|
 Uniting
with the world to combat climate change
Press Statement from Rodrigo U. Fuentes,
Executive Director, ACB
on the occasion of World Environment Day – 05
June 2009
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), our
partners at the European Commission, and our
stakeholders in the 10 ASEAN Member States, join
the rest of the world in celebrating World
Environment Day 2009.
This year’s theme is “Your Planet Needs You!
Unite to Combat Climate Change.” The topic is
particularly important and timely for us as it
comes in the heels of a study released by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in April 2009,
reiterating that Southeast Asia faces a bleak
future if governments do not act quickly to
address climate change.
Entitled “The Economics of Climate Change in
Southeast Asia: A Regional Review,” the study
found that Southeast Asia will be hit hard by
climate change, causing the region’s
agriculture-dependent economies to contract by
as much as 6.7 percent annually by the end of
the century. It also identified Indonesia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam
as the most vulnerable countries.
With 80 percent of the region’s over 560 million
people living within 100 kilometers of the
coastline, we do have cause for concern. As the
ADB report highlighted, the sea level is rising
one to three millimeters annually, and average
temperature rose 0.1 to 0.3 degrees Celsius
between 1951 and 2000. Already, Southeast Asia
is experiencing the impacts of climate change.
It devastated by a spate of typhoons, floods,
cyclones, heat waves, drought, and other
calamities brought about by extreme weather
conditions in recent years. Such weather has
resulted in water shortages, poor agricultural
production, forest fires and coastal
degradation, which then create negative impacts
on food security and human health.
With Southeast Asia cradling 20 percent of the
world’s total known plant and animal species,
the loss of its natural treasures due to climate
change will also have a significant impact on
the entire global sustainability.
There is ample evidence that climate change
affects biodiversity. According to the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, climate change
is likely to become the dominant direct driver
of biodiversity loss by the end of the century.
Climate change is already forcing biodiversity
to adapt either through shifting habitat, or
changing life cycles. We stand to lose
thousands of species.
The loss of biodiversity will have far-reaching
impacts on all of us – food insecurity, loss of
livelihood, poverty. In many parts of the
globe, these are already grim realities.
There is an inextricable connection between
climate change and biodiversity. While climate
change is a driver of biodiversity loss, the
deterioration of habitats and loss of
biodiversity also worsen climate change.
Deforestation, for example, is currently
estimated to be 20 percent of all human-induced
CO2 emissions.
If no action is done to combat climate change,
the peoples of the ASEAN region stand to lose a
great deal. Dire consequences in all sectors
could seriously hinder Southeast Asia’s
sustainable development and poverty reduction
efforts.
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity encourages all
citizens of the ASEAN region to take part in
efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate
change. Fighting global warming and its impacts
is a shared responsibility among all of us who
stand to lose so much – our planet and its
various natural treasures that sustain our very
existence. There are practical actions we can
take:
-
Plant trees. This will increase the size of
existing carbon pools to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
-
Promote farmer-centered participatory
approaches and indigenous knowledge and
technologies toward cycling and use of organic
materials in low-input farming systems.
-
Recycle.
-
Save on energy.
-
Save on paper.
-
Save on fuel.
-
Promote biodiversity conservation.
We call on citizens in the ASEAN region to
contribute their share in this battle against
climate change. Your planet needs you! Let us
all unite to combat climate change.
Back to top
ASEAN workshop promotes payment
for ecosystem
services as tool to boost economy and reduce
poverty
 Over
100 decision makers, private sector
representatives, and development workers from
Southeast Asia and China converged in Bangkok
from 29 June to 1 July for the South-East Asia
Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES).
Organized by ACB, the USAID-Asian Regional
Biodiversity Conservation Program (USAID-ARBCP),
Asian Development Bank-Environment Operations
Centre (ADB-EOC), and the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP), the workshop discussed the
development and application of PES as a policy
tool for economic development and poverty
reduction.
The workshop was opened by ACB Executive
Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes, represented by ACB
Director for Programme Development and
Implementation Clarissa Arida; Winston Bowman,
Regional Environment Director of USAID in Asia;
Masakazu Ichimura, Chief of the Environment and
Development Policy Section of UN ESCAP; Pravit
Ramachandran, Environmental Specialist of the
Asian Development Bank; and Samuel Cantell,
First Secretary of the European Commission
Delegation to Thailand.
