Ecosystem in the ASEAN region
How did the ASEAN Member States fare in protecting their terrestrial and marine areas?
Protected areas and their importance to biodiversity
A protected area is a geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.2 Establishing protected areas, geographical spaces set aside where regulations are put in place to limit human impacts and conserve nature, have long been used as a means to safeguard global biodiversity.3 Well-governed and effectively managed, protected areas have safeguarded both habitats and populations of threatened species and have provided ecosystem services that impact well beyond their boundaries. Protected areas can secure biodiversity and provide ecosystem services that mitigate the impacts of climate change and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Most, if not all, ASEAN Member States (AMS) have shown clear accomplishments in achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 – protecting 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas . As of 2021, AMS have collectively established protection for 15.57 per cent of terrestrial and 4 per cent of coastal and marine areas.
Further efforts are needed to progress towards meeting other elements of the target such as ensuring the management effectiveness of protected areas, improving the understanding and implementation of the various types of governance and equity in protected areas, and enhancing the extent of the connectivity of the protected area networks in the region.
Wetlands – has declared a total of 26.592 km2
Wetlands are equally important habitats for many species of birds and mammals, fish, amphibians, shellfish, and insects. They are rich food sources and breeding grounds for fishes and also serve as stopover sites for migratory waterbirds. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands) is the international treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The ASEAN region has declared a total of 26,592 square kilometres as Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar Sites. Thailand has the most number of Ramsar sites (15), followed by Viet Nam (9) and the Philippines (8). But, in terms of area, Indonesia encompasses the broadest wetland area with 13,729 square kilometres, followed by Thailand, and Myanmar. While Brunei Darussalam is yet to become a Party to the Ramsar Convention, it has potential sites that traverse Brunei Bay and extends to Malaysia. The whole stretch is suitable to be established as a single transboundary Ramsar site. Similarly, Singapore is not a Contracting Party, but the country has policies and programmes for wetland conservation and sustainability.
Fishery resource endowments in the region
The ASEAN region has 173,000 kilometres of coastline and over 25,000 islands, where more than 50 per cent of the population in the region lives. Fish is the primary sources of protein for the majority of the ASEAN region’s population, accounting for at least 15 percent of animal protein requirement for more than 100 million people and up to 50 per cent for some communities.
Fisheries, including inland aquaculture, contribute to livelihood provision at both the local and regional levels. Aquatic products are one of the most widely traded and exported food products for many AMS. The sector employs an estimated 80 million people in AMS. The processing, marketing, distribution, and supply industries associated with fishing and aquaculture employ up to another 10 million people.2
Marine fisheries contribute 40 per cent, by quantity, and 50 per cent, by value, to the region’s total fisheries production.
The figure illustrates the production trends in marine capture fisheries of AMS. Large quantities of marine capture fisheries are derived from pelagic fishery resources, like tuna, round scads, mackerels, anchovies, and sardines, among others. Most pelagic fish species are migratory and transboundary in nature, thus, are shared by many AMS.
ASEAN Forest – covers about 47% of the total land areas (in 2020)
Forests are crucial in maintaining the delicate environmental balance that makes life on Earth possible. The forest ecosystems significantly contribute to agriculture and food security, livelihoods and poverty alleviation, economic growth and equality, and health and nutrition.
They provide a living space for 80 percent of the world’s plant and animal species on the planet, many of which serve as valuable raw materials used for energy, pharmaceuticals, and various industries. Other ecosystems also depend on forests as a source of freshwater and nourishment.
The ASEAN region is covered by over 2 million square kilometres of forests or about 47% of the total areas in 2020. These forest ecosystems, including mangrove covers, are under severe pressure stemming from continuous economic growth, rising demand for forest and non-timber forest products, and various anthropogenic activities that include agriculture, logging, mining, and hunting.
The region’s forest cover, however, has suffered a significant decline in recent decades, hence, it is categorized as a “deforestation hotspot”, while the neighbouring East and South Asia have marked an overall increase.
Between 2000 and 2020, the region’s forest cover declined by 160,000 square kilometres or at a rate of about 8,000 square kilometres annually while the global rate of deforestation was at 100,000 square kilometres per year in 2015–2020.
Reducing the Rate of Extinction
Overall, the ASEAN is progressing towards the target but at an insufficient rate. The Red List Index for Southeast Asia as of February 2020 shows a continuing and consistent increase in the rate at which the region is losing its biodiversity. Vertebrate extinction risks are highest in Southeast Asia and this is partly fueled by the huge explosion in trade demand for luxury food, medicine, tonics, horns, trophy parts, and captive animals. Many species in the region are bound for extinction soon if this trend is not reversed.
While AMS have worked hard to prevent this, they are faced with enormous challenges— from climate change, human activities and population pressure, poaching and hunting, and the highly organised global wildlife trading and trafficking.
Biodiversity expeditions, species surveys and assessments, and reproduction have been among the approaches AMS have undertaken. They have also implemented various programmes and initiatives such as community-based collaboration, re-introduction, and covert operations to rescue wildlife from trafficking.
Crucial to conservation is identifying, locating, and protecting threatened species. But many species in the region are not yet known to science and may have already gone extinct before they were even discovered and characterised. A key response in the region has been to increase the number of protected areas, however, biodiversity loss is still not effectively addressed. In fact, the rate at which various species are disappearing is increasing such that calls have been made for Southeast Asia to be prioritised in resources and measures to avert mass extinction.
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