ASIATODAY.ID, CHIANG MAI – The Indo-Malaya Forest biome, stretching from Bhutan to Papua New Guinea, harbors one of the last major primary forest areas in the world and is home to more than 5,000 threatened species.
However, these vital ecosystems are under immense pressure, with 60% of the original vegetation already lost to unsustainable agriculture, logging, and competing land uses. Over 560 million people in the region depend on the resources these forests provide, including water regulation, carbon sequestration, and timber and non-timber products.
To address these challenges, 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. The program, hosted by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation of Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, will be led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“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,” said Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson, June 27, 2025.
“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.”
The program channels USD $42.4 million in GEF grants and an additional USD $185 million in co-financing to three country-specific projects in Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand, alongside a regional coordination project. The initiative aims to improve the management of 3.2 million hectares of protected areas and over 7 million hectares of surrounding landscapes, restore 8,500 hectares of degraded ecosystems, mitigate 34 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and directly benefit nearly 20,000 people.
“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,” said Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.
“With growing pressure on these forests, this new program offers a timely and transformative opportunity to turn the tide. By uniting governments, regional and international organisations, 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.”
Country projects will be implemented by the FAO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority of Papua New Guinea, and Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.
“These primary forests provide essential services to the whole region, especially rural communities who depend on forest resources for their livelihoods and food security,” stated Alue Dohong, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
“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.”
The Regional Coordination Project, led by IUCN and FAO with partners like CIFOR-ICRAF and Grow Asia, will unite countries to align strategies, share knowledge, and catalyze coordinated action across the biome. During the inception workshop, representatives from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam agreed on priority outputs for the six-year program, including establishing a regional vision for primary forests, an investment forum, and a central knowledge hub.
The program is one of five GEF integrated investments for primary forests under the GEF-8 replenishment cycle. It will connect with similar programs for the Amazon, Guinean Forests, Mesoamerica, and the Congo Basin to drive global systems change in the world’s most important tropical forest landscapes. (AT Network)
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