GLAND, Switzerland, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- More than 200 species newly discovered in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region have been described by science, a World Wide Fund for Nature report says.
A total of 145 plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish, seven amphibians, two mammals and one bird species were discovered in the region, which spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, a WWF release said Monday.
Despite the numerous discoveries, the Mekong's wildlife and habitats are under threat from rapid, unsustainable development and climate change, the organization said.
Species will keep disappearing without greater efforts to green the region's economies, conservationists said, citing the extinction of the Javan rhino in Vietnam as an example of the decline of biodiversity in the region.
"This report is an affirmation of what we know -- that the Greater Mekong offers unparalleled diversity in nature -- and what must be done," Rebecca Ng of WWF's Greater Mekong Program said. "The rich natural treasures of the region could be lost if regional governments don't recognize that protecting biodiversity is an investment to ensure long-term sustainability, especially in the face of global environmental change."
