ASEAN NETWORK ON MICROBIAL UTILIZATION eng. – BIOTEC

Biological diversity or biodiversity is fundamental for human life, as well as vital for creating environmental balance. Mankind has benefited from biodiversity, as it provides natural services such as fresh water and clean air, biological resources such as medicinal plants and food, as well as socio-economic benefits of tourism. Increasingly, countries are recognizing the importance of biodiversity as an asset that can be developed to add value to their economies. ASEAN member countries are located in South-East Asia with overlapping 4 biodiversity hotspots, “Indo-Burma, Sundaland, Wallacea, and the Philippines”. This rich natural environment enables ASEAN member countries to generate economic value from its biological resources and enhance its competitiveness in emerging biotechnological fields such as green and clean technologies through research and development.