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International Day for Biological Diversity 2012
 From
mangrove swamps to the darkest depths of the
ocean, the marine and coastal ecosystems support
an overwhelming array of plants and animals
which are crucial to the survival of humanity.
This rich tapestry of life was highlighted on
May 22 as the world celebrated the International
Day for Biological Diversity. The United Nations
proclaimed May 22 of each year as the
International Day for Biological Diversity to
increase understanding and awareness of
biodiversity issues. For 2012, the theme is
Marine and Coastal Biodiversity.
“The survival of marine and coastal ecosystems
and biodiversity is essential to the
nutritional, spiritual, societal and religious
well-being of many coastal communities. But even
for the many millions of people who may not
think that they have any strong reliance on the
ocean, marine ecosystems and wildlife provide
all kinds of benefits,” said Mr. Braulio
Ferreira de Souza Dias, executive secretary of
the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The territory occupied by the 10 ASEAN Member
States houses a third of the world’s coral
reefs, mangroves and seagrass areas. The region
is home to 30 percent of coral reefs, 35 percent
of mangroves, and at least 33 percent of all
seagrass environs on earth, according to the
ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook published by the
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in 2010.
Nine out of ten ASEAN Member States are endowed
with extensive coastlines, providing an
aggregate total of some 173,000 kilometers of
shore.
Marine and coastal ecosystems support the
highest biodiversity of coastal and marine fauna
and flora in the planet. An estimated 600
Southeast Asians depend directly on these
resources for food and income, which also forms
the economic base for the fishing and tourism
industries of the region,” said Mr. Rodrigo U.
Fuentes, executive director of ACB.
“Unfortunately,” Fuentes added, “the challenges
facing these riches are unprecedented. Marine
biodiversity is under serious threat.” Although
Southeast Asia hosts the largest coral reef
areas in the world, it also has the highest rate
of loss, which today stands at 40 percent.
Uncontrolled human population growth has been
one of the major factors of pressure build-up in
coastal areas in the last 40 years. There is
urgency in taking action that will better
protect these ecosystems,” Fuentes underscored.
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Media and multi-sector group support marine
biodiversity conservation
 Some
100 representatives of the business community,
media, people’s organizations, local government
units and international organizations trekked to
Ang Pulo Mangroves in Calatagan, Batangas,
Philippines on May 15 for a media forum and
mangrove planting activity. The multi-sector
event dubbed “Conserve Marine Biodiversity,
Conserve Life” was part of the celebration of
the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB)
2012 and the Philippines’ National Oceans
Month.
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), GIZ
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit), Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc.
(NMPI), the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife
Bureau, the Batangas Government Provincial
Environment and Natural Resources Office, the
Provincial Government of Batangas, the Municipal
Government of Calagatan, and Pilipinas Shell
Petroleum Corporation led the planting of 200
mangrove propagules at Ang Pulo.
“NMPI believes that as a corporate citizen, it
plays an important role to communicate and
cooperate actively with the communities. NMPI
has formed various partnerships with
international organizations, citizens groups and
government agencies to effectively promote
real-world reductions in environmental impact,”
NMPI President and CEO Allen Chen said. “Through
this event, we hope were able to go the extra
mile in preserving biodiversity to complement
our environment philosophy of achieving a
symbiosis of people, vehicles and nature.”
Journalists from Brunei, Philippines and
Thailand participated in the media forum at the
mangrove site to highlight the importance of
conserving marine habitats and species. Experts
from the participating organizations briefed
media representatives on the status of mangroves
and marine biodiversity in the Philippines and
the ASEAN region. The impact of climate change
on marine biodiversity, as well as actions of
people’s organizations to conserve mangroves,
was also discussed.
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IDB 2012: business sector leads tree planting
 On
May 26, around 200 officers and employees of
Belle Corporation, Highlands Prime, Tagaytay
Highlands, ACB and GIZ, as well as media
representatives, planted 1,800 fruit bearing
trees at the Bird Sanctuary in Tagaytay
Highlands, Philippines.
