Encompassing more than 2 million square kilometers of tropical Asia, Indo-Burma is one of the most threatened of Earth’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Only about 5 percent of its natural habitats remain in relatively pristine condition.
The region is still revealing its biological treasures. Six large mammal species have been discovered in just the last 12 years. Among them is the grey-shanked douc (Pygathrix cinerea), a colobine monkey that numbers barely 700 individuals in the mountains of central Vietnam. This hotspot holds a remarkable diversity of unique freshwater turtle species, most of which are threatened with extinction due to over-harvesting and extensive habitat loss. Bird life is also diverse, with almost 1,300 different species.
The combination of economic development and increasing human population is creating unprecedented pressures on the region's natural capital. The large portion of the population living in rural areas and high levels of poverty throughout Indochina mean that natural resources, particularly those of forests, wetlands and grasslands, form a critical component of livelihood strategies for many of the region's inhabitants. Consequently, poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation are inextricably linked.
Our support focuses on the Indochina region, which covers 1.5 million square kilometers of land within Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Hainan Island and parts of southern China. Investments are targeted to two large landscapes: the Northern Highlands Limestone, and Mekong River and Major Tributaries biodiversity conservation corridors.