NEW DELHI: Range countries of the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) have collaborated to strengthen conservation efforts for migratory birds and their habitats. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme/Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) organised the meeting from May 2 to May 4, 2023, in New Delhi.
The meeting was attended by representatives from 11 countries, including Armenia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with Secretariats of CMS, AEWA, and Raptors MOU, and representatives of Chief Wildlife Wardens of States, scientific institutions in India, international and national non-governmental organizations, and subject experts.
The delegates deliberated on an institutional framework for the Central Asian Flyway, discussed priority areas for implementation, and agreed on a draft roadmap for updating the CMS CAF Action Plan.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the discussions also led to the modalities of an institutional framework mechanism to develop a coordinated approach to the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
The formalisation of the Central Asian Flyway initiative was seen as a significant step towards the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey who inaugurated the event emphasized the need to adopt a sustainable lifestyle for the co-existence of all life forms, including migratory birds.
The Central Asian Flyway is a major migratory route for birds, covering 30 countries from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. It is home to more than 400 species of migratory birds, including threatened and endangered species such as the Siberian crane and the lesser white-fronted goose.
