Biodiversity riches seen giving ASEAN an edge

Conservation efforts can help bolster sustainable recovery, experts say

Biodiversity conservation can be the key to Southeast Asia's rebound from the pandemic, say experts looking ahead to an economically and ecologically sustainable path for one of the world's "mega-diverse" regions.

Countries that fit this description are home to the largest indexes of biodiversity, including a huge number of endemic species. Three Southeast Asian countries－Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines－are included in the 17 mega-diverse countries identified by the United Nations Environment Programme. They account for at least 70 percent of the planet's terrestrial biological diversity.

Biodiversity conservation efforts made by member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are even more critical in the coming months as world leaders prepare to negotiate an ambitious global agreement in December that aims to protect nature and wildlife.