Central Asian Flyway: India leads global effort to save migratory birds

In one of its kind continent-wide effort to save migratory birds, eleven countries have agreed on an institutional framework. The framework, known as Central Asian Flyway (CAF), is aimed to strengthen efforts for migratory birds and their habitats in a coordinated manner.

Central Asian Flyway: Which countries does it cover?

The Central Asian