The great Indian bustard (GIB) hasn’t had it easy. This critically endangered species, also the largest flying bird in the world, is only found in India and Pakistan. Extensive hunting and destruction of grassland habitats has brought down its population to merely around 150 individuals. However, what makes conservation particularly tricky is that they are only found and migrate between two countries — Pakistan and India — that haven’t shared the most cordial international relations. While hunting in India has been curbed, it continues in Pakistan. “How do you protect a species that you know will travel to a neighbouring country where you may or may not even know if it is alive,” says Neha Sinha, conservation biologist. Like the GIB, the future of several endangered migratory species depends on trans-border conservation and communication. An ongoing conference held by the United Nations hopes to remedy this.
On February 20, 2019, the thirteenth meeting of UN’s Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) held in Gandhinagar, accepted India’s proposal to include the great Indian bustard, Asian elephant and Bengal florican in Appendix I of the UN Convention on Migratory Species. ‘Appendix I’ lists migratory species that are facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Inclusion of the species means that all party countries that fall under the migratory range of the species will be required to protect them, by restoring their habitats, removing any obstacles to their migration and resolving any issues that endanger them. The UN will also aid communication between parties if required, and intervene in case of conflict. One hundred and thirty countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal are party to the convention. The idea of “ecological connectivity” and international cooperation as central to protecting migratory species and their habitats was a key theme of the conference.
Migratory species travel across habitats, often across political borders, in search of food, suitable weather, to breed or for several other reasons. Thwarting their movement may isolate populations, keep them from their breeding and feeding grounds and hamper their growth. Like the great Indian bustard, the Bengal florican, also listed as critically endangered in the IUCN red list, shares its range across Nepal and India. Whereas, the endangered Asian elephant is known to travel from India into Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma. Unfortunately, they do not recognise man-made political borders. In 2015, an elephant trying to cross over to Bangladesh from Murshidabad in Bengal was allegedly shot down by Bangladesh’s border guards, while India-Nepal border remains a critical conflict zone for elephants. Several traditional elephant migration routes along the India-Nepal border have been fenced. This has only intensified man-animal conflict in villages along the borders.
“This convention is a foundation stone for transborder conservation measures,” says Sinha. “Migratory species will travel across borders, and this is an instrument that allows communication among different countries. As a species becomes more endangered we need to upgrade how we look at it and how we work towards protecting it,” she added.
About the contributor
Radhika Raj
is a features writer with Roundglass Sustain. When she is not chasing stories, she is busy fantasizing about building a pottery studio in the hills
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