The United Nations Environment Programme/ Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS), also known as the Bonn Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty aimed at conserving terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It was signed in 1979 and has been in force since 1983 with India becoming a party to CMS in the same year. The convention provides a legal foundation for conducting global scale conservation measures.
Recently, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, in association with UNEP/CMS, hosted a meeting with the Range Countries to enhance conservation efforts for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF). Delegates from 11 countries including Armenia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kuwait agreed upon an institutional framework for CAF and a draft roadmap to update the CMS CAF Action Plan.
India’s Role in Conservation of Migratory Species
India, despite having only 2.4% of the world’s land area, contributes to approximately 8% of the global biodiversity. India is a temporary home to various migratory species such as Amur Falcons, Bar-headed Geese, Black-necked Cranes, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Humpback Whales, among others.
India has signed non-legally binding Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with CMS regarding the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, and Raptors. To combat habitat loss, hunting, pollution, and climate change that threaten migratory birds, India launched the ‘National Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Birds’ (2018-2023). The plan seeks to halt the decline of migratory birds and reverse this trend by 2027.
Establishment of Protected Areas for Conservation
For better conservation and protection of birds and their habitats, significant bird habitats have been designated as protected areas under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The act provides stringent punishments for violations. Rare and endangered species, including migratory birds, are listed in Schedule-I of the Act, thus receiving the highest degree of protection.
India has also established the country’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, the government has adopted focused protection measures for Amur Falcons in Nagaland and has taken significant steps to conserve vultures, such as banning the veterinary use of diclofenac and establishing vulture breeding centers.
Additional Initiatives and Policies Towards Environmental Conservation
The Indian government issued the Marine Turtle Policy and Marine Stranding Management Policy in 2020 to conserve marine turtles. It takes firm steps to reduce pollution from micro-plastic and single-use plastic. To ensure the survival of species like Tigers, Asian Elephants, Snow Leopards, Asiatic Lions, one-horned rhinoceros, and the Great Indian Bustard, India declared transboundary protected areas.
Sustainable infrastructure development is another area of focus, with Linear Infrastructure Policy Guidelines drawn up for ecologically fragile areas. The country also launched ‘Project Snow Leopard’ in 2009 to promote an inclusive and participatory approach towards conserving snow leopards and their habitat.
Furthermore, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established to control illegal trade in wildlife, its parts, and products.
The Role of International Agreements in Environmental Conservation
International agreements play a crucial role in global environmental conservation. The Alma-Ata Declaration, for instance, was adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Kazakhstan in 1978, urging governments and healthcare workers to promote and protect primary health care for all people.
The Talanoa Dialogue, launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Germany in 2017, provides an inclusive, participatory, and transparent platform for sharing stories, building empathy, and making decisions for collective good.
In the same vein, the Under2 Coalition is a global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The coalition brings together more than 220 subnational governments committed to limiting global temperature rises to well below 2°C. This highlights the importance of international agreements in driving environmental conservation efforts worldwide.
