The tropical forests of Southeast Asia are essential for livelihoods, biodiversity and global carbon regulation. Yet they are rapidly degrading due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, illegal logging, infrastructure development and climate change. Fragmented governance, limited regional coordination and inadequate policy integration across ASEAN hinder effective forest conservation, leading to insecure Indigenous land rights and insufficient financing. Urgent, coordinated action is needed to halt biodiversity loss, protect communities and strengthen climate resilience.
Recommendations
- Enhance forest governance through transboundary cooperation and legal harmonization
- Ensure inclusive landscape-based forest management that integrates Indigenous knowledge
- Develop participatory monitoring and evaluation systems for adaptive forest governance
- Advance financing and incentive mechanisms for forest conservation through regional green funds
