GS3: Environment | Conservation

Why in News?

The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme, is going to be hosted by India during 15th to 22nd February, 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

CMS:

• In order to protect the migratory species throughout their range countries, a Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), has been in force, under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme.
• It also referred to as the Bonn Convention.
• It provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats and brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States.
• It lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures
  throughout a migratory range.
• The convention complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.

India’s contribution:

• India has signed non-legally binding MOU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).
• India is temporary home to several migratory animals and birds.
• The important among these include Amur Falcons, Bar headed Gheese, Black necked cranes, Marine turtles, Dugongs, Humpbacked Whales, etc.
• India has launched the National Action Plan for conservation of migratory species under the Central Asian Flyway.
• The Indian sub-continent is also part of the major bird flyway network, i.e, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) that covers areas between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, and covers at least 279 populations of 182 migratory water bird species, including 29 globally threatened species.

Migratory species:

• Migratory species are those animals that move from one habitat to another during different times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc.
• The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of miles/kilometres for some migratory birds and mammals.
• A migratory route can involve nesting and also requires the availability of habitats before and after each migration.