The workshop provided a venue for stakeholders
involved in PES-related capacity building
initiatives to share their experiences in
developing sustainable finance, legal, and
policy-enabling mechanisms that will secure and
support national and regional economic
development targets in the ASEAN region and in
the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Also known as payment for environmental
services, PES is a scheme where beneficiaries of
ecosystem services pay back the providers of
such services. Vital ecosystems processes, along
with raw materials, are provided by the natural
world for the use of humankind. The development
of markets through which these processes or
services may be bought and sold represents a
market-based policy approach to conservation.
The ecosystem services can range from watershed
protection, forest conservation, biodiversity
conservation, carbon sequestration, landscape
beauty in support of ecotourism, and may be
present at any scale, from local to national,
regional, or international.
The PES workshop in Bangkok is the first in a
series of workshops that seeks to identify more
specific capacity-building needs for supporting
PES enabling policy at the national level, and
facilitate and mobilize regional institutions to
support countries in addressing these needs.
Back to top
ASEAN workshop strengthen
sharing of biodiversity information
 Strong
biodiversity
information networks to enable ASEAN
Member States to share data on flora, fauna and
other species are crucial components of
conservation efforts.
To lay the groundwork for these networks, ACB
conducted a Regional Technical
Workshop on the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM)
Enhancement: Networking and
Collaboration Tools from 30 June
to 03 July 2009 in
Bogor, Indonesia. The four-day workshop,
in collaboration with the Southeast Asian
Regional Centre for Tropical Biology (SEAMEO
BIOTROP), and
Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry and
Ministry of Environment, was attended by
managers of biodiversity database units, CHM web
administrators, and
information technology staff of ASEAN
Member States.
The
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
mandates its parties to establish CHM, a
platform designed to enable sharing and
harmonization of biodiversity information among
member countries. The basic components of a
national CHM include a
National Focal Point, a stakeholder’s
network, and a website. The CHM is also a useful
tool for countries to meet environmental
reporting requirements of
multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).
ACB is promoting the use of CHM, both as a tool
to share biodiversity information, and as an aid
to effectively implement the national
biodiversity strategies and action plans of each
country.
Back to top
ASEAN biodiversity expert is 2009 outstanding
Filipino forester
The executive director of ACB was chosen 2009
Outstanding Professional in the field of
Forestry by the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC).
Forester and biodiversity expert Rodrigo U.
Fuentes received the Outstanding Professional
Year Award on 19 June 2009 during the PRC Awards
Night after showing exemplary performance in his
field. The award is the highest honor bestowed
by PRC upon a professional as recommended by his
or her peers and colleagues for having amply
demonstrated professional competence of the
highest degree. PRC also recognized Fuentes for
contributing significantly to the advancement of
the profession. Back to top
ACB and UNESCO-Jakarta partner to popularize
biodiversity conservation
 ACB
has partnered with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in Jakarta to popularize
biodiversity conservation through the first
ASEAN-wide photo contest “Zooming in on
Biodiversity.” The two international
organizations will join hands to promote the
contest within their respective networks.
“We are honored to work with an organization
like UNESCO-Jakarta which covers issues on
education, culture, social and human sciences,
communication and information and natural
sciences in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste,”
said Mr. Rodrigo U. Fuentes, executive director
of the European Union-funded ACB.
“We are very pleased to work with ACB on this
interesting and important endeavor. The power of
the image can transcend many limitations – of
words, concepts, and physical barriers - and
bring people together to learn about and
appreciate the interconnectedness between humans
and the rest of the environment. We hope to
work with ACB on other innovative efforts to
promote biodiversity conservation in the
future,” said Dr. Robert Lee, Deputy Director,
UNESCO Office, Jakarta and head of Environmental
Sciences for UNESCO’s Regional Science Bureau
for Asia & the Pacific.
The European Commission (EC), ASEAN Member
States, and the Asian Institute of Journalism
and Communication (AIJC) are also partners in
the photo contest.
“Zooming in on Biodiversity,” which will run
until 30 August 2009, was organized to promote a
greater awareness on the values of biodiversity
through the medium of photography.
For contest details and mechanics, log on to
www.aseanbiodiversity.org.
Back to top
ACB participates in Asia-Europe
Environment Forum
on biodiversity and ecosystem services
Executive Director Rodrigo Fuentes participated
in the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum)
7th Roundtable: Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services in Hayama, Japan on 27-30 June 2009.
