Day: October 14, 2021

KUNMING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA— The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today launched the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI), a program that aims to preserve wetlands across the region, which are critical for the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people as well as the annual migration of hundreds of species of birds in Asia and the Pacific.

The initiative was launched at the Ecological Civilization Forum of the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, the People’s Republic of China.

ADB will join with the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF) Partnership Secretariat, BirdLife International, and other key partners to raise $3 billion over the next 10 years to help protect priority wetland clusters along the EAAF. The EAAF is home to a large number of diverse communities and is a critical bird migration route extending across more than 20 countries from the Arctic Circle to New Zealand.

“As we rebuild from the pandemic, we must seize the opportunity to secure a green, resilient, and inclusive future,” ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said at the launch. “Our flyway-wide approach is a great example of how we can do this through strong international cooperation. ADB is proud to lead on efforts like this, with a blended approach that brings together effective public and private finance.”

“BirdLife is proud to join ADB and the EAAF in this truly important effort to save and restore such critical habitats for birds and people,” said BirdLife Chief Executive Officer Patricia Zurita. “Wetlands in Asia and the Pacific provide food and clean water and act as a bulwark for flood control and carbon sequestration. They are therefore critical for the region’s people, as well the tens of millions of birds who depend on them as rest and food stops on their biannual migration journeys.”

Nearly 200 million people rely on the wetlands that lie along the EAAF and the ecosystem services they provide. Wetlands support livelihoods with food and clean water and opportunities in recreation and tourism. They also deliver key flood regulating services, sequester carbon, and help in adapting to climate change. More than 50 million migratory waterbirds of more than 210 species—along with many other animal and plant species—also depend on thousands of the EAAF’s wetlands for food, shelter, and other essential needs.

The RFI will be developed through a $1 million ADB technical assistance (TA) grant program for the development phase. Over the next 2 years, the TA will identify wetland sites of international importance that deliver ecosystem services, support livelihoods, and protect migratory waterbirds. ADB will consult with governments, partners, and stakeholders to produce a final list of priority sites from which investment concepts will be developed. The TA will identify capacity issues for participating governments and will develop a sustainable financing mechanism.

The long-term vision is to deliver projects across the region over the next 10 or more years that support the protection and sustainable management of at least 50 priority sites along the EAAF. A sustainable financing mechanism will run in parallel to these investments, ensuring that key capacity issues are addressed, and site maintenance and monitoring continues.

The RFI is part of ADB’s Roadmap for Nature-Positive Investments, which will expand ADB financing for biodiversity and provide developing member countries with targeted support for programs that address ecological priorities in Asia and the Pacific. The roadmap builds on ADB’s Strategy 2030 which includes a focus on tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

 

Source: Asian Development Bank

JAKARTA– In partnership with the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Underwriters Laboratories, the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI) is proud to announce the 2021 Underwriters Laboratories-ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women winners. Under the theme Clean Air & Water, Dr. Neni Sintawardani from Indonesia received an award of $15,000 in the senior scientist category and Dr. Li Hongying from Singapore was awarded $10,000 competing as a mid-career scientist.

Named as the winning senior scientist, Dr. Neni Sintawardani, lead researcher on the Clean Technology team at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, is honored for her work to improve community sanitation systems using biogas from processed wastewater to increase clean water availability.

Clinching top honors as a mid-career scientist, Dr. Li Hongying, a Research Scientist at the Institute of High-Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore, is honored for designing an internationally recognized ballast water treatment system to protect marine life from water pollution along with groundbreaking work in predicting airborne droplet dispersal rates to estimate the transmission risks of the COVID-19 virus.

Earning honorable mentions, Dr. Seinn Lei Aye from Myanmar and Dr. Aduwati Sali from Malaysia, are recognized for their respective work developing low cost, efficient water treatment technologies for rural communities and peatland monitoring and management research catalyzing community-based technical and social innovations to help mitigate and prevent haze pollution in the region.

ASEAN COSTI Chair, Dr. Sirirurg Songsivilai, congratulated all award recipients for their research to improve access to clean water and clean air across the ASEAN region. “This competition continues to uphold the tradition of showcasing talented ASEAN women in science, technology and innovation fields and continues to inspire the next generation of women scientists leveraging research to benefit the region and beyond.”

Congratulations to all the competition winners for their work toward achieving safer water and air for millions of people,” said Dr. Marilyn Black, VP & Senior Technical Advisor at Underwriters Laboratories. “We believe that protecting our natural resources and providing clean air and water are critical for a healthier and more secure future for all. These award recipients are addressing emerging environmental and public health threats, and we are proud to support the ASEAN-U.S. science prize and its recognition of female scientists for their outstanding contributions.”

“Together with ASEAN COSTI and Underwriters Laboratories, the United States congratulates the winners and runner-up honorees for their ambitious research achievements,” said Joseph M. Young, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN. “The remarkable work of these scientists to address air pollution and access to safe water and sanitation help improve living conditions and environmental stability in the region while promoting solutions, led by women scientists, to bolster economic growth.”

Selected from a pool of fourteen short-listed candidates representing the brightest women scientists working in the field of Clean Water and Clean Air across the region, all four finalists presented their research to a panel of virtual judges.

The Science Prize for Women is organized through a partnership among ASEAN COSTI, USAID, and Underwriters Laboratories – a U.S.-based global public safety nonprofit organization – to recognize female scientists’ professional achievements and leverage their success to expand research endeavors as well as inspire future women scientists across the ASEAN region.

 

 

Source: U.S. Mission to ASEAN

The Government of Malaysia today concluded the Exchange of Notes with the Government of the State of Palestine for the contribution of

RM 5 million for rebuilding of Al-Rimal Clinic in Gaza. The clinic which has a COVID-19 testing laboratory was destroyed by the Israeli

attacks in May 2021. The contribution is funded by allocation from the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund (KWABBN), under the National

Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Prime Minister’s Department.

 

This Exchange of Notes was signed by YB Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and His Excellency Walid Abu

Ali, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Malaysia.

 

This contribution reflects Malaysia’s unwavering support for the government and people of Palestine. The incessant Israeli attacks have

destroyed public infrastructures in Gaza, including healthcare facilities providing critical healthcare services to the Palestinians amid the

COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Government of Malaysia has also decided to extend predictable long-term contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency

for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in support of the Agency’s efforts to assist Palestinians. In addition to the previous

financial contributions to UNRWA, the Government has allocated USD 1 million. This contribution will be disbursed annually in the amount

of USD200,000 from 2021 until 2025.

 

The contributions from the Government complement humanitarian efforts and assistance from Malaysia, including those undertaken by

private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as private individuals.

 

Malaysia will continue to support the Palestinian cause at the national, regional and international levels, and extend humanitarian

assistance and capacity building to Palestine.

 

 

 

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia