Over 150 representatives
of government and non-governmental organisations
as well as waterbird experts from 80 countries
will meet in Madagascar to discuss urgent
conservation responses necessary to reverse
the declines of many migratory waterbird
species along the African-Eurasian Flyways.
Bonn / Antananarivo,
4 September 2008 - The meeting will highlight
most recent findings showing continuing
declines of many waterbird species in Africa
and Eurasia and delegates will be discussing
how best to restore the status of these
species to meet the target of halting the
decline of global biodiversity by 2010.
"Flyway conservation
at work – review of the past, vision for
the future" is the theme of the Fourth
Meeting of the Parties (MOP4) to the Agreement
on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (UNEP/AEWA) – a United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-backed
treaty dedicated to the conservation of
species such as ducks, waders, storks, flamingos
and many other migratory waterbirds which
use the major bird migration routes along
the African-Eurasian Flyways.
Highlights of the meeting
from 15-19 September in Antananarivo will
include:
The release of new population
trends for all AEWA protected waterbird
species (Status Report);
The presentation of
a new study on the effects of climate change
on migratory waterbirds;
Over 21 Resolutions
on a number of issues affecting migratory
waterbirds in Africa and Eurasia, such as
the spread of Avian Influenza (H5N1), lead
shot hunting in wetlands and climate change;
The adoption of new
International Action Plans for a number
of AEWA species, including the Lesser Flamingo,
Lesser White-fronted Goose, Eurasian Spoonbill
and the Madagascar Pond-Heron.
The international meeting
will take place at the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo,
Madagascar and is being organised by the
UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and the Ministry of
the Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT)
of Madagascar.
UNEP/AEWA is an international
environmental treaty dedicated to the protection
of 235 species of waterbirds which migrate
along the African-Eurasian Flyways. Countries
which have become Parties to the Agreement
commit to putting measures in place to conserve
the region's waterbird populations and the
habitats on which they depend. Currently
62 Parties out of 118 Range States in Africa
and Eurasia have joined AEWA.
Mr. Florian Keil, Information Officer, UNEP/AEWA
Secretariat