The forum facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogue
from both Asia and Europe, and provided useful
inputs to relevant policy processes in the
domain of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Among the topics discussed were the impact of
climate change and human activity on key
ecosystems in Asia and Europe; conserving
ecosystem services for promoting environmental
integrity and human well-being; potentials and
challenges of voluntary payment schemes for
ecosystem services; and strategies for valuing
biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Back to top
ACB participates in 19th AWGNCB meeting
Environment officials from Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and
ACB attended the 19th meeting of the ASEAN
Working Group on Nature Conservation and
Biodiversity (AWGNCB) on 15-17 June 2009 in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
Among the topics discussed were the draft ASEAN
Framework Agreement on Access to, and Fair and
Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from the
Utilization of Biological and Genetic Resources;
the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme; the ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Blueprint; the Heart of Borneo
Initiative; and the Fourth ASEAN State of the
Environment Report.
ACB Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes and
Policy and Programme Development Specialist Dr.
Filiberto Pollisco, Jr. represented the Centre
and presented the progress of various ACB
projects.
In the meeting, Ms. Sirikul Bunpapong, the
Director of Biological Diversity
Division,Thailand congratulated Myanmar as the
sixth country to ratify the Establishment
Agreement of ACB. She stressed that the
ratification will enhance ACB’s role in
promoting biodiversity conservation and
management.
Back to top
ASEAN prepares 4th State of Environment Report
 The ASEAN Secretariat hosted the meeting of the
Task Force for the Fourth ASEAN State of the
Environment Report (SOER4) on 18-19 June 2009.
Senior representatives from Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam
and ACB participated in the meeting which
discussed the draft content of the report.
SOER4 will be launched at the 11th ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) in
October 2009 in Singapore.
Published periodically every three years, the
State of the Environment Report highlights the
status of the region’s various ecosystems and
how the region is responding to the various
challenges that these ecosystems face.
Back to top
Biodiversity Loss: The Forgotten Crisis"
featured
in Philippine radio station DZRH
 The
four Fs -- food, feed, fuel, finance -- are the
most recent major crises that have affected the
Philippines and the ASEAN region, On top of them
is the health crisis caused by the AH1N1 virus.
Thus, it is not surprising that one major crisis
that affects the Philippines and planet earth —
biodiversity loss — receives little attention.
Biodiversity loss, due to environmental
pollution, introduction of invasive foreign
species, and other man-made actions and climate
change, is directly linked to the other crises
mentioned above. But how many people, especially
leaders, see that connection?
The issue of biodiversity loss was featured in Kalikasan,
Kaunlaran! on June 24, 2009, Wednesday,
6:30-7:30 PM, at DZRH-AM radio (666 in Metro
Manila, other kHz nationwide), TV (Ch. 9 in
Metro Manila, other cable TV channels
nationwide), and Internet (http://dzrh.tripod.com or
http://dzrh.prepys.com).
Guests were top officials of ACB: Executive
Director Rodrigo Fuentes, Policy and Programme
Development Specialist Dr. Filiberto Pollisco,
Jr., and Public Affairs Heas Rolando Inciong. Dr.
Cora Claudio,President, Earth Institute Asia,
moderated the discussion.
Some of the points discussed were the values of
biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, effects
of biodiversity loss to human survival,
biodiversity and the financial/economic and
other crises, and the need for leadership and
public awareness of the values of biodiversity.
Back to top
ACB workshop proceedings now on website
 Be
updated with the outcomes of various workshops
conducted by ACB in Southeast Asia. Log on to
www.aseanbiodiversity.org and visit the
Publications Section.
Among the latest available proceedings are:
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Regional Workshop on Recreation, Tourism and
Ecotourism (17–21 March 2008, Gunung Ledang,
Johor, Malaysia)
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Workshop on Risk Assessment of GMOs and LMOs
and Enforcement of Biosafety Regulation
(22-24 June 2008, Siem Reap, Kingdom of
Cambodia)
-
Study Tour in Recreation and Ecotourism Sites
and Some Selected Protected Areas in Malaysia
and Singapore (22-28 March 2008, Malaysia and
Singapore)
Back to top
ASEAN Heritage Parks Series
Nam Ha National Protected Area
The Nam Ha National Protected Area was
established in 1993 with the introduction of the
Lao PDR protected area system. Located in Luang
Namtha province in northern Lao PDR, the
national park spans five districts and covers
222,400 hectares. It is situated in the extreme
northwest of the country in Luang Namtha
Province and stretches as far as the Chinese
border.
