurasian Mi-
gratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The IO-
SEA is an intergovernmental agreement
that aims to protect, conserve, replenish

and recover marine turtles and their hab-
itats of the Indian Ocean and Southeast
Asian region, working in partnership
with other relevant actors and organisa-
tions. AEWA covers 255 species of birds
ecologically dependent on wetlands for
at least part of their annual cycle. An on-
line reporting facility is being developed
for CMS and CITES. This approach is
particularly relevant since pooling web-
based tools could facilitate harmoniza-
tion of national reports.
Preconditions for harmonisation
To make harmonization and stream-
lining of national reports work, some
general conditions have to be met. For
instance, the purpose of national re-
porting should be recognized and the
reported information is used, or more
importantly, that Parties understand
how the information is being used.
Preconditions should be met at both
the national and global level:
Harmonization at the national level
• Focal points to conventions do
cooperate
• Data-collecting institutions do
cooperate
• Reporting is an output of imple-
mentation

Harmonization at the global level
• Conventions agree on informa-
tion needs
• Conventions agree on or develop
joint information management
systems
• Reporting cycles should not be a
problem particularly if the core
report approach or joint sum-
mary reports (e.g. for 2010) are
used
• Continuing mandates from gov-
erning bodies
• Key stakeholders encouraged
Next steps for harmonization of
national reporting at the global level
will follow the implementation of
various suggested approaches. These
include the use of joint reporting on
inland waters developed by CBD and
Ramsar. The distribution of papers and
outlining of experiences in the imple-
mentation of streamlining approaches
would provide inputs to decision mak-
ing bodies, and this includes provid-
ing papers on preconditions for har-
monization of reporting to Parties to
the CBD, CITES, CMS and Ramsar
Convention, as well as feeding the Pa-
cifi c Island Countries experience into

governing bodies. Recommendations
of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
workshop should also be made avail-
able to governing bodies.
The article is based on a presentation by
Peter Herkenrath of the UNEP World
Conservation Monitoring Centre at the
ASEAN Workshop on Harmonization of
Reporting to Biodiversity-related Conven-
tions held in Hanoi, Viet Nam, on 15-17
April 2009.
22 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 23A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 23
ISSUE-BASED
MODULES
FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION
OF MEAS
SPECIAL REPORTS
M
any countries are Parties to a multitude of
environmental agreements, and all these
agreements carry many implementation
requirements from articles, decisions and
resolutions. The challenge for accurate
national reporting is awareness of all these provisions. However,
given the different conventions, these provisions are not
necessarily harmonized with the other conventions, even in areas
where data requirements may be similar. National experts thus
face problems in communicating across conventions.

24 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
SPECIAL REPORTSSPECIAL REPORTS
24 M A Y - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9  w w w . a s e a n b i o d i v e r s i t y . o r g
Issues are divided into the following hierarchy:
Issue
Section
Activity
Component
PAs
Management
Activity: Mitigate
or remove
external threats to PAs
Component: Direct threats
from human activities
The aim of developing issue-based
modules is to provide a reference tool for
Parties to have easy access to all their ob-
ligations and commitments from inter-
national environmental agreements for a
specifi c theme. The objectives are to:
• Improve understanding of how
commitments on specifi c issues
(e.g. protected areas) under dif-
ferent multilateral environmen-
tal agreements (MEAs) relate to
one another.
• Demonstrate how implemen-
tation of agreements can be
strengthened through more in-

tegrated and cross-sectoral infor-
mation on specifi c issues.
• Promote cooperation on spe-
cifi c issues between experts at
the national level working on
the implementation of different
MEAs.
The process of developing these
modules includes providing structured
information on agreement implementa-
tion requirements by:
• Identifying and grouping imple-
mentation requirements on spe-
cifi c issues under different agree-
ments.
• Translating this into practical
tools in the form of issue-based
modules.
Some of the agreements con-
sidered include biodiversity-related
conventions such as the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD), Con-
vention on the International Trade of
Endangered Species (CITES), Con-
vention on Migratory Species (CMS),
Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar),
and the World Heritage Convention
(WHC). Regional agreements and
other Rio conventions include the
United Nations Framework Conven-

tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
and the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
National workshops were held in var-
ious countries in Africa, Asia, Europe
and Latin America, where participants
evaluated and reviewed the modules.
Case studies and other examples have
also been provided for their use in
other countries.
How can the modules help?
Based on experiences from the pilot
countries, issue-based modules can con-
tribute in the:
• Review and updating of biodi-
versity-related legislation (con-
servation, forestry, water).
• Checking compliance of national
implementation.
• Improved communication and
cooperation among national ex-
perts on different agreements.
• Raising awareness of obligations/
commitments under interna-
tional law among the other min-
istries and the public.
• Development of education and
public awareness initiatives.
• Training of new staff in the min-
istry or department of environ-

ment.
• Development of funding pro-
posals.
• Development of transboundary
or joint projects.
• Preparing coherent positions
across MEA fora.
• Development of Annex to Na-
tional Strategy on Capacity
Building (sustainable use mod-
ule) as well as national strategies
on invasive alien species, pro-
tected areas and wetlands.
The article is based on a presentation by
Peter Herkenrath and Ines Verleye of the
UNEP/IUCN Project at the ASEAN
Workshop on Harmonization of Reporting
to Biodiversity-related Conventions held in
Hanoi, Viet Nam on 15-17 April 2009.
A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 25A S E A N B I O D I V E R S I T Y 25
SPECIAL REPORTS
T
he Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was
developed in the 1960s because of concerns
over the destruction of wetlands and its impact
on waterbirds. Despite the early development
of the convention, the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment in 2005 noted that the “degradation and loss of
wetlands (both inland and coastal) is continuing more rapidly
than for other ecosystems”. The problem continues since

economic development and land-use change are often prioritized
over ecosystem maintenance. Despite continued dependence on
wetlands and other ecosystems for livelihoods and sustainable
development, governments and communities continue to damage
wetlands and other signifi cant ecosystems. As such, there is a
need for increased cross-sectoral attention to maintain ecosystem
services for people.
ISSUES AND
PROGRESS IN
HARMONISATION
OF REPORTING
THE RAMSAR CONVENTION