The multi-sector event dubbed “One Tree at a
Time” was part of the celebration of the
International Day for Biodiversity and the
United Nations Decade on Biodiversity
(2011-2020), a global celebration that seeks to
promote the involvement of a variety of national
and intergovernmental actors and other
stakeholders in the goal of mainstreaming
biodiversity into broader development planning
and economic activities.
The annual “One Tree at a Time” of Tagaytay
Highlands started in 2010 when ACB partnered
with the leisure destination for its first tree
planting activity. Because of this joint
project, Tagaytay Highlands was recognized by
ACB as a “Friend of Biodiversity”. Since then,
Tagaytay Highlands has maintained its position
as an agent of change on how it sees business
through environmental conservation.
“The third One Tree at a Time coincided with
Tagaytay Highlands’ 18th anniversary
celebration. Planting 1,800 trees is part of our
thanksgiving to Mother Nature. Without trees,
there will be no air to breathe and without air,
there will be no life to live. The trees we
planted will also provide Tagaytay Highlands’
various species of birds and insects a new home.
More importantly, we will pass on an important
legacy to the future generation,” Mr. Willy
Ocier, founder of Tagaytay Highlands, said.
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Managing biodiversity data from local government
 Local
governments around the world have a new tool to
help share and use vast amounts of biodiversity
knowledge collected in the course of their work.
A best practice guide published by the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability
details the simple steps needed to preserve data
and make them accessible via the Internet.
The guide notes that local governments are
becoming increasingly important as managers and
users of biodiversity assets, with their
responsibilities for environmental management
and planning, regulation of land use, and
supporting implementation of policies and
strategies relating to biodiversity.
The guide, supported by the CBD, describes how
biodiversity data publishing can be incorporated
into planning, policy development and
decision-making processes in local government.
Among the advantages to local governments of
publishing data using the tools outlined in the
guide are:
It enables free and open access to biodiversity
data, essential for biodiversity-inclusive
planning at local level;
It facilitates expansion and improvement of
local, national and global biodiversity
databases leading to more sustainable
decision-making; and
It helps practitioners doing specialist work for
local government to gain recognition by enabling
them to be cited in future uses of data they
collect.
In addition to the full guide giving
comprehensive background and details of GBIF
tools and services, a concise version is
available for local government practitioners.
For further information, please contact: Vishwas
Chavan, GBIF Secretariat,
vchavan@gbif.org
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ESCAP launches low carbon, regional green growth
blueprint
 The
United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has unveiled a
blueprint to help developing countries in the
region sustain economic growth needed to reduce
poverty amidst worsening resource constraints
and climate impacts.
Launched ahead of the United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June
2012, the ESCAP Low Carbon Green Growth
Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific: Turning
Resource Constraints and the Climate Crisis into
Economic Growth Opportunities outlines a
menu of policy options and practical strategies
to convert the crisis of shrinking natural
resources and climate change into a driver of
sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Proposing a five-track path of change with 63
policy options and 51 examples, the Roadmap
calls for a fundamental transformation of the
current economic system by reforming the
“invisible” as well as “visible” structures of
the economy. The former comprise, among others,
market price, lifestyles, regulations and
governance, while the latter encompass the
physical infrastructure of transport, buildings,
urban design, energy, water and waste systems.
According to the Roadmap, it is possible to
sustain higher economic growth by shifting the
tax base from traditional taxes to levies on
resource consumption and pollution without
increasing the aggregate tax burden. Thus, a tax
of $10 per ton of CO2 emission in developing
Asia-Pacific countries, if accompanied with
reductions in other taxes, such as corporate
tax, would help reduce global CO2 emissions by 8
per cent by 2020 while boosting economic growth
by up to 2.8 per cent.
The ESCAP said Asia-Pacific developing countries
must shift towards a resource- and
energy-efficient growth pattern because of
growing resource constraints and climate
impacts. Countries in the region use three times
the resources as the rest of the world to
produce a unit of gross domestic product. The
shift towards low-carbon green growth has to be
jump-started by the government and requires
political will. It also requires international
collaboration and the 2012 United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
offers an exceptional opportunity to forge the
necessary global partnerships. ESCAP News
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Volunteers paint Biodiversity Wall of Nature
 Some
700 volunteers – including representatives of
environmental organizations, universities,
police, army, and neighboring barangays –
trooped to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife
Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
on May 25 to paint the perimeter wall with
various forms of marine life. The mural painting
was part of the celebration of National Oceans
Month. Led by environmental activist and artist
AG Sano, the event was organized by the
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau in
collaboration with Marine Wildlife Watch of the
Philippines, Dolphins Love Freedom, and Save
Philippine Seas.