Nam Ha’s evergreen and broadleaf forests harbor
288 species of birds and at least 38 species of
mammals. In a biological prioritization of the
country’s 20 protected areas, Nam Ha ranked
third for birds and fifth for large mammals in a
national species analysis. Overall, Nam Ha
ranked third in the national management priority
index based on biodiversity and watershed
values,
ecotourism potential, and the level of
pressure on the site. Nam Ha also harbors the
endangered Asian elephant, four large cat
species of which the tiger and clouded leopard
are listed as globally threatened, sun bear and
Asiatic black bear, and six ungulate species
including the vulnerable gaur and southern serow.
 The area is also an extremely important
watershed area, as the Nam Tha watershed is the
first major tributary of the Mekong River after
it enters Lao PDR. The watershed supports
agricultural production and electricity
generation along the Luang Namtha plain.
Habitats
Nam Ha contains a mosaic of tropical and
subtropical forest types including evergreen
gallery forests, semi-evergreen forest,
subtropical Castanopsis forest, submontane
forest on the higher peaks (up to 3,094 m), and
limestone forest on the karst portions. There
are caves and freshwater streams, and secondary
scrub and village lands.
Wildlife
Nam Ha cradles a wealth of plants, birds,
mammals and insects. It contains about 2,000
plants including a wide range that are used by
local people for medicine and other uses. Most
valuable are the Aquilaria trees whose red
infected heart is so prized for making incense.
Bird species include the spectacular great
hornbill, green peacock, silver pheasant, fairy
pitta, red jungle fowl, and grey peacock
pheasant that live on the forest floor. The
forest hums to the rhythmic calls of the great
barbet and blue-faced barbet or the loud calls
of the Indian cuckoo. Lesser raquettailed drongo
also have melodious calls, but the best songster
in the forest is the white-rumped shama. Flocks
of doves and pigeons scour the canopy for
fruiting fig trees; serpent eagles circle in the
sky over the forest giving eerie cries.
The hills are the home of troops of northern
pigtail and rhesus macaques. The wilder valleys
still contain families of white-cheeked crested
gibbon.
Great flocks of butterflies gather around pools
or the places where an animal has urinated.
Swordtail swallowtails, Graphium and Papilio
species, the Indian purple emperor and the
amazing leaf butterfly Kallima sp. are common.
Large black and yellow birdswing butterflies (Troides
sp.) sail over the canopy or hover around the
Aristolochia vines laying eggs.
 Threats
Major threats are agricultural encroachment,
illegal logging and hunting. While hunting for
elephant and tiger has the biggest impacts on
those species, more widespread is the hunting
for gaur and deer for food. Even monkeys and
gibbons are not safe from the hunters’ muskets
and traps. There is also an increasing harvest
of non-timber forest products, primarily
cardamom, rattan, bamboo, jewel orchid,
eaglewood, and ginger, which are used for food
and sold. Other problems are slash and burn
agriculture, forest fires and the grazing of
buffalos inside Nam Ha.
Conservation Programmes
The Lao government is establishing the site as a
conservation area. Collaboration efforts have
already been initiated with authorities to
create a transfrontier reserve with the Shang
Yang section of Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve in
China. Other activities included the training of
a National Protected Area Unit to implement
resource management, enforcement and
conservation education. Research and monitoring
was also planned in 1999 to determine the
effectiveness of management activities in
reducing threats and sustaining species.
The UNESCO Nam Ha Ecotourism Project is mounting
a programme to educate, provide alternative
livelihood, and raise the living standards of
the local minorities around the protected area.
Another project is the Nam Ha National Protected
Area Wildlife and NTFP Management Project
(October 2005-September 2008) of the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS). The project stems
from the understanding that forests form the
economic base for rural communities by providing
food, fuel, medicine, and construction
materials. A significant portion of subsistence
needs and income come from Non-Timber Forest
Products (NTFP). The World Conservation Society
(WCS) is working in collaboration with the
Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA),
which is currently operating in seven villages
on the outskirts of the Nam Ha NPA as part of
the Asian Development Bank’s Northern Economic
Corridor project. Although ADRA’s primary focus
is integrated rural development, it has sought
WCS assistance in natural resource management.
Together, ADRA and WCS hope to create a more
sustainable way of life for villagers near the
Nam Ha national protected area. The project will
incorporate village-based surveys of the
abundance of NTFP and wildlife in the forest,
the development of village rules to manage the
harvest of these resources, and the development
of a monitoring system of NTFP and wildlife
harvesting.
