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BANGKOK, THAILAND - ADB yesterday signed agreements with the Department of National Parks (DNP) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to carry out two projects at biodiversity conservation corridor pilot sites in the Tenasserim Range in Western Thailand.
Present during the ceremony were Urooj Malik, Director of ADB’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Division, who signed for ADB; Songtam Suksawang, Director of Thailand’s National Park Research Division; Anak Pattanavibool, Director of WCS Thailand Program; and Jean-Pierre Verbiest, Country Director for ADB’s Resident Mission in Thailand.
The project signed with DNP will promote wildlife movement within and between the Western Forest Complex and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, and between Dong Phayayen and Khao Yai Complex, through improved environmental management. The Dong Phayayen and Khao Yai Complex is Thailand’s latest natural World Heritage Site. The agreement with WCS, on the other hand, involves the assessment of habitat health.
Both projects, to be carried out over 27 months, will help promote the value of wildlife and forest conservation, and ultimately, engage local communities in preserving the environment on which they depend for nourishment and livelihood.
“Thailand’s achievements during the last three decades have been impressive but these need to be balanced by sound environmental management,” says Mr. Malik. “Taking the small steps now, such as through the biodiversity conservation pilot sites, is important to preserve our natural resources and ensure a sustainable future.”
“These agreements are yet another milestone in the fruitful partnership between ADB and the Government of Thailand to promote sustainable development in Thailand, and across the Asia and Pacific region,” says Mr. Verbiest.
The projects are under the umbrella of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Core Environment Program (CEP), specifically its flagship component, the Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI). Endorsed by the GMS Summit of Leaders held in Kunming in 2005, the CEP was developed as a joint initiative of GMS countries (comprising Cambodia, People’s Republic of China [PRC], Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam).
BCI addresses the urgent issue of fragmented landscapes arising from economic development, and the impact this fragmentation has had on biodiversity and associated environmental benefits in the GMS. BCI’s vision is that by 2015, the GMS countries will have established priority biodiversity conservation landscapes and corridors for maintaining the ecosystems, ensuring sustainable use of shared natural resources, and improving the livelihoods of people.
For further information about the GMS Core Environment Program, visit www.adb.org/projects/core-environment-program, or contact:
Urooj Malik, Director
Javed Hussain Mir, Senior Natural Resources Specialist
Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources
Southeast Asia Department
Asian Development Bank
Tel: +632 632 6234
Fax: +632 636 2231