Despite occupying only 3% of the earth’s surface, the ASEAN region hosts 18% of all known species recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The ASEAN region also has the most diverse coral reefs in the world; containing an astonishing 284,000 square kilometer of coral reefs, almost one-third of the coral reefs in the world. However, with the rapid development of the ASEAN region, accompanied by the increased rates of deforestation, land-use, hunting, trade and pollution, the ASEAN region has seen a rapid rate of biodiversity loss in the recent years. Especially with the increase in trade, tourism, human immigration, land use, deforestation and increasing land fragmentation favoring the invasion of IAS into and around the region, the problem of IAS has greatly exacerbated the severity of biodiversity loss, and is now rated as the second most serious threat to loss of biodiversity after habitat destruction.
Possible impacts of the IAS on ASEAN countries includes the displacement of native species, ecosystem modification, environmental disturbances and related health issues and economic loss.