USD42 Million Program Launched For Primary Forests In Southeast AsiaAnd The Pacific
Chiang Mai, Thailand – Stretching from Bhutan to Papua New Guinea, the Indo-Malaya forest biome harbors one of the last major primary forest areas in the world, hosting more than 5,000 threatened species. 60% of its original vegetation is already lost, and the remaining primary forests are under pressure from unsustainable agriculture, logging, and competing land use. Over 560 million people in the region depend on the resources provided by these forests, such as water regulation, carbon sequestration, and timber and non-timber forest products.
To maintain the integrity of these primary forests, so they can deliver biodiversity, climate, and livelihood benefits, a new Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded initiative—the Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Program—was launched at an inception workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand, hosted by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. The program will be led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The program channels USD 42.4 million in GEF grants and USD 185 million in co-financing to three country projects in Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand and one regional coordination project aiming to protect the primary forests of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. It aims to improve the management of 3.2 million hectares of protected areas and over 7 million hectares of landscapes, restore 8,500 hectares of degraded ecosystems, mitigate 34 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit nearly 20,000 people.
Country projects will be implemented by FAO and UNDP and executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority of Papua New Guinea, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. The Regional Coordination Project, led by IUCN and FAO with partners such as CIFOR-ICRAF and Grow Asia, will bring together countries across the region to align their strategies, share knowledge and practical experience, and catalyze coordinated action across the biome.
Eight countries in the region participated in the inception workshop – Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam – and further developed the program's objectives and coordination mechanisms. Countries and partners agreed on priority outputs that the six-year program should address, including a regional vision on primary forests, a primary forest investment forum, and a knowledge and learning hub.
The program will support the development of coherent policies, frameworks, and strategies at national and regional levels to help minimize the loss of primary forests, and promote the recognition of other effective area-based conservation mechanisms in primary forest landscapes. The regional coordination project will enhance collaboration and south-south cooperation to facilitate knowledge exchange, technical support, and capacity development for improved management of primary forests across borders.
The program is one of five GEF integrated investments for primary forests under the GEF-8 replenishment. The program will connect with the GEF-8 Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Programs for the Amazon, Guinean Forests, Mesoamerica, and the Congo Basin to drive global systems change in globally important tropical forest landscapes.
Quotes
'Conserving primary tropical forests is the best response to the urgent environmental crisis that is a threat to human well-being globally and doing so can support green development. This program embodies strong commitment and political will to address the drivers of forest loss in proactive and innovative ways. These efforts have many benefits for human development as well as for ecosystems, and are fully aligned with implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.' - Mr Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson.
'The Indo-Malayan forest biome is one of the world's most ancient and ecologically rich ecosystems — a living reservoir of biodiversity, culture, and climate resilience. With growing pressure on these forests, this new programme offers a timely and transformative opportunity to turn the tide. By uniting governments, regional and international organizations, civil society, and the private sector, we are building a cohesive framework for transboundary collaboration that will amplify conservation impact across the entire Indo-Malayan region. IUCN is proud to contribute to this collective effort, bringing our global expertise, trusted knowledge products, and proven tools to the table.' - Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.
'The primary forests of Southeast Asia and the Pacific provide essential services to the whole region, especially rural communities who depend on forest resources for their livelihoods and food security. This Integrated Program boosts regional action to conserve, protect, restore and promote sustainable use of precious primary forest landscapes in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where most remaining primary forests are located outside any formal protection status. This collaboration across countries and organizations will drive down the risks of biodiversity loss and climate change for better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life.' - Mr Alue Dohong, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
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About the GEF
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) includes several multilateral funds working together to address the planet's most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than USD 26 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another USD153 billion for country-driven priority projects.
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organizations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organizations and the input of more than 17,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
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