ASEAN countries must lead on biodiversity

Biodiversity contributes to climate stabilisation and can help humanity adapt to a changing environment.

The combined effects of Covid-19 and climate change have revealed profound vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia. In the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the pandemic turned hospitals into mortuaries at the same time as natural disasters transformed coastal communities into washed-out mud flats. To improve regional resilience and promote sustainable growth, the post-Covid recovery must focus not only on decarbonisation, but also on the protection of nature.