Experts on protected areas from the Southeast Asian (SEA) region gathered in the country to enhance their skills for the effective conservation and management of the region’s natural resources.

At least 21 protected areas executives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, participated in the “Platform on Knowledge Sharing for Executives” workshop conducted by the European Union-funded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Center for Biodiversity (ACB).

According to ACB Director Rodrigo Fuentes, the ASEAN region is home to a vast number of protected areas, making it crucial to global environmental sustainability.

“These natural treasures, however, are faced with several roadblocks, including the inadequate training for protected area executives, managers, and staff,” he said.

“Protected areas executives, managers, and staff are constrained by insufficient training, equipment and infrastructure support, information and science-based technology to effectively manage the environment,” he added.

A protected area is a geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.