New Delhi (NVI): More than 100 million large mammals are being killed by the vehicles every year and their numbers are rising constantly. Despite that the world is expected to invest around US$90 trillion in infrastructure in next 15 years alone, resulting in more new roads and railways.
These obstacles to migration interrupt the natural life cycle of migratory wildlife and pose a lethal danger, said Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
The UN global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services, released by IPBES in May, documented the dramatic decline of biodiversity in all parts of the world. Without increased action, over 1 million species could face extinction in our lifetimes.
The CMS brings countries together to shape transboundary policies through a major United Nations Wildlife Conference dedicated to migratory species which is going to be held in India early next year, that will ensure the long-term survival of migratory animals across countries and continents.
It is the only convention that conserves migratory species and their habitats across national boundaries. “Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home” will be the theme under which governments, scientists, conservation groups and wildlife experts will convene at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13) in Gandhinagar, India, from February 15 to 22, 2020.
Throughout their life cycles and migration ranges, migratory animals depend on a functioning network of connected habitats across countries and continents to breed, feed and rest.
The COP13 theme highlights the importance of ecological connectivity to better protect migratory wildlife and their habitats. Ecological connectivity is the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth.
The loss and fragmentation of habitat are the key threats to migratory animals across the world. They are also considered to be the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide with climate change exacerbating these effects.
“CMS COP13 is expected to be a milestone for future conservation policy. To save nature in an increasingly fragmented world, the core concept of connectivity needs to be incorporated in global conservation efforts and should be embedded in the new deal for nature,” said Amy Fraenkel, CMS Acting Executive Secretary while announcing theme during COP13 preparatory meetings currently underway in Bonn.
Meanwhile, Soumitra Dasgupta, Inspector General of Forest at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India said, “CMS COP13 will be an important opportunity for India to showcase and demonstrate its leading work and commitment to global wildlife conservation. We look forward to welcoming the international delegates to India and to working with them to make the planet a more hospitable place for both migratory animals and people.”
The convention on migratory species is working closely with governments, international organizations, conservation groups, and wildlife experts to ensure that connectivity conservation will be a central part of future global conservation policy and that the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes will continue to sustain life on Earth for generations to come.
–ps
