Bonn, 2 August 2011 - Climate change is today
considered to be the world’s biggest environmental
challenge. The warming of the climate is an undisputed
fact and it is very likely that the Earth’s rising
temperature over the last half-century has been induced
largely by anthropogenic activities. The latter now also
extend to other climate-related aspects such as sea-level
rise, temperature extremes and wind patterns. Wetlands,
and hence the waterbirds which depend on them, are particularly
sensitive to climate change. While mitigation is the
only long-term solution to the problem, adaptation measures
are an important means to help waterbirds cope with the
challenges of climate change.

According to Article II of the Agreement text Parties
are to “take co-ordinated measures to maintain
migratory waterbird species in a favourable conservation
status or to restore them to such a status”. Article
III obliges them to “investigate problems that
are posed or are likely to be posed by human activities
and endeavour to implement remedial measures, including
habitat rehabilitation and restoration, and compensatory
measures for loss of habitat”. While neither article
explicitly refers to climate change, they oblige Parties
to take measures to combat adverse effects, including
climate change, on waterbirds.

The present guidelines introduce five major steps that
are required to help waterbirds adapt to climate change.
These steps include, inter alia, the identification of
species and populations most at risk from climate change,
the preparation of a priority list of key sites, and
the implementation of adaptation management measures.

For more information please visit:

http://www.unep-aewa.org/publications/conservation_guidelines.htm