亚开行-投资于亚洲及太平洋地区的生物多样性和自然（英）-2025_28页_12mb

Summary of ADB's Work on Biodiversity and Nature in Asia and the Pacific

Core Content

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is increasingly prioritizing biodiversity and nature in its development agenda, moving beyond traditional safeguard compliance to integrate nature-positive approaches across its operations. This shift is driven by the recognition that biodiversity and natural capital are essential for sustainable development, providing critical ecosystem services such as climate regulation, food security, and water purification. ADB supports DMCs in addressing complex development challenges through biodiversity-focused lending, grants, innovative financing, knowledge support, and technical assistance.

ADB is a key player in global biodiversity conservation, supporting international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Paris Agreement, and others. In 2024, ADB launched its Environment Action Plan 2024-2030 and is enhancing its Environmental and Social Framework to better track project impacts and scale up investments in biodiversity and nature.

Main Points

ADB's approach to biodiversity and nature can be categorized into three levels:

1. Safeguards: Ensuring that projects do not cause harm to biodiversity.
2. Mainstreaming: Integrating biodiversity and nature considerations into project design and implementation.
3. Nature-Positive: Going beyond to achieve net gains for biodiversity and nature.

Safeguards

• ADB introduced environmental assessments in 1979, evolving into three safeguard policies: Involuntary Resettlement (1995), Indigenous Peoples (1998), and Environment (2002).
• These were consolidated into the Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) in 2009, promoting sustainable resource use and "no net loss" of biodiversity.
• ADB uses the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) to screen projects and identify risks related to biodiversity, disaster risk, and climate.
• Specific requirements under SPS prohibit investments in wildlife products regulated by CITES, harmful fishing practices, and commercial logging in primary forests.

Mainstreaming

• ADB promotes nature-based alternatives to conventional infrastructure in sectors like transport, energy, and urban development.
• It encourages sustainable land use and integrates biodiversity into country partnership strategies and sector-level planning.
• Upstream planning helps avoid negative impacts and explore alternatives that support biodiversity conservation.

Nature-Positive

• ADB supports biodiversity restoration, conservation, and the integration of nature-based solutions.
• It has been an accredited agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) since 2002, supporting over $400 million in cofinanced biodiversity projects.
• ADB also works with the Green Climate Fund, having secured $9.06 billion in total project financing across 14 projects.
• Natural capital accounting is used to better inform project design, investment decisions, and cost-benefit analyses.

Key Projects and Initiatives

Regional Programs

• 2002 PRC-GEF Partnership on Land Degradation in Dryland: ADB led the world's first Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) initiative, supporting sustainable land management and ecosystem services.
• 2007 Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI-CFF): ADB is a founding partner of this six-country program, focusing on marine biodiversity and sustainable fisheries.
• 2019 ADB Oceans Program: Launched to enhance ocean health and promote sustainable marine economies, with $3.9 billion committed by 2024.
• 2020 Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI): Aims to protect and restore wetland habitats along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, with the first project approved in 2024 at South Dongting Lake, China.

Country-Level Projects

• 2010–2019 PRC (Qinling Mountains): ADB supported a project that restored 10,000 hectares of forest, aiding species recovery and promoting local economic growth.
• 2012–2015 PRC (Yunnan Province): ADB helped develop a provincial biodiversity strategy and action plan, including climate impact assessments and public outreach.
• 2015 BHUTAN (Road Network Project): Constructed wildlife underpasses to reduce elephant and deer collisions, and shifted road alignments to protect Oyster Lake.
• 2016 BANGLADESH (SASEC Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Rail Project): Includes the world's first elephant overpass and wildlife underpasses, supported by AI sensors to prevent collisions.
• 2016 MONGOLIA (Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project): Balanced tourism and conservation, with training for residents and sustainable herding practices.
• 2022 CAMBODIA (Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project): Aims to regenerate nearshore fisheries and improve seafood safety, linking to the Regional Flyway Initiative.
• 2023 MONGOLIA (Sustainable Cashmere Project): Supports cashmere herders through a sustainability-linked loan and technical assistance for pasture management.
• 2024 INDONESIA (Marine Plastic Pollution and Circular Economy Project): A $500 million policy-based loan aims to reduce plastic waste and promote a circular economy.
• 2024 SAMOA (Alaoa Multipurpose Dam Project): Includes a biodiversity offset trust fund to ensure net gains for Samoa's natural environment.
• 2024 PAPUA NEW GUINEA (Sustainable Forest Development Project): Addresses deforestation and promotes sustainable forest management.

Conclusion

ADB's commitment to biodiversity and nature reflects a strategic shift toward sustainable development, recognizing the intrinsic value of ecosystems and their role in supporting economies, food security, and climate resilience. Through a combination of safeguard policies, mainstreaming biodiversity into project design, and implementing nature-positive initiatives, ADB is working to reverse biodiversity loss and enhance the resilience of both nature and communities across Asia and the Pacific.