亚开行-投资于亚洲及太平洋地区的生物多样性和自然（英）

INVESTING IN BIODIVERSITY AND NATURE IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICBIODIVERSITY AND NATURE AT ADB Conserving biodiversity and ensuring the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of natural capital—to secure the ecosystem services they provide—are vital to sustainable development. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has steadily expanded its support for biodiversity and natural capital across Asia and the Pacific. While traditionally recognized for infrastructure projects and poverty reduction initiatives, ADB is evolving beyond safeguard compliance to integrate nature-positive approaches across its operations. It has been mainstreaming biodiversity in loans, grants, innovative financing, knowledge support, and technical assistance to help developing member countries (DMCs) address complex development challenges.Biodiversity and nature are integral to ADB’s mandate to help DMCs meet their obligations and commitments under international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Paris Agreement, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Convention on Migratory Species, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and UN Convention to Combat Desertification, among others.With the launch of a new ADB Environment Action Plan 2024–2030 in 2024, and enhanced safeguards under our forthcoming Environmental and Social Framework, ADB commits to track project impacts and scale up sector investments, operations, and high-impact finance to deliver lasting positive outcomes for biodiversity andnature across Asia and the Pacific. “Nature-positive means enhancing the resilience of our planet and societies to halt and reverse nature loss. A nature-positive approach enriches biodiversity, stores carbon, purifies water and reduces pandemic risk.”2021 Joint Statement by the Multilateral Development Banks on Nature, People, and PlanetCovering 30% of global land area1 and approximately 40% of oceanic areas,2 Asia and the Pacific hosts 17 of the 36 global biodiversity hot spots, thousands of endemic plant and animal species, three quarters of all coral reefs, the highest diversity of marine ecosystems, and a large proportion of remaining rainforests. This exceptional biodiversity underpins ecosystem services, such as climate regulation, providing food, fresh water, and livelihoods among many other benefits, vital to the survival and well-being of more than 4.7 billion people comprising approximately 60% of the world’s population.3 Yet, the Asia and Pacific region is now at the "heart of the global biodiversity crisis."4 According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 60% of the region’s grasslands are degraded. Native flora and fauna are rapidly declining due to overgrazing, alien invasive species, and agricultural conversion. Forty-five percent of Asia’s wetlands have been lost since 1900, driving the decline of migratory birds.5 Eight of the top 10 most