Manila - The Philippine-based Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Centre for Biodiversity (ASEAN-ACB) has opened a five-day workshop on the enhancement of capability of ASEAN member-countries to manage the region`s 27 "heritage" parks with rich biodiversity resources in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The program, organized by the ACB, in cooperation with The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Vietnam Environment and Protection Agency, will enable some 30 participants to share experiences on management effectiveness tools employed in ASEAN member-nations.
The participants, who are key managers and staff of the ASEAN Heritage Parks, will develop and establish programs for assessing management effectiveness in ASEAN Heritage Parks and other protected areas, and identify pilot sites for management effectiveness assessment.
ACB executive director Rodrigo Fuentes said there are a number of management effectiveness assessment systems and a range of tools available for adoption by the ASEAN.
"Through this workshop, ACB can help ASEAN countries determine systems that are appropriate to their needs and ensure that heritage parks and reserves are protected for the benefit and future of mankind. They can also build on existing assessments that are successfully being implemented by ASEAN," Fuentes said.
IUCN said the success of protected areas as a tool for biodiversity conservation is based on the assumption that they are managed to protect the values that they contain.
"To be effective, management should be tailored to the particular demands of the site, given that each protected area has a variety of biological and social characteristics, pressures and uses," it said.
ASEAN members, through the ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks and Reserves signed in 1984, have recognized the value of conserving the rich biological diversity of these parks and reserves.
This led to the creation of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Program to complement the protection of several Natural World Heritage Sites within ASEAN and will form an important part of ASEAN`s efforts to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals on the environment with respect to reducing biodiversity loss.
The 27 ASEAN Heritage Parks are: Tasek Merimbunin in Brunei Darussalam; Virachey National Park and Preah Monivong National Park (Bokor) in Cambodia; Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Lorentz National Park in Indonesia; Kinabalu National Park, Mulu National Park and Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia;
Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary, Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Inlay Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Khakaborazi National Park and Lampi Marine National Park in Burma;
Mt. Apo National Park and IglitBaco National Park in the Philippines; Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore; Khao Yai National Park, Kor Tarutao National Park, Mu Koh Similan Marine National Park and Kaengkrachan Forest Complex in Thailand; Hoang Lien Sa Pa National Park, Ba Be National Park, Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Chu Mom Ray National Park in Vietnam.
Source: www.mb.com.ph (11 Maret 2008)
