The Xishuangbanna Declaration ATBC 2026 “Building Partnerships for Ecological Resilience and Long-Term Sustainability in Tropical Asia”

Abstract

Twenty years have passed since the first ATBC annual conference held in China and the issuance of the landmark 2006 Kunming Declaration, titled “The Critical Need for Forest Conservation and Strategic Research in Tropical Asia.” (ATBC 2006). That declaration outlined urgent priorities for the tropical Asia region, including the expansion of protected areas, strengthening of scientific capacity, and the promotion of regional cooperation. In 2026, the ATBC returned to China, this time in Xishuangbanna. The ATBC 2026 conference (Figure 1) presented a timely opportunity to review progress and establish renewed priorities for biodiversity conservation in tropical Asia. The present declaration is endorsed by the ATBC Conservation Committee, the ATBC Council, XTBG, and the conference organizing committees.

Protected area extent across tropical Asia has expanded substantially over the past two decades. Scientific capacity in the region has grown considerably, supported by institutions working across borders—exemplified by the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEABRI, CAS), which has supported biodiversity research, ranger training programs, and the development of regional scientists for over a decade. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set 23 targets, including the 30 × 30 target for protected area coverage, and has established common benchmarks for the region (Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 2022), while joint research initiatives in border regions and new funding mechanisms launched at COP15 of the UN Biodiversity Convention have advanced practical implementation and transboundary cooperation. As a direct beneficiary of these regional efforts, Xishuangbanna, situated at the convergence of tropical and subtropical zones and bordering Myanmar and Laos, illustrates this progress: despite representing only 1/500 of China's mainland area, hosting 1/5 of China's plant diversity and 1/4 of its animal diversity (Xishuangbanna Prefecture Government 2021). Xishuangbanna has also expanded cross-border conservation—the China-Laos joint protection area has grown since 2012 from 200,000 to 333,000 hectares (Xishuangbanna Prefecture Government 2020; China News Service 2026).

Yet significant challenges remain across tropical Asia. Many threats identified in 2006—agricultural expansion, logging, and illegal wildlife trade—continue to drive forest degradation and species declines, while climate change, emerging pollutants, and escalating human–wildlife conflict place new pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the region. Knowledge gaps still persist, and transboundary mechanisms need strengthening. These challenges highlight the interdependence of ecosystems, species, and human health, underscoring the need for strategic and collaborative responses.

Building partnerships for ecological resilience and long-term sustainability offers a promising pathway for conservation in tropical Asia. In practice, such partnerships mean collaborative, multi-stakeholder, and transboundary actions to maintain ecosystem resilience—ensuring that ecosystems can resist, adapt to, and recover from disturbances while sustaining ecosystem functioning and services. They foster shared responsibility for conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem resilience across political boundaries. This is particularly crucial in border regions where biodiversity is rich but often underrepresented in protected area networks.

To support these efforts, it is essential to strengthen platforms for regional monitoring, scientific collaboration, and knowledge exchange, including mechanisms to share data, methods, experiences, and scientific expertise, while enabling adaptive management informed by both traditional ecological knowledge and modern technologies. These initiatives, collectively, can strengthen regional cooperation, expand scientific understanding, and enhance the long-term resilience of tropical ecosystems.

Building on the legacy of the 2006 Kunming Declaration and acknowledging both the progress made and the challenges that remain, this declaration calls for strengthened transboundary cooperation, expanded scientific collaboration, and innovative approaches to conservation across tropical Asia.

Protecting the extraordinary biodiversity of this region will require sustained commitment, shared responsibility, and coordinated action among governments, scientists, conservation organizations, and local communities.

Together, guided by the vision of ecological civilization—an approach embedded in China's governance model that seeks harmony between humanity and nature—we can safeguard tropical Asia's natural heritage for present and future generations, securing ecological resilience and sustainable prosperity for all.