New initiative in the ASEAN, the heart of the EAAF

How Choon Beng, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve   Shorebirds in Bako Buntal Bay [EAAF 112] © Eugene Cheah The ASEAN region lies at the heart of the East - Asian Australasian Flyway and the cooperation of the member states is critical for the conservation of wetlands and migratory waterbirds. The ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity has endorsed the establishment of an ASEAN Network on Wetlands and Migratory Waterbirds Conservation. The objectives of this network are to help improve knowledge, increase capacity and enhance communication on wetlands and migratory birds in the ASEAN member states. This is in line with the EAAFP Southeast Asia network that was approved at the Ninth Meeting of Partners of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership in early 2017. The network will partner closely with the Secretariat of the EAAFP to achieve these objectives, with Singapore as the country lead for this network, and supported by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) has stepped forward to support the network in a 2 year project to survey and improve management of sites of importance for migratory waterbirds within the region.