Mongabay · Klima & Natur

Migratory Birds Need Borderless Conservation, Says BirdLife Africa Manager

Alex Ngari, migratory birds and flyways programme manager for BirdLife Africa, highlights critical knowledge gaps and threats facing migratory birds, emphasizing the need for international cooperation in conservation.

Migratory birds are a shared global heritage, requiring a borderless conservation approach, according to Alex Ngari of BirdLife Africa. Gaps in scientific knowledge about their pathways hinder conservation efforts and predictions regarding climate change impacts.

Millions of birds travel between Europe/Asia and Africa annually, but precise routes and encountered risks are often unknown. This lack of information creates blind spots for conservation strategies.

Traditional bird monitoring via ringing is being supplemented by electronic tags, but these are expensive, especially for smaller birds, limiting detailed tracking.

Many migratory bird species rely on wetlands, which are disappearing at an alarming rate (22% in Africa since the 1970s) due to human encroachment, climate change, and unsustainable water use.

Critical sites like Lake Chad, the Tana River Delta, Nyabarongo Wetlands, and the Bijagós Archipelago face severe threats from climate change, human activities, and overfishing, impacting bird populations.

Knowledge gaps prevent a full understanding of migratory cycles, leading to misaligned conservation priorities and difficulties in predicting climate change effects on bird populations. This also complicates international conservation collaborations.

Challenges in cooperation include inadequate enforcement of conservation laws, a transboundary funding imbalance favoring Europe, and the need to align conservation plans with local socio-economic needs for sustainable outcomes.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.