Representatives from 12 Asian countries and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have established the Asia Protected Areas Partnership.
Japan will serve as the first country co-chair of this transboundary partnership, along with the IUCN.
28 April 2014: Representatives from 12 Asian countries and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have established the Asia Protected Areas Partnership. Japan will serve as the first country co-chair of this transboundary partnership, along with IUCN.
The first Asia Parks Congress, which took place in Sendai, Japan, in November 2013, catalyzed the Partnership. During this event, countries pledged stronger collaboration across Asia to conserve biodiversity. Other participating countries include Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Aban Marker Kabraji, IUCN Asia, and Yoshitaka Kumagai, IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) East Asia, stressed that this initiative shows growing recognition that protected areas are critical to human and environmental well-being. The Partnership is supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan and the Nagao Natural Environment Foundation. It will be officially launched at the IUCN World Parks Congress, which will take place in Sydney, Australia, in November 2014. [IUCN News] [IISD RS story on IUCN Asia Parks Congress]