‘Gap Analysis of Protected Areas Coverage in the ASEAN countries’ explains how to identify and fill the gaps in Protected Area networks Zoom In

Mind the gaps – strengthening protection of South-East Asian biodiversity

15-05-2008

The tropical forests and wetlands in South-East Asia are under great pressure, as the countries in the region strive to develop economically and increase their production of food. All of these countries have networks of protected areas – such as national parks and nature reserves – to protect their biodiversity, but there are some important gaps in the coverage and protection of species and ecosystems. The process to identify and fill these gaps is fully explained in a new BirdLife co-authored report entitled ‘Gap Analysis of Protected Areas Coverage in the ASEAN countries’.

Protected Areas are universally recognised as a primary tool in conservation strategies. They act as refuges for species and ecological processes that cannot survive in intensely managed landscapes. Gaps within Protected Area networks leave some species and ecosystems vulnerable to change.

Scientists recognise three gap-types. Representation Gaps describes situations where species or ecosystems are not covered by a Protected Area network. Ecological Gaps identify situations where biodiversity exists within protected areas but with insufficient quantity or quality to provide long term protection. Finally, Management Gaps are where Protected Areas fail to provide adequate protection due to poor management, often linked to a lack of resources.

“It is hoped that this preliminary Gap Analysis will allow the Protected Areas systems in the region to evolve into fully functioning and effective ecological networks” —Rodrigo Fuentes , Executive Director ACB

In response, the Seventh Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) drew up a comprehensive Programme of Work on Protected Areas. This encourages all countries to identify and fill the gaps in their national protected areas networks by 2010.

To meet the target in South-East Asia, a workshop was held in April 2007, hosted by NParks Singapore. It was attended by representatives from the ten countries in the Association of South-East Asian nations (ASEAN). The participants highlighted a need for increased management resources for many ASEAN Protected Areas.

BirdLife worked in partnership with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and IUCN-WCPA South-East Asia to produce the resultant report. ‘Gap Analysis of Protected Areas Coverage in the ASEAN countries’ describes the methods required to meet the CBD target.

“The work that BirdLife Partners in ASEAN countries have already carried out to identify IBAs provides an ideal dataset for undertaking Gap Analyses” —Cristi Nozawa, Head of Asia Division, BirdLife International

The report highlights data-sources that can be used for gap analyses, and presents two preliminary Gap Analyses for the ASEAN countries which use information that has already been compiled on the 656 IBAs in the region. “IBAs are identified based upon the presence of threatened and endemic bird species – a particular focus of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas” commented BirdLife’s Mike Crosby (Senior Conservation Officer, Asia Division).

Download the full report (.pdf 4MB)

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