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25 Years of AEWA – Statement by Simon Mackown, Chair of the AEWA Standing Committee

25 Years of AEWA – Statement by Simon Mackown, Chair of the AEWA Standing Committee

AEWA is more than the set of rules, commitments and obligations set out in a treaty. It brings together Governments, local communities, conservationists, and hunters from across Africa and Europe; all with a shared interest in flourishing wetland habitats and thriving waterbird populations. The successes of the Agreement are many and are ultimately due to the commitment, expertise and professionalism of all these individuals.  And of course, the Agreement could not continue to achieve as much as it does  without the exemplary work of the AEWA Secretariat, to whom I, on behalf of the Parties to the Agreement, would like to express my appreciation and gratitude. 

12 June 2020

25 Years of AEWA – Statement by David Stroud, Honorary Patron of AEWA

25 Years of AEWA – Statement by David Stroud, Honorary Patron of AEWA

For millions of years birds have connected our planet – indeed they were doing so long before we humans were there to wonder at their spectacular annual migrations. When humankind did appear to join the world of waterbirds, it was unsurprising that one of the very first animal sculptures, made some 30,000 years ago, was that of a Palaeolithic waterbird.

11 June 2020

25 Years of AEWA – Statement by Dr Gerard C. Boere, Honorary Patron and Founding Father of AEWA

25 Years of AEWA – Statement by Gerard C. Boere, Honorary Patron and Founding Father of AEWA

Congratulations to all the people involved in AEWA on the 25th anniversary of the Agreement. It is excellent that we have come this far, and it is good to see detailed activities undertaken at the practical level, which we believed from the start could be provided by a conservation and management tool such as AEWA. Developing a flyway conservation plan was not an entirely new concept when work on AEWA started in the late eighties. For a long time, bird conservationists believed that the protection and management of birds should be implemented across the entire range: the breeding, stopover and wintering sites.

10 June 2020

It is Time to Let Go of Lead

Lead shot taken from the gizzard of a poisoned Whooper Swan © WWT

As much of the world continues to hold its breath whilst grappling with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are sequestered in our homes trying to manage within the parameters of the current new normal. I have tried to make use of these restrictions on our activities to reflect on some of the environmental challenges facing us in addition to the current pandemic and discussion on emerging diseases. For trying circumstances such as these, there are no simple solutions or easy fixes.

19 May 2020

World Migratory Bird Day 2020

On Saturday, 9 May 2020, people around the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day

On Saturday, 9 May 2020, people around the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) – a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.  This year the theme of World Migratory Bird Day is “Birds Connect Our World” and was chosen to highlight the importance of conserving and restoring the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural cycles that are essential for the survival and well-being of migratory birds.

29 April 2020

World Wetlands Day on 2 February Focuses on “Wetlands and Biodiversity”

All kinds of wetlands provide not only food and habitat to biodiversity but also a lot of services to us. They need to be protected and when deteriorated, restored - Severn estuary/Slimbridge/UK © J. Trouvilliez

The AEWA Secretariat is happy to collaborate with colleagues from the Ramsar Convention as both organizations work to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Waterbirds are an important and visible part of wetland biodiversity and ecosystems and are an excellent medium to highlight the importance of these habitats. The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day, which is being celebrated on Sunday, highlights the importance of these habitats as an essential element in sustaining biodiversity including waterbirds.

31 January 2020

In Pictures: AEWA Implementation in Côte d’Ivoire

Awareness-raising for local communities – participants with leaflets and posters © DFRC Côte d’Ivoire

The successful implementation of AEWA relies on the cooperation and engagement of multiple stakeholders – first and foremost the Contracting Parties to the Agreement. Currently, the AEWA family unites a total of 80 Parties, 42 of them from Eurasia and 38 from Africa. Here is an example – in pictures - of what AEWA implementation looks like in Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting three of the AEWA-related activities carried out by the national AEWA implementing agency, the Department of Wildlife and Hunting (DFRC) of the Ministry of Water and Forestry (MINEF) in Côte d’Ivoire.

22 January 2020

AEWA Standing Committee Meets in Bristol, UK

Participants of the 15th Meeting of the AEWA Standing Committee © Marie-Therese Kämper

The 15th Meeting of the AEWA Standing Committee took place from 11 to 13 December 2019 in Bristol, United Kingdom at the kind invitation of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The three-day meeting, which took place a year after the Seventh Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP7) held 4-8 December 2018 in South Africa, was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in implementing the resolutions adopted by the Parties in Durban and to start preparing for MOP8.

10 December 2019

Conservation action for the Grey Crowned-crane and Wattled Crane in Zimbabwe

Wattled Cranes in Driefontein Grasslands © Togarasei Fakarayi

The Grey Crowned-crane (Balearica regulorum), a tall and majestic bird, which occurs in eastern and southern Africa, is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has been facing various threats such as habitat degradation and loss, disturbance from livestock and people during the breeding season and the illegal removal of birds and eggs from the wild. Through co-funding under the AEWA Small Grants Fund activities were supported in Zimbabwe focusing on the conservation of the Grey Crowned-crane as well as the Vulnerable Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus).

05 December 2019

Successful Conclusion of Capacity Building Project in Côte d’Ivoire

Schoolchildren during 2017 World Migratory Bird Day © Firmin Kouame, MINEF

Schoolchildren during 2017 World Migratory Bird Day © Firmin Kouame, MINEF

With co-funding from the AEWA Small Grants Fund, the Ministry of Water and Forestry (Ministère des Eaux et Forêts - MINEF) of Côte d’Ivoire has successfully implemented a 2-year project aimed at strengthening national capacity for the conservation of waterbirds and their habitats. The project focused, in particular, on enhancing capacity for monitoring and the sustainable management of waterbirds and their key sites, awareness-raising on migratory waterbirds and their habitats, and strengthening the involvement of local communities in the sustainable management of these natural resources.

25 November 2019