WinningWednesday: ASEAN biodiversity champions draw RM10m in small grants
Small grants worth over RM10 million financed 117 biodiversity projects in Indonesia, Myanmar and Viet Nam, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity said today.
Source: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity · July 25, 2026 at 10:53 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 26 JULY 2026 —
Small grants worth over RM10 million financed 117 biodiversity projects in Indonesia, Myanmar and Viet Nam, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity said today.
Market Impact
The 32-week #WinningWednesday campaign spotlighted 36 champion stories, including Gunung Leuser National Park’s Kaya Ecoprint initiative where women turn leaves and flowers into wearable art. Between 20 November 2024 and 9 July 2025, the campaign reached 1.1 million people, logged 43,000 views and generated 2,500 engagements.
Communities used micro-finance to create ecoprinted fabrics, handwoven textiles, artisanal crafts, organic food and farm produce. The stories are collected in a special edition of the ASEAN Biodiversity Magazine.
The Small Grants Programme is co-financed by the European Union and implemented by the ACB with technical support from IMA World Health and KfW Development Bank.
For Malaysian companies pursuing environmental, social and governance credentials, the grants show how biodiversity can generate revenue at community scale, the ACB said.
Projects target conservation inside protected areas such as Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO site where limestone karsts record 100 million years of climate history. The campaign aligns with ASEAN’s Nature-based Solutions agenda aimed at climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and food security.
Habitat loss and wildlife trade are key drivers of zoonotic disease in Southeast Asia, the ACB said, highlighting the commercial value of preventive, ecosystem-based risk management.