Enviro News Asia, Hanoi — The ASEAN region now hosts 69 ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) across its ten member states, following the approval of six additional protected sites during the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME-18) held recently in Malaysia. Viet Nam secured recognition for three national parks, bringing its total contribution to 15 AHPs, the second-highest number in the region.
Officials from ASEAN member states advanced regional cooperation to safeguard biodiversity, strengthen protected-area management, and align conservation measures with global frameworks, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the ASEAN Biodiversity Plan. Representatives emphasized that the AHP Programme serves as the region’s flagship initiative for identifying and protecting ecosystems of outstanding regional and international value.
The ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, first established through the 1984 Declaration on the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, aims to protect representative ecosystems, support cross-border cooperation, promote awareness of biodiversity, and advance environmental education. A second declaration in 2003 expanded the programme’s scope amid rising concerns about climate change impacts, deforestation, and the degradation of habitats and species.
At AMME-18, ministers recognized three sites from Viet Nam—Pu Mat National Park, the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, and Xuan Thuy National Park—as newly designated AHPs. Delegates noted that Viet Nam’s 15 recognized parks reflect its long-term efforts to integrate nature conservation with socio-economic development, while also enhancing its role within regional and global environmental initiatives.
From December 2–5, 2025, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in cooperation with Viet Nam’s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Agency (NBCA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, will host the 8th ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference (AHP8) in Quang Ninh province. The conference gathers park managers, technical experts, government authorities, and partners to strengthen collaborative action on biodiversity conservation and protected-area governance.
AHP8 will feature plenary sessions, technical discussions, interactive exhibits, and field visits to highlight best practices in ecosystem restoration and protected-area management. The technical agenda will explore nature-based solutions to climate change, links between biodiversity and human health, engagement of local communities and Indigenous peoples, youth and women’s participation, restoration strategies, the 30×30 conservation target, and sustainable financing mechanisms for protected areas.
Held under the theme “ASEAN Heritage Parks: ASEAN’s Contribution to Achieving the Biodiversity Plan,” the conference aims to deepen cross-sectoral dialogue and demonstrate how ASEAN Heritage Parks provide a regional model for integrated, inclusive, and climate-responsive biodiversity management.
