IN FOCUS: Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland in the heart of Europe
A conservation atlas for transboundary conservation areas
Restoration of the Rio Bravo-Grande
The 5th ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) Conference, held on 24-28 October 2016 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, was organised by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (http://www.aseanbiodiversity.org) together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar. The conference is held once every 3 years, with Thailand as the first host (2004), followed by Malaysia (2007), Brunei Darussalam (2010) and Philippines (2013). The 2-day conference was followed by a 3-day site visit to Inle Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (one of the 38 AHP sites).
The 5th AHP Conference provided an opportunity to assess the progress of ASEAN’s efforts in effectively managing AHPs and in addressing biodiversity issues for sustainable development. The conference reviewed the uptake of recommendations made during the previous conferences, highlighting the 2016- 2020 Regional Action Plan for AHPs, and recommended priority actions for enhanced management of AHPs.
The regional event brought together 130 participants, comprising the main actors in the AHP Programme: ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity members, AHP Committee members, AHP managers, other key stakeholders of AHPs and partners in AHP management.
IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group made a presentation during a Plenary session, highlighting the roles of the Specialist Group and current initiatives. Discussions were held with the Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species for potential inclusion in the coming UNEP/CMS COP12 to be held in Manila, Philippines in 2017. In addition, the Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group encouraged Myanmar, Thailand and Yunnan (China) to initiate transboundary conservation discussions.
More information: Rahimatsah Amat, TBC SG Regional Coordinator (Asia), rahimatsah@gmail.com
5th AHPs Conference news: