AEWA Electronic Update:
- The AEWA Technical Committee met in Berne, Switzerland
- Wings Over Wetlands Project launched - from the Arctic to the Cape
- Activity of the month: Special Coordinator chosen for Sociable Lapwing and Black-winged Pratincole
- StC takes steps toward an AEWA Strategic Plan
- New Web site launched: AIWEb - The Avian Influenza, Wildlife and the Environment Web
- New publication on Climate change published
- How you could support the implementation of AEWA?
The AEWA Technical Committee met in Berne, Switzerland
29 October - 1 November 2006 - The 7th session of the Technical Committee to AEWA took place in Berne, Switzerland, at the kind invitation of the Swiss government and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). The meeting was the first held since the Third Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP3) in October 2005, Dakar, Senegal. The meeting gave members and observers of the AEWA Technical Committee the opportunity to evaluate and review the progress made on a number of activities the TC has been involved in since MOP3, and to plan and decide on how to proceed in the two coming years before MOP4. [read on]
WOW Wings Over Wetlands Project launched - from the Arctic to the Cape
The Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Project is the largest international wetland and waterbird conservation initiative ever to take place in the African-Eurasian region. This 12 million US dollar project aims to conserve the critical areas needed by waterbirds migrating across these continents. Key international organizations involved in the study and conservation of waterbirds are joining forces to improve understanding and flyway-scale protection of migratory waterbirds across Africa and Eurasia. Waterbirds migrate vast distances, and the project is designed accordingly, covering the entire African-Eurasian area, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago. [read on]
Activity of the month: Special Coordinator chosen for Sociable Lapwing and Black-winged Pratincole
The Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) and the Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) have been listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals for a long time. With a population estimate of 600-1,800 birds only the Sociable Lapwing is categorised as "Critically Endangered" and is facing a very high risk of extinction. The Black-winged Pratincole was recently uplisted from "Data Deficient" to "Near Threatened" - once abundant wintering flocks in Africa are no longer reported and the species' population is now estimated at 29,000-45,000 individuals. The Single Species Action Plans for the Sociable Lapwing and for the Black-winged Pratincole were the first ones adopted by AEWA in 2002. [read on]
StC takes steps toward an AEWA Strategic Plan
Following the adoption of the CMS Strategic Plan at COP8 in 2005, the AEWA Standing Committee held a brainstorming session at their recent meeting (20-21 November in Bonn) to kick off the development of a similar strategic plan for AEWA. The results of the brainstoring session will be utilised by the consultant who has been engaged to facilitate the process of drafting the plan.[read on]
New Web site launched: AIWEb - The Avian Influenza, Wildlife and the Environment Web
The AEWA Secretariat together with its mother Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has recently unveiled AIWEb - The Avian Influenza, Wildlife and the Environment Web (www.aiweb.info). AIWEb is a web-based platform for information exchange and communication on current and emerging topics relating to avian influenza, the environment and migratory birds. [read on]
New publication on Climate change published
The AEWA Secretariat has contributed to a publication produced by the CMS Secretariat on "Migratory Species and Climate Change". Containing contributions from experts around the world the brochure explores the current state of knowledge and identifies ways forward that allow migratory species to continue fulfilling their unique role in the global web of life. To download the brochure please click here.
How you could support the implementation of AEWA?
The AEWA Secretariat has recently published a kit containing a sample of projects, which were given priority by the Third Meeting of the Parties to AEWA, 23-27 October 2005, Dakar, Senegal, and for which funds are still lacking. To download the kit please click here. If you wish to contribute to the realization of one of these projects please contact the Secretariat at aewa@unep.de
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