Research into the impact of species and habitat loss is essential in the fight to protect Asia's unique biodiversity.Every year hundreds of new species are discovered on the Asian continent; from orchids to frogs, walking sharks to blonde haired lobsters, and their discovery is vital to their future conservation.
As quickly as new species are identified, an even greater number are moving closer to extinction. Hunting and illegal animal trade are the primary threats to many species but it is the loss of natural habitat due to large-scale deforestation that is considered the number one threat. For example Singapore has lost more than 95% of its tropical forests and South East Asia may lose more than 70% by 2100.
Conservation researchers and educators who are investigating these issues and trying to raise awareness in the region often find themselves working in isolation. As a result, information or skills that may be of vital use to similar projects in other countries remain unshared.
To help remedy this problem Earthwatch established several capacity building programs for young scientists and conservation workers in Indonesia, Malaysia and China. Each of these programs were run as a separate initiative until 2005 when Earthwatch incorporated all Asian capacity building programs into the Asian Conservation Training program.
The program enables researchers from all over the Asian continent to take part in Earthwatch research projects which are relevant to their work and have strong links to the community. Since the first capacity building program was launched in Indonesia in 1999, Earthwatch has supported over 90 young researchers from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. These researchers have returned to their organisations with new skills, broader networks and newfound motivation for their role in protecting Asia's environment.