ASEAN, EU conclude 5-year biodiversity project
Jakarta, 7 June 2023 — The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, showcased the gains and impacts of its European Union-supported project called the Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in ASEAN (BCAMP) on 6 June 2023. The BCAMP Completion Workshop: Advancing Partnerships for Transformative Change and Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation presented significant accomplishments of the project and provided a platform for region-wide discussions on ways forward for such a long-standing partnership for biodiversity.
This five-year initiative has been pivotal in enhancing environmental, social, and economic well-being through effective biodiversity conservation and management of protected areas in the ASEAN region. Over the past years, the project achieved significant breakthroughs, improving the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in ASEAN by focusing on ASEAN Heritage Parks and protected areas.
“Through the BCAMP project, we have been able to expand important biodiversity areas under regional protection with the number of ASEAN Heritage Parks increasing from 44 in 2018 to 55 this year. These AHPs were supported with various capacity enhancement activities that contribute to their effective management, such as marine SMART patrolling, capacity development for park rangers, biodiversity assessment, GIS trainings, and more, demonstrating that investing in regional cooperation strengthens our collective actions to achieve global goals, such as Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and to effectively implement regional commitments, such as the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework,” said Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, ACB Executive Director.
The BCAMP Project was instrumental in introducing the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes (ABH) programme, which recognises exceptional individuals in ASEAN who have made significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and advocacy efforts in their respective countries and the region. The sixth and seventh conferences of the ASEAN Heritage Parks were also made possible through BCAMP, which were helpful in deepening the appreciation and understanding of the AHPs and facilitating enhanced knowledge and skills of park managers on planning and implementing ecosystem management, restoration strategies, and building resilience.
Another notable BCAMP initiative is the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Programme that was designed to empower the youth to effectively contribute to the formulation and implementation of biodiversity policies. Under this programme are the Young ASEAN Storytellers, which was designed to provide a platform for ASEAN youth with powerful and inspiring stories to tell on biodiversity; the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Leaders (AYBL) Programme, a one-year training and mentorship programme; and the Young Internships for Protected Areas subprogramme.
In conjunction with the project culmination, the ASEAN Green Initiative (AGI) Recognition Ceremony and a forum on ecosystem restoration were likewise conducted to recognise exemplary tree planting and ecosystem restoration initiatives, identify key challenges and opportunities, and foster collaboration among governments and key players from the development sector at the local, national, and regional levels. The AGI is a flagship initiative of the ASEAN that recognises outstanding efforts in forest rehabilitation and ecosystem restoration, involving a diverse range of environments and stakeholders, by planting 10 million native trees across the 10 ASEAN Member States in a span of 10 years, in line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Degradation. The first cycle of this recognition scheme was supported by the European Union, the Federal Government of Germany, and the ACB.
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