Securing every habitat along migratory bird flyways

The arrival of millions of migratory birds to Assam and other Northeastern states during winter triggers a broader public discourse on the conservation of birds which extends beyond academic research by ornithologists and birders, as public sightings during winter are much more than the sparse population of winged visitors to the region during summer. Though the number of migratory birds that arrive in the region during summer is much less than in winter, their arrival comes as a reminder that habitat conservation and public discourse around it must be a year-round effort along the entire flyway. Pre-monsoon months witness the return of the winter migratory birds and the arrival of migratory species for breeding. India's National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their Habitats along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) highlights that more than 80% of migratory bird species from three flyways, including the CAF, which visit the Indian subcontinent, use wetlands as habitat, and the rest, less than 20%, are land birds. Conservation of all wetlands along the flyway remains critical to prevent the fragmentation of the route. If the habitats are destroyed during the summer, when the total population of migratory water birds is significantly lower than during the winter, the entire flyway population can drop alarmingly. Integrating a wetland conservation plan with infrastructure development, industrialisation and agricultural expansion remains critical to ensure that these activities do not alter or destroy the natural habitats of migratory birds. The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) for conservation and management of wetlands, including Ramsar sites in the country, which is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate, can play a crucial role in wetland conservation. The centrally sponsored scheme covers various activities such as interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater; shoreline protection; lakefront development; in-situ cleaning, i.e., desilting and de-weeding; stormwater management; bioremediation; catchment area treatment; lake beautification; survey and demarcation; bio-fencing; fisheries development; weed control; biodiversity conservation; and community participation. The scheme also envisages community participation through orientation and training workshops of District Level Wetland Committees (DWCs), fishermen training programmes and awareness events such as the celebration of World Wetlands Day involving students and teachers across the state. Wider participation of local residents, who are the traditional custodians of the wetlands, therefore can make a huge difference to conservation efforts, provided the activities are not limited to ritualistic celebration of World Wetlands Day or World Migratory Bird Day and evolve into a sustained series of activities to make conservation of all bird habitats an integral component of their everyday socio-cultural life and practice. The National Action Plan on migratory birds focuses on the cross-sectoral institutional arrangements under which integrated management of wetlands requires cross-sectoral approaches which have a bearing on various developmental activities taking place within the landscape in which the wetland is situated. A clear institutional arrangement is required to be developed to ensure that decision-makers of all relevant sectors, such as water resources, irrigation and flood control; tourism; revenue; urban and rural development; forests and wildlife, are engaged in site management. In particular, consequences of sectoral development projects and wetlands need to be factored in within the management plans, it insists. This calls for a thorough review for each wetland and bird habitat to determine if these arrangements have actually been implemented on the ground or have remained confined to paper. If the necessary awareness is built within the local community, they will proactively alert the authorities concerned about the actual situation on the ground and impress upon them to take result-orientated action. The National Plan notes that a vast majority of migratory waterbirds that arrive in India also use urban and other human-dominated landscapes as well as the marine and coastal areas, and their effective protection requires the involvement of personnel from other departments, conservation agencies and local communities. The actions recommended in the plan, such as developing communication and outreach materials (in print and digital forms) targeted at diverse audiences; building a network of 'student ambassadors' for enlisting support of communities for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats; and encouraging Panchayati Raj Institutions, civil society organisations and community-based organisations to act as 'knowledge hubs', custodians and stewards of migratory birds and their habitats, need to be prioritised as part of various conservation efforts. Maintaining the People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) and strategies for the conservation of migratory birds, both featuring as key segments in the District Administrative Plans, as recommended in the National Plan, is a pragmatic approach to strengthen community participation using evidence-based data on local biodiversity. The PBR can be an important and ready reckoner for the community and other stakeholders to detect if any migratory bird species have stopped arriving in a particular habitat and prompt further study to identify the causes and take action. Sustainable conservation of migratory birds depends on coordinated action by governments and communities for securing every habitat along the flyway of migratory birds.