The Asian Waterbird Census-2020 has recently launched in Andhra Pradesh, under the guidance of experts from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). This two-day event forms part of an international effort to monitor the population and health of wetlands across the globe.
The Asian Waterbird Census
Every January, volunteers spanning Asia and Australasia gather to count waterbirds inhabiting their local wetlands. This citizen science initiative, known as the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), plays a critical role in the global waterbird monitoring program, the International Waterbird Census (IWC).
Wetlands International, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands, coordinates the IWC. The IWC collects information about waterbird numbers at wetland sites in 143 participating countries. It runs alongside other regional programmes of the International Waterbird Census in Africa, Europe, West Asia, the Neotropics and the Caribbean.
Scope of AWC
Starting in the Indian subcontinent in 1987, AWC has expanded to encompass significant regions of Asia, from Afghanistan eastwards to Japan, Southeast Asia and Australasia. The census covers the entire East Asian – Australasian flyaway and a substantial part of the Central Asian Flyway.
The East Asia – Australasian Flyway stretches from Arctic Russia and North America to the far reaches of Australia and New Zealand. It includes large sections of East Asia, all of Southeast Asia, and the eastern regions of India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Meanwhile, the Central Asian Flyway spans a considerable continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, and associated island chains.
Benefits of the AWC
The count provides insights not only into the quantity of birds at the wetland but also the health of the wetland itself. A large number of waterbirds indicates that the site offers ample feeding, resting, roosting and foraging areas.
The data collected aids in promoting the designation and management of internationally significant sites, including nationally protected areas, Ramsar Sites, East Asian – Australasian Flyway Network Sites and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). Furthermore, it helps implement the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD).
AWC in India
In India, BNHS and Wetlands International jointly coordinate the AWC. BNHS is a nationwide wildlife research organization that has been advocating for nature conservation since 1883. They have prepared a reference list of internationally significant AWC sites and wetland IBAs in India.
Currently, India houses 42 Ramsar sites, with Tso Kar Wetland Complex of Ladakh being the most recent addition. BirdLife’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) Programme identifies, monitors and protects a global network of priority conservation sites for birds and other wildlife. In India alone, there are over 450 sites.
The 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) ended in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in February 2020. During this meeting, ten new species were added to CMS Appendices, with seven species, including the Asian Elephant, Jaguar, Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican, etc., added to Appendix I, which provides the strictest protection.
In December 2018, India submitted its Sixth National Report (NR6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).