Biodiversity – An Urban Necessity
By Jeremy Carew-Reid
Director General
International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM)
As cities across Southeast Asia grow taller, denser, and more connected, a quieter, equally vital transformation is taking place—one that puts biodiversity at the heart of urban planning.
On International Biodiversity Day this May 22, we need to look beyond the concrete and steel to focus on the diversity of life thriving—often unnoticed—within our cities. Biodiversity, the rich variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms that share our urban spaces, is not just a side benefit of green space. It is a foundation of urban health, resilience, and quality of life.
Across the Asia-Pacific, urban populations are booming. Southeast Asia bracing for an influx of alone is expected to see an additional 100 million new city residents by 2030. Yet, as our cities expand, natural habitats shrink. A 2022 study by t he ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity found that urbanization in the region has led to a 35% decline in green cover in major metropolitan areas over the past two decades. This environmental loss directly undermines the well-being of urban communities.
Urban development must strategically embrace Restoring and expanding biodiversity restoration and expansion for clear and practical gains. This approach delivers essential benefits: cleaner air and water, natural temperatures regulation, reduce flood and drought vulnerability through better water management, accessible recreation and education, increase tourism revenue, and vital population support for urban food supplies.
Smart urban forestry offers a tangible solution to rising temperatures, capable of reducing local heat by 2 to 8°C—critical in Southeast Asia, where extreme heat in cities is becoming a seasonal norm (Figure 1). Moreover, as demonstrated in Singapore and elsewhere, biodiverse green spaces are not just environmental […]
Participatory Field Survey in community forests in Cambodia 
One of the restoration sites in the Philippines: fallow grazing portion of Ladera farm in the foreground and the lettuce in the background 
October 15th marks the 
