亞洲開發銀行撥款 保育珍貴珊瑚礁與雨林 | 環境資訊中心
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亞洲開發銀行撥款 保育珍貴珊瑚礁與雨林

2008年03月19日
摘譯自2008年3月14日ENS菲律賓,馬尼拉報導;游珮綺編譯;蔡麗伶、莫聞審校

珊瑚礁三角帶內瀕危的玳瑁。圖片來源:WWF亞洲開發銀行(Asia Development Bank)14日宣布將提供150萬美元的補助金給與汶萊、印尼、馬來西亞、以及菲律賓等國一起協同合作的環境保護者,保護這些地區「正以驚人速度受到毀損」的海洋和雨林。

受保護的區域包括了擁有世界上最豐富海洋生物多樣性的珊瑚礁三角帶(Coral Triangle)。雖然珊瑚礁三角帶只占了世界海洋面積的2%,但卻擁有76%已知的珊瑚礁物種,也由於高度的珊瑚多樣性,使其擁有各式各樣的魚類。世界上有超過1億2000萬的人直接仰賴這些海洋資源以提供他們食物和收入來源。

此外,婆羅洲之心(Heart of Borneo)也在受保護的範圍內,該區面積2,200萬公頃的婆羅洲雨林可說是紅毛猩猩、亞洲象,和蘇門答臘犀牛最後的棲地之一。

每年,森林砍伐、開礦和農業等破壞了上百萬公頃的森林地,包括了在法律上理應受保護的地區,使得許多物種都面臨滅絕的危機。魚類的過度捕撈和毀滅性捕撈,如使用氰化物和炸藥等方式,都會極大地破壞珊瑚礁地區並損耗海洋資源;而且,亞洲開發銀行更進一步指出,全球暖化將加速毀壞的情形。

婆羅洲之心的雨林。圖片來源:WWF亞洲開發銀行東南亞局負責農業、環境和自然資源的處長馬立克(Urooj Malik)表示,「這些損耗同時也將對上百萬依賴自然資源而生存的人民及其生計問題造成威脅,因此我們必須給予迫切的關注,以遏止伐林活動以及對海洋環境的傷害。」

這個補助金將提供全球保育組織-世界自然基金會(WWF)一筆基金,使其展開對該地區環境和社會經濟概況的研究。

這四個國家的地理資訊繪圖和資金管理委員會都有意引導並發展長期性計畫,以期建立區域性環境管理政策和強化自然資源永續管理的相關策略。這個補助金同時也讓這些國家能夠評估其在管理自然資源方面的政策和制度能力,他們將處理跨國界的環境議題,如跨越邊界的煙霾汙染問題。

這四個國家將決定要求加強制度以及協調機制,並且透過設置最低標準、監控以及自律管理來執行政策。

Coral Triangle, Heart of Borneo Conservation Funded
MANILA, Philippines, March 14, 2008 (ENS)

The Asia Development Bank today announced that it will provide a $1.5 million grant for environmentalists to work with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to protect the region's seas and rainforests which the bank says "are being damaged at an alarming rate."

The region includes the Coral Triangle, which has the highest marine biodiversity in the world. Covering only two percent of the world's ocean, the Coral Triangle contains 76 percent of all known coral species and a wide variety of fish due to this high coral diversity. Over 120 million people directly depend on these seas for their food and income.

The region also takes in the Heart of Borneo, rainforests covering 22 million hectares that are some of the last refuges for orangutans, Asian elephants, and Sumatran rhinos.

Each year logging, mining and farming destroys millions of hectares of forests, including those supposedly legally protected, threatening the extinction of a wide range of species.

Overfishing and destructive fishing methods including the use of cyanide and dynamite have destroyed large coral areas and depleted marine resources. Global warming may hasten the damage, the bank said.

"The degradation threatens millions of people who rely on the natural resources for their livelihoods," said Urooj Malik, director of agriculture, environment and natural resources of the bank's Southeast Asia Department. "Urgent attention is needed to stop the deforestation and damage to the marine environment."

The grant will provide funding for the global conservation organization WWF to undertake an environmental and socio-economic profile of the region.

GIS mapping and stakeholder consultations in the four countries are intended to lead to the development of a long-term program to establish regional environmental management policies and strategies to strengthen the sustainable management of natural resources.

The grant also will allow the countries to assess policies and institutional capabilities in managing natural resources. They will address cross-border environmental issues such as trans-boundary haze pollution.

The four countries will determine requirements for strengthening institutional and coordination mechanisms, and implement policies through setting of minimum standards, monitoring and self regulation.

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.