Context: The Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 14) saw the adoption of the Initiative for the Central Asian Flyway, a proposal led by India and supported by BirdLife International along with 30 other governments ranging from Russian Siberia to the Maldives.

About the initiative

• This initiative under the CMS aims to restore and maintain the favourable conservation status of migratory species populations and enhance their ecological connectivity across the flyway.

• BirdLife International highlighted the concerning decline in populations of over 240 species of migratory birds within the Central Asian Flyway, noting that 48 of these species are classified as Globally Threatened or Near Threatened.

• Migratory birds such as the White Stork in Uzbekistan, the Black-Necked Crane in Bhutan, and the Steppe Eagle in Kazakhstan hold significant cultural importance for the local communities.

• The initiative will serve as a platform for capacity building, knowledge sharing, research, and coordination among all countries within the flyway to conserve migratory bird populations.

• Major threats to these migratory birds, such as habitat loss, overexploitation, illegal killing, and the dangers posed by the rapid development of energy infrastructure, which can lead to collisions and electrocutions.

• The initiative commits to developing and enforcing a Programme of Work that aligns with the resolutions, decisions, and plans agreed upon by the CMS to address these challenges.

About Central Asian Flyway (CAF)

• Central Asian Flyway (CAF) covers a large area of Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans.

• This flyway comprises several important migration routes of birds.

• Including India, there are 30 countries under the Central Asian Flyway.

• The Central Asian Flyway consists of the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (British Indian Ocean Territory), Uzbekistan and Yemen.

• At the 13th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), held at Gandhinagar in February 2020, a resolution (UNEP/CMS/Resolution 12.11 (Rev.COP13) and Decision 13.46 were adopted  initer-alia providing for establishing, by COP14, under the umbrella of CMS an institutional framework, under the leadership of India with the aim to agree on conservation action for migratory birds.

• With a view to fulfil its commitment, India is organizing two-day online meeting on 6th -7th October 2021 with CAF Range Countries, anchored in the Wildlife Institute of India.

• Approximately one in five of the world’s 11,000 bird species migrate, some covering enormous distances.

• Conserving migratory birds requires cooperation and coordination along the entire flyway between countries and across national boundaries.