The impacts of climate change cannot be mitigated within geographical territories alone as global action is imperative, said Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) Secretary Marcial Amaro Jr who served as the meeting chair at the 33rd Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature and Conservation and Biodiversity (AWGNCB) from June 20 to 21.
“There are targets such as restoration of degraded ecosystems requiring connectivity to enhance ecosystem functions and services.
The use, harvest and trade of wild species necessitate cross-border cooperation to minimise overexploitation and reduce risk of pathogen spillovers. Monitoring, assessing, and reporting compliance of large, transnational companies and financial institutions entail cooperation among ASEAN member states for full disclosure of risks, dependencies, and impacts on biodiversity,” he added.
The 10-nation political and economic bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met in Pasay City, Philippines for a two-day meeting to map out its actions for nature in line with the new set of global biodiversity targets or the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The meeting was hosted and chaired by the Philippines through the DENR-BMB to discuss how the rich biodiversity in the region can be protected and sustainably used to contribute to the resiliency, recovery, and economic development in Southeast Asia.
