We are pleased to announce that next year’s World Migratory Bird Day campaign will focus on the topic of water and its importance for migratory birds. Water is fundamental to life on our planet. The vast majority of migratory birds rely on aquatic ecosystems during their life cycles. Inland and coastal wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, and ponds are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, and also as places to rest and refuel during their long journeys.

The Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) is pleased to announce the call for applications for a regional-level Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on the Flyway Approach to the Conservation and Wise Use of Waterbirds and Wetlands, scheduled to take place from 6 to 10 February 2023 in Mauritius, at the kind invitation of the Government of Mauritius.

The RESSOURCE Project team presented the major results and outcomes obtained since 2017 in the five participating countries (Senegal, Mali, Tchad, Sudan and Egypt). The achievements covered a diversity of areas including waterbird monitoring, database management, wetlands conservation initiatives, support to Ramsar sites designation, socio-economic assessment of waterbird harvesting, legal analysis, training and capacity building.

We at BirdLife South Africa have a long history of engaging with AEWA and supporting the Agreement’s implementation. From coastal seabirds, to waders, to flufftails and flamingos, AEWA species feature prominently in our organisation’s efforts to better understand and protect birds and their habitats. We view these activities as important not only for birds themselves, but for biodiversity more broadly and, indeed, for people, whose health and livelihoods depend on the services delivered by healthy ecosystems.