Activities and Other Interests
Ecotourism activities available in Nam Ha
include trekking, river rafting, camping,
kayaking, bird watching, and mountain bike
tours. Visitors can also have a taste of the
local culture while availing of home stays in
local villages.
Several minority groups, including Tay, Kmu,
Hmong, Akha, Lontaen and minority Kinh live
around the park, each with its own distinct
culture and colorful costumes. Most are still
highly dependent on forest and NTFPs, and live
relatively traditional lifestyles. These tribes
have a strong tradition in herbal medicine. The
Tay are Buddhists and have small temples which
are also used as school for boys. The local
people love to eat a variety of insects and some
new dishes are available for visitors.
With its spectacular views, caves, and
waterfalls, Nam Ha has been identified by the
National Tourism Authority of Lao PDR as having
high potential for both culture and nature
tourism. A pilot project for an eco-trekking
trail is planned for Nam Ha West, which is
supported by a larger Luang Namtha province
ecotourism project. Boating in the Namtha river
and hiking in the hills are currently being
developed. Back to top
CONSERVATION NEWS SOUTHEAST ASIA
FOREST BIODIVERSITY
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 means 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
(http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2165)
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 wood and soil. Peat forests can release
more than 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide per
heactare when drained and burned as well as
large amounts of methane, a far more powerful
greenhouse gas than CO2. The programme is one of the first 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 very causes of deforestation, such as
subsistence farming, logging or other uses of
the forests, and focus on economic development
opportunities to address them.
–
Planet Ark
(http://www.planetark.com/enviro-news/item/53432)
protected areas
Timor seeks help to protect
whale, dolphin hotspot
June 25
–
The government of Timor Leste
announced it plans to establish a
national park to protect a bounty of dolphins
and whales. Timor Leste
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 sea whales, as
well as spinner and spotted dolphins along the
island's northern and southern coasts. This
prompted vows from the Timorese leadership to
declare the area a protected national park and
develop it for ecotourism.
–
Associated Press
(http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIkKEzCp34bNlVyP0J0C9F4CtMEQD991HQAO0)
ENDANGEREd SPECIES
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 first time that National Red Lists have been
centralized,
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
(http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1708772/conserving_threatened_species_is_only_a_click_away/)
 Mekong
dolphins on the brink of extinction
June 18
–
The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella
brevirostris) population inhabits a 190km
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 identified a bacterial disease 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
(http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?uNewsID=167001)
First study on rare egg-laying
mammals
 June 10
–
A study by the
Wildlife Conservation Society, recently
published in the Journal of Mammalogy,
chronicles the behaviors of the long-beaked
echidna (also called the spiny anteater), the
first mammal to lay eggs. The long-beaked
echidna is widespread in the montane forests of
New Guinea and finds 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 considered to be a
highly prized game animal. Limited 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 five days to nurse the hatchling. The baby
is weaned in seven months.
–
ENN
(http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/40050)
BUSINESS BIODIVERSITY
Biofuel does well in flight 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 flight. 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. The algae oil was
provided by Sapphire Energy and the jatropha oil
was provided by Terasol Energy.
–
Reuters
(http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE55G4Z420090617?feedType=RSS&feedName
=environmentNews)
Forest conservation in Indonesia
could be as profitable 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
profitable. 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 profitable 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
(http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/40022)
Back to top
About ACB
The ASEAN Centre
for Biodiversity
(ACB) is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence
that facilitates
cooperation and
coordination
among the
members of
ASEAN, and with
relevant
governments and
organizations on
the conservation
and sustainable
use of
biological
diversity.
Protecting
Southeast Asia’s
rich but highly
threatened web
of life is its
main goal.
Vision
Biodiversity is protected, conserved, managed
and sustainably used, and its benefits are
fairly and equitably shared for the social,
economic and environmental well-being of ASEAN
Member States.
Mission
ACB champions biodiversity conservation in the
region and enhances its global standing as a
center of excellence for biodiversity
conservation.
Components
1.
Programme development and policy coordination
2.
Human and institutional capacity development
3.
Biodiversity information management
4.
Public and leadership awareness of biodiversity
values
5.
Sustainable financing mechanism.
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Contact Us
Public Affairs
Unit
ACB
Headquarterss
3/F ERDB
Building
Forestry Campus
College, Laguna
4031
Philippines
Tels:
+6349-5362865
+6349-5361739
Website:
www.aseanbiodiversity.org
General Inquiry:
contact.us@aseanbiodiversity.org
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