MANILA (ASEAN Features) -- Is there time to rescue Southeast Asia's     endangered biodiversity?

    The region's biodiversity, defined as "all the living parts of the environment,” is one of the richest natural resources in the world.

    Of the world's 17 mega-diversity countries, three are found in Southeast Asia, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

    The world's remaining 17 mega-biodiversities are priceless heritage. Two-thirds of the earth's biological resources come from these 17 mega-diversity countries.

     Indonesia is the world's third top mega-diversity country and contains more than 15 percent of all vertebrate species. On plant diversity, this country ranks second in the world, with 37,000 species. It ranks second in the world in mammal diversity (515 species) and similarly in mammal endemism (185 species). Indonesia has also the world's greatest marine diversity, and rivals Brazil for the single richest country on earth in terms of biological diversity.

    Malaysia is the world's 14th ranking mega-diversity country; and the Philippines is the 17th.

    Overall, the ASEAN region has unique and highly diverse natural resources. The ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Cooperation (ARCBC) has reported that out of 2,371 birds recorded within ASEAN member countries, about 1,067 (67%) are endemic (found only in the region).                                    

    To the ASEAN members -- and the rest of the world -- biodiversity is important economically, socially, and in terms of essential ecosystems services.

    To give one an idea how valuable biodiversity is, experts have estimated that more than 40% of the world's economy and 80% of the needs of the world's poor are taken from biodiversity.

    But man's dependence on the bounty of natural resources has its downside. This dependence has brought on three problems identified by the ARCBC: conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

    Can ASEAN slow down, if not halt, the destruction of the region's biodiversity? At the rate of destruction of the region's natural resources, -- both caused by man and natural causes -- the job is not easy. And time is not on the side of ASEAN.

    Consider this:  Of the world's 25 recognized biodiversity "hotspots" (or biologically rich areas under greatest threat of destruction) seven are found in ASEAN.

    Consider also: It is not known any more how many species of plants have already become extinct in the ASEAN region. 1,917 or 2.2 % have been identified as being at risk of extinction.

    The Philippine rainforests have the highest levels of endemism (species found nowhere else in the world), but according to recent estimates, the percentage of threatened plant species is highest in the Philippines.

    For more than a decade now, ASEAN has been fighting hard to save the region's biological resources, covering the full range of ecosystems, their component species and the genetic varieties of those species.

    The job, which actually began in the late 1970s, is daunting -- even with the present combined efforts and resources of the 10 states comprising the regional grouping: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

    The main culprit is man himself. "With about 500 million people living in Southeast Asia who consistently obtain food, clothing, shelter, medicines, recreation and livelihood from the environment, the job of conserving biodiversity has become almost impossible," says the ARCBC.

    While very rich in biological and genetic resources, the region's biodiversity is the most seriously threatened in the planet.

    What is the scoreboard in the ASEAN efforts in biodiversity conservation?

First and Latest Initiatives

    The original ASEAN group of five made its first initiative on environmental cooperation in 1971. In the ASEAN Subregional Environment Program of 1981, the group set up the framework for regional cooperation in terms of priorities and specific projects.

    Then, at the ASEAN Summit Meeting of 1992 in Singapore, the ASEAN member countries fully recognized the link between environmental issues and sustainable development.  "ASEAN pledges to play an active part in protecting the environment by continuing to cooperate by promoting the principle of sustainable development and integrating it into all aspects of development," the leaders declared.

    The 1998 forest fires and transboundary haze became a milestone of sort in ASEAN's fight against environmental degradation. The haze prompted the leaders to declare at the Sixth ASEAN Summit in Viet Nam: "So as to ensure the sustainability of our nations' development, the protection of the environment shall be an essential part of our economic activities."

    As a result, a strategic plan of action evolved with 15 major objectives:

-        Carry out the ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution with emphasis on the regional haze action plan.

-         Strengthen the ASEAN specialized Meteorological Center with emphasis on its ability to monitor forest and land fires and provide early warning of transboundary haze.

-        Establish the ASEAN Regional Research and Training Center for Land and Forest Fire Management by the year 2004.

-        Strengthen the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC) by setting up networks of relevant institutions and carry out collaborative training and research.

-           Promote regional coordination to protect the ASEAN Heritage Parks and reserves.

-           Develop a regional framework for the integrated protection and management of coastal zones by the year 2001.

-           Strengthen institutional and legal capacities and other international agreements.

-           Harmonize the environmental databases of member countries.

-           Carry out regional water conservation.

-            Draw up an ASEAN protocol on access to genetic resource by the year 2004.

-            Develop a regional action plan for the protection of the marine environment from land-based and sea-based activities.

-            Carry out the framework to achieve the long-term environmental goals for ambient air and river water qualities for ASEAN countries.

-            Enhance regional efforts in dealing with climatic change.

-            Enhance public information and awareness of, and participation in, issues on environment and sustainable development.

    On biodiversity conservation, ASEAN has made some headway. ARCBC has taken steps to ensure protection of individual species, their populations and their habitats. An important approach is setting aside predominantly natural areas for the purpose of conservation. These are called "protected areas".

    There are more than 1,000 protected areas all over ASEAN covering nearly 41.8 million hectares (418,000 sq. km) or 9.5% of the total land area of the ASEAN member countries.

    ASEAN member countries are also active participants as signatories or contracting parties in various international conventions aimed at conserving natural areas of worldwide significance.

    On haze control, ASEAN recently scored a major accomplishment. Last July, the ASEAN environment ministers signed in Kuala Lumpur a landmark agreement on transboundary haze pollution, committing member-states to cooperate in controlling sources of land and forest fires, establishing early warning systems and exchanging information and technology.

    Through the years, ASEAN has acted positively on environmental and biodiversity problem. Solutions will take time. But ASEAN is now better prepared to cope with the regional environmental and developmental problems. (ASEAN Features) JV/JMR

* Iluminado Varela, Jr is an independent writer commissioned by the ASEAN Secretariat