Biodiversity
We’re making the protection of biodiversity part of our mission
At MSIG, we seek to contribute to the development of a vibrant society and help secure a sound future for the planet, by enabling safety and peace of mind. As an insurance company that sees the heart in everything, we recognise protecting biodiversity is fundamental to thriving ecosystems because they provide us with vital resources like food, water, and medicines. These are key to ensuring sustainable societies, and our existence.
Our partnership with
Conservation International
Asia-Pacific
At MSIG, we partnered Conservation International Asia-Pacific (CIAP) to protect biodiversity by supporting the conservation of forests and oceans. This investment supports natural climate solutions. Nature provides 30% of the solution to mitigating climate change by helping to remove or avoid carbon emissions.
Learn moreHow we’re making a difference in Asia
Ecosystems and us:
Nature’s interconnectivity
Protecting large scale ecosystems is the insurance that this planet needs to reduce our risk of catastrophic loss. An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, interact. The whole surface of Earth is a series of interconnected ecosystems. The more diverse the ecosystem, the more productive it is.
Click on each ecosystem to discover more.
Nature’s interconnectivity:
The forest
ecosystem
Forests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Tropical rainforests are home to more species than any other terrestrial habitat and they are all interconnected with one another - whether for food, growth, survival, and more.
For example:
Forests provide homes for animals.
Some of these animals eat plants.
The plants need healthy soil to grow.
Fungi help decompose organic matter to fertilise the soil.
Here we see how the forest, Sunda pangolin, and termites are interconnected, as well as how forests affect humankind.
Within the forest ecosystem, there are diverse species that include plants, bacteria, fungi, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals such as the gibbon, hawk eagle, leopard, slow loris and many more. A single square kilometre of forest can contain more than 1,000 species.
Living within forests in South East Asia is the critically endangered Sunda pangolin. It consumes as many as 70 million insects per year, mainly termites.
Without the Sunda pangolin, termite populations would surge.
A large termite population could negatively impact the health of the forest . This would affect the agricultural activities of local communities, including the 1 in 4 people who depend directly on forests for their livelihoods.
Nature’s interconnectivity:
The marine
ecosystem
The marine ecosystem is the largest on Earth. It comprises an astounding variety of plant and animal species such as seagrass, corals, fish, rays, turtles, dugongs, as well as microalgae, plankton, and many more. Their individual existence is interdependent on one another.
For example, a change in ocean temperatures will affect the plant species that can grow there. Animals dependent on these plants for food and shelter will need to adapt to these changes, move to another ecosystem, or perish. Likewise, these changes will have significant consequences for us too.
In this example, we see how the shark plays an important role in ensuring the health of the ocean.
Sharks play an important role in the ecosystem as an apex predator. They also serve as an indicator for ocean health.
Sharks keep the natural balance between the competing species and remove weak and sick fishes from their prey populations. This ensures the health of the fish population, so that they grow to bigger sizes, including the ones people eat.
By influencing the spatial habitats and feeding habits of their prey and other species, sharks indirectly maintain the seagrass and coral reef habitats.
Nature’s interconnectivity:
The mangrove
ecosystem
Mangroves are considered a natural climate solution with the potential to mitigate climate change - they are three times more effective at storing carbon than terrestrial forests, depositing it in plants and sediment, where it is known as “blue carbon”. They can also hold four times the amount of carbon than the average forest, despite covering only 0.1% of Earth's land surface.
In addition, mangrove ecosystems are among the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. They serve as important habitats for marine life like snappers, sharks, manatees, crabs, and more, which depend on one another for survival.
This example demonstrates how mangroves provide food for reef fishes.
Mangroves are incredibly productive ecosystems, supporting the production of nutrients, small fish and plankton.
Each time the tide goes out, nutrients are swept out of the mangrove forests, which feeds plankton blooms and big schools of baitfish.
Plankton blooms and baitfish move out across reefs and are eaten by all manner of other reef fishes, right up to the mighty whale shark.
Knowledge hub
Watch and read to learn more about biodiversity through these in-depth videos and articles.
Biodiversity and you
Sharing a common goal of protecting biodiversity
Discover how our esteemed clients have developed and implemented business policies and practices to protect biodiversity and help nature thrive.