The design highlights marine biodiversity in the
Philippines and came alive with paintings of
mangroves, dolphins, whale sharks, and turtles.
Another side of the wall features other facets
of Philippine wildlife, including the majestic
Philippine eagle, owls, and other fauna. The
painted wall has been dubbed as the Biodiversity
Wall of Nature.
Many passing motorists slowed down to watch the
volunteers who happily participated in the
activity. The Biodiversity Wall of Nature aims
to increase awareness for the need to protect
the world’s oceans by engaging people from all
walks of life, and by highlighting the country’s
beautiful marine biodiversity.
SBSTTA 16 adopts recommendations on marine and
coastal biodiversity, biodiversity and climate
change
The 16th session of the Subsidiary Body on
Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA
16) to the CBD held in May 2012 adopted 15
recommendations, including two packages of
recommendations on marine and coastal
biodiversity, and biodiversity and climate
change.
The recommendations on marine and coastal
biodiversity cover ecologically and biologically
significant marine areas (EBSAs); sustainable
fisheries and adverse impacts of human
activities on the marine environment; and marine
spatial planning and voluntary guidelines for
the consideration of biodiversity in
environmental assessments in marine areas.
The recommendation on EBSAs includes criteria
for the description and prioritization of EBSAs,
including lists and maps of suggested EBSAs
developed in a series of regional workshops.
While delegates generally felt that the progress
on EBSA criteria and the guidelines for
assessments together constituted an important
milestone in the protection of marine
biodiversity, they could not agree to recommend
that the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP)
should endorse the use of the criteria or the
guidelines in areas beyond national
jurisdiction.
A second package of recommendations was adopted
on biodiversity and climate change, namely on
biodiversity safeguards, indicators and
mechanisms to monitor impacts of REDD+;
integration of biodiversity considerations into
activities related to climate change; and
impacts of geo-engineering on biodiversity and
gaps in regulatory mechanisms. The
recommendations will be forwarded to CBD COP11
to be held from 8-19 October 2012, in Hyderabad,
India. SBSTTA 16 Website/IISD RS Meeting
Coverage
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World Migratory Bird Day 2012
 World
Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is celebrated each
year on the second weekend of May, and provides
an opportunity for birding enthusiasts and
environmentalists to celebrate, protect and
raise awareness for migratory birds and their
habitats. Migratory birds can cross the entire
globe during their journeys, ignoring national
borders and connecting the world with their
migration routes.
The theme for WMBD 2012 is “Migratory Birds and
People - Together through Time” to stress the
indispensable relationship between birds and
people. There is a clear cultural, social,
historic, economic and spiritual connection
between birds and people, implying an intricate
relationship that connects on many different
levels. Migratory birds figure prominently in
traditions, art, literature, and legends of
various cultures. Many communities rely
economically on migratory birds, for instance
through a growing ecotourism and birdwatching
industry. Bird migration is a crucial indicator
of biodiversity, ecosystem health, changing
seasons and climate change. Migratory birds also
provide essential ecological benefits and
services, such as pollination, to the ecosystems
we rely on to survive.
Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Executive Director of ACB,
said irresponsible human activities are major
threats to the survival of migratory birds.
“Habitat destruction, unsustainable hunting,
fisheries by-catch and pollution threaten
migratory birds. Tall buildings, power lines and
wind turbines also serve as barriers to bird
migration and endanger the journeys of migratory
birds.”
WMBD is organized by the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory
Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) – two international
wildlife treaties administered by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). For more
information on migratory birds, log on to
www.cms.int.
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 World
Bank releases study on illegal logging
A World Bank study, entitled “Justice for
Forests: Improving Criminal Justice Efforts to
Combat Illegal Logging,” reviews law
enforcement tactics to prevent corruption and
prosecute criminal organizations dealing in
“dirty money” from illegal logging. The study
said illegal logging is controlled by organized
crime, accounts in some countries for up to 90
percent of all logging, and involves “dirty
money” that is untaxed and used to pay off
corrupt government officials.
The World Bank study, which discusses policy and
operational strategies to combat corruption,
aims to inform policy makers and forestry and
law enforcement actors how they can use the
criminal justice system in fighting illegal
logging. The study underscores that illegal
logging has "enormous environmental and societal
costs," as it leads to biodiversity loss,
increases carbon emissions, causes landslides,
and undermines the resource-based livelihoods of
rural peoples. WB News
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ACB trains Thailand on biodiversity information
management
Twenty government and NGO staff involved in
biodiversity information management in Thailand
underwent a two-day training on Data
Organization and Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM)
Enhancement and Maintenance. Conducted by the
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and held at
the Kasetsart University in Bangkok on May
10-11, the training was part of Thailand’s
efforts to meet its obligations to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in the
area of information management.
Target 19 of the new Biodiversity Strategic Plan
under the CBD provides for Parties to take
necessary actions such that by 2020, knowledge,
the science base and technologies relating to
biodiversity, its values, functioning, status
and trends, and the consequences of its loss,
are improved, widely shared and transferred,
and applied. To achieve this target, there is a
need to consolidate and make information,
particularly species and protected areas,
interoperable and available to support national,
sub-regional and regional planning and decision
making for sustainable use and conservation of
biodiversity resources.
Dr. Sheila Vergara, Director of ACB’s
Biodiversity Information Management Unit, said
the Bangkok training was part of a series of
workshops focusing on increasing capacities of
ASEAN Member States to manage biodiversity
information, as well as set up and maintain
their national CHMs, an information exchange
platform espoused by the CBD to facilitate
technical cooperation and information sharing at
the national and regional levels.
The training enhanced capacities of Thailand to
digitize species and protected areas (PA)
information; organize species and PA information
into summaries useful for species and ecosystems
management; and map species and habitats based
on available information. It also strengthened
Thailand’s capacity to manage its Clearing-House
Mechanism focusing on the following aspects:
agreement on a new structure for the Thailand
CHM website; agreement on data translation
schedule; and roles, responsibilities for the
implementation of website enhancements.
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 FAO
publishes Yearbook of Forest Products for
2006-2010
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) has published the 64th
issue of its Yearbook of Forest Products. The
publication contains annual data on the
production and trade in forest products from
2006-2010. The yearbook compiles statistical
data, based on country information, on basic
forest products. They include information on
volume of production and volume and value of
trade in forest products. FAO has been compiling
such information since 1947. The book may be
accessed at:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2715m/i2715m00.htm
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 FEATURES
MYANMAR
Popa Mountain Park
Popa Mountain Park is considered the oasis of
the Central Myanmar Dry Zone. It is situated in
Kyauk Pa Daung Township, Mandalay Division and
was established in 1985 by the Ministry of
Forestry to protect local wildlife and its
geomorphologic features. Covering 128 sq km,
Popa Mountain Park contains evergreen, moist
upper deciduous, and pine forest.
The abundant wildlife in the park includes wild
boar, barking deer, feline species, monkeys and
other small mammals. About 150 dusky leaf
monkeys are known to reside in the park. Popa
Mountain Park is also home to 177 recorded bird
species including the hooded treepie, red-billed
blue and black-billed magpies, Jerdon's minivet,
blue-winged pitta, wadge-tailed green pigeon,
white-browed shortwing, white-throated babbler,
and Burmese bushlark.
Popa Mountain Park is a popular destination for
birdwatching and trekking. Aside from viewing
the wildlife, visitors can trek around Mt. Popa,
an extinct volcano with an altitude of 1,518
meters, or ride a horse in the natural forest
around the park. The park can be visited at any
time of the year, and is easy accessible by car
via a one hour drive from Bagan.
Reference:
Birding in Myanmar (http://birding.sstmyanmar.com/popa-mountain-park)
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Balikpapan
Gulf dugongs in danger. The endangered
dugong (Dugong dugon) or seacow, which is
found in the Balikpapan Gulf, East Kalimantan,
Indonesia, is at risk of extinction as its
numbers have continued to decrease due to
industrial expansion. Massive industrial
expansion, including waste and land expansions,
has caused sedimentation in Balikpapan gulf
waters while heavy metals and other pollutants
threaten seaweed, the seacow’s food. Noise
pollution and ship traffic have also affected
the dugong’s habitat. An estimated 1,000 to
10,000 dugongs survive in Indonesian waters
although that number is believed to have
decreased significantly over the past few years.
Dugongs were declared extinct in 1996, but the
Indonesia Rare Aquatic Species spotted dugongs
in 2000 in Balikpapan gulf. The Jakarta
Post/ANN 
Bamboo
preservation enriches lives and the environment.
Over 900 people in eight villages in
Sangthong District are taking part in a United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-supported
scheme turning bamboo, a cheap and plentiful
wood, into high-value products that help
low-income villagers to turn a profit. Villagers
work through the Sangthong Bamboo Traders
Association, which makes household products such
as outdoor furniture, lamps, bamboo baskets,
bags, dining sets, hammocks, and sofas. The
stylish products sell locally in Vientiane and
are even exported overseas. Sangthong is one of
Lao PDR’s poorest districts in a country where
the GDP per capita is about US$1,200. The
project has brought over US$175,000 into the
district and is facilitating a significant rise
in income for farmers. The association trains
members in making high-end bamboo products. It
also provides advice on the best techniques for
cutting bamboo, a process that must be timed
properly to ensure regular regrowth and a
sustainable crop. The project receives support
from the Global Environment Facility Small
Grants Programme and is implemented by UNDP in
partnership with Oxfam Novib, the Netherlands
Development Organisation, and the local
non-profit Gender and Development Group. 
Myanmar
ripe for environmental plunder. Myanmar is
regarded as one of Asia's last bastions of
biodiversity, which is why environmentalists
view the country's steps toward opening its
doors with some fear. As foreign investors begin
pouring in, activists say endemic corruption,
virtually nonexistent environmental laws and a
long-repressed civil society make the country
"ripe for environmental plunder". The
'development invasion' will speed up
environmental destruction and is also likely to
lead to more human rights abuses.
Environmentally, Myanmar is certainly no longer
pristine, but it has been spared some of the
wholesale ravages seen in the economically
booming, more open societies across Asia.
Environmentalists say Myanmar's government has
an abysmal record of protecting its resources,
which are often exploited by enterprises linked
to generals and their cronies. Fortunately,
there are some grounds for optimism. Myanmar has
a conservation tradition, including sound
forestry practices that are lacking in many
surrounding countries, and it appears eager to
seek outside assistance. A number of
international environmental organizations are
already planning to set up operations, some in
partnership with the growing number of local
groups. The Wildlife Conservation Society is
currently the only major organization with a
permanent presence in the country. 3News
Bangkok
swelters, sparks debate on city planning in
Asia. Five months after the worst floods in
half a century, the Thai capital is facing a
heat wave with temperatures at three-decade
highs, stoking debate over chaotic urban
planning that blights many of Southeast Asia's
overcrowded capitals. The daily average high in
Bangkok in April was 40.1 Celsius (104.2
Fahrenheit), prompting warnings from authorities
for residents to be alert for heat-related
ailments. Critics say the heat has been
exacerbated by poor urban planning in the
fast-growing city of 12 million people - from a
thinning of trees by city workers, often to
accommodate electrical power lines, to
heat-trapping building designs and a small
number of parks. Though a tropical city, Bangkok
has fewer trees and green spaces in proportion
to its population than other Asian cities. An
Asian Green City Index of 22 cities released in
2011 by the Economist Intelligence Unit put
Bangkok's green spaces at 3 square meters per
person in the metropolitan area. That is well
below the index average of 39 square meters and
contrasts with Singapore, 1,430 km (890 miles)
to the south, which has 66 square meters.
Authorities hope to bring some order to the city
with a new urban plan that takes effect from May
2013. Reuters