It is what provides for our basic needs, and protects us from natural disasters and the prevalence of infectious diseases. Its importance has been affirmed globally, which is why in 1992, a day to celebrate biodiversity was officially proclaimed by the United Nations.
The ASEAN is rich with natural resources, so much so that in the small land area that the region covers, which accounts for just about 3 per cent of the world’s land area, it is where over 25 per cent of all the described species can be found. The citizens of ASEAN depend on this natural wealth for their livelihood, welfare, and well-being.
Love for nature transcends boundaries, languages, and cultural differences. The ASEAN community is one with the world in celebrating this year’s International Day for Biodiversity with a strong commitment to support the fulfilment of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF).
This commitment has been recognised by no less than the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, as the ACB was chosen to be one of the official technical and scientific cooperation (TSC) support centres for Asia, for the implementation of the KM GBF.
This platform was specifically designed to share how the ASEAN region commemorates the IDB through awareness-raising, capacity enhancement, and conservation initiatives at the local, national, and regional levels.
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), established in 2005, is ASEAN’s response to the challenge of biodiversity loss. It is an intergovernmental organisation that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the ten ASEAN Member States (AMS) and with regional and international organisations on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures.
Known as one of the world’s leading promotional banks, the KfW is committed to improving the social and economic living conditions of people around the world, while promoting environmental and ecological sustainability. On behalf of the Federal Government of Germany and the federal states, the KfW provides financial support to governments, public enterprises, and commercial banks in developing countries.
The Federal Government of Germany, through the KfW Development Bank or KfW, has provided support to implement the Small Grants Programme by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity II (SGP II). Under the SGP II, small and microgrant projects focused on biodiversity conservation, livelihood development, and sustainable use of natural resources in the four ASEAN Heritage Parks of Viet Nam—Ba Be National Park, Chu Mom Ray National Park, Hoang Lien National Park, and Kon Ka Kinh National Park—were supported with an overall amount of EUR 6.39 million.
The main objective of the SGP II is biodiversity conservation and management of natural resources in line with the basic needs of the people of ASEAN by strengthening the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.
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