Ao Phang Nga National Park National Ao Phang Nga Photo by by Photo Protected areas (PA) provide a wide range of social, environmental, and economic benefits to people and communities worldwide. Establishment of protected areas is a tried-and- tested approach, which has been particularly applied by indigenous peoples and local communities for centuries, to conserve nature and associated cultural resources. More than instruments for conserving nature, protected areas are vital for responding to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including food and water security, human health and well-being, disaster risk reduction, and climate change. Despite the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of services provided by protected the world. However, these protected areas do areas, ecosystems and the biodiversity that not adequately cover all ecosystems, habitats, underpins them are still being degraded and lost and species important for conservation. While at an unprecedented scale. The total economic 14.6 percent of the Earth’s land surface are value of ecosystem services is estimated at tens declared protected areas, only less than one of trillions of dollars every year, far larger than percent of the world’s marine ecosystems the global gross domestic product. However, are protected. Other biomes, including major the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment freshwater ecosystems and grasslands, are estimates that 60 percent of these services are poorly represented since these ecosystem being degraded or used unsustainably with up types are usually accounted as part of terrestrial to 70 percent of global ecosystems’ regulating protected areas. This highlights the urgent need services (affecting floods, climate, water quality, to improve coverage and representativeness and others) and cultural services (including of protected areas nationally, regionally, and recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits) globally. currently in decline. Protected areas in the ASEAN Region Knowledge on how protected areas directly and indirectly contribute to biodiversity According to the World Database on Protected conservation is relatively new to many. There Areas (2015), the ASEAN region has 2,587 are approximately 200,000 protected areas in protected areas covering 803,955 sq km. This 168 ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook 2 figure encompasses 13 percent of the land area Indonesia has the greatest number of protected and 2 percent of the marine area of ASEAN. areas among the ASEAN Member States. Table 16. Protected Areas in ASEAN Source: World Database on Protected Areas, retrieved from https://www.protectedplanet.net/ on 12 December 2015. Models for effective protected area management: The ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme The AHP Programme manages a regional network of representative protected areas created to generate greater collaboration between AMS in preserving their shared natural heritage. The history of the AHP Programme dates back to 1984 when the ministers of the founding countries of ASEAN signed the declaration of 11 protected areas as ASEAN Heritage Parks. The 2003 ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks states that AHPs shall be managed to maintain ecological processes and life support systems; preserve genetic diversity; ensure sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems; and maintain wilderness that have scenic, cultural, recreational, and tourism values. ASEAN Heritage Parks are defined as protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region. There are currently 38 protected areas under the AHP Programme, 33 of which are terrestrial protected areas Photo by Kyaw Kyaw Winn covering a total area of 84,067 sq km. Enhancing implementation: ASEAN’s priority actions to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets 169 Table 17. ASEAN Heritage Parks Among these AHPs, there are six UNESCO The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity serves as World Heritage Sites—Lorentz National Park the secretariat of the AHP Programme. The (Indonesia), Gunung Mulu National Park AHP Committee is comprised of members and Kinabalu National Park (Malaysia), Mt. representing each of the AMS. In the Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary and implementation of the AHP Programme, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Philippines), ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Khao Yai National Park (Thailand). Six and Biodiversity (AWGNCB) provides technical AHPs are also Ramsar sites – Indawgyi Lake guidance by reviewing and endorsing AHP Wildlife Sanctuary and Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife nominations, ACB work plans, and project Sanctuary (Myanmar), Tubbataha Reefs Natural proposals for AHPs. Park (Philippines), Ao Phang-Nga National Park (Thailand), and Ba Be National Park and U Minh The AHPs provide a window to the world Thuong National Park (Viet Nam). showcasing a wealth of biodiversity that is uniquely 170 ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook 2 Photo by Sahlee Barrer ASEAN. These protected areas represent the Goal 1: Strengthen national and regional most intact tracts of land and sea that provide systems of AHP management to ensure vital ecosystem services such as food and clean integration into global network and water, and protection against floods, erosion, contribution to globally agreed goals. and pollution. The AHPs also form the lifeblood Goal 2: Strengthen national and regional of many of the region’s enigmatic indigenous networks and collaboration. cultures. Indigenous and traditional knowledge Goal 3: Enhance capacity of AHP managers practices are intimately linked to nature, and the and staff, and other stakeholders to loss of forests, lands, and connections to the ensure effective management of AHPs. sea also means the eradication of traditional Goal 4: Ensure that scientific knowledge and and sustainable methods of natural resource technologies are improved, widely management. Biodiversity loss also erases shared, transferred, and applied for the traditional knowledge of other resources that effective management of the AHPs. may have significant pharmaceutical benefits. Goal 5: Promote equity and benefit-sharing. Conservation of AHPs, therefore, assists in the Goal 6: Ensure sufficient financial resources sustainable management of ASEAN’s natural . and promote sustainable financing. resources and the protection of the region’s life Goal 7: Strengthen communication and and culture. promotion strategies. Framework for the implementation of the The AHP Programme is guided by the following AHP Programme priority thematic areas: During the second AHP Conference in Malaysia 1. Capacity Development in April 2007, the first Regional Action Plan 2. Information Sharing Network (RAP) for AHPs was developed. ACB and the 3. Technical Exchange Program AHPs used this first RAP as a basis for common 4. Public Awareness and Education efforts towards the implementation of priority 5. Promotion of Recreation, Tourism, activities in AHPs. and Ecotourism 6. Participation in Joint Research The adoption of the Convention on Biological Program Diversity’s (CBD) Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 7. Management Improvement Program 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in 8. Partnership and Collaboration 2010 encouraged a more focused framework 9. Involvement of Indigenous Peoples in support of biodiversity conservation. ACB and Local Communities and other initiated the updating of the RAP and developed Stakeholders the AHP RAP 2016–2020 in various discussions 10. Development, Review, or Updating of with AHP managers. With seven goals, the Management Plans AHP RAP 2016–2020 provides the guiding 11. Sustainable Financing framework for implementing priority biodiversity conservation measures in AHPs. These are as follows: Enhancing implementation: ASEAN’s priority actions to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets 171 Strengthening the AHP Programme by promoting further nomination of new AHPs, establishing and strengthening partnerships particularly marine, and achieving a balance in the distribution of declared terrestrial and marine Since 2010, ACB has maintained its partnership AHPs. with the Government of Germany via technical and financial cooperation projects. Such joint The AHP Programme, Aichi Biodiversity undertakings target AHPs, among other defined Targets, and the CBD Programme of areas, as the sites in which implementation of Work on Protected Areas: Synergies on-the-ground activities shall take place. and Complementation Technical cooperation projects are implemented The AHP Programme contributes to the in collaboration with GIZ and include completed, achievement of Target 11 by encouraging the ongoing, and planned projects, such as the establishment of new protected areas. Other Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (BCCP, targets addressed include those that are 2010–2015), Biodiversity-Based Products specific to prevention of habitat degradation, Project (BBP, 2014–2019), and the Institutional fragmentation and loss (Target 5); sustainable Strengthening of the Biodiversity Sector in use of marine resources (Target 6); protection ASEAN Project (ISB, 2016–2019). A financial of coral reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems cooperation project, through the German (Target 10); prevention of the extinction of development bank KfW, supports ACB in the threatened species (Target 12); and safeguarding implementation of the Small Grants Programme and restoring ecosystem services (Target 14). (SGP, 2015–2019). These interventions aim to develop, pilot test, and replicate good Projects conducted through the AHP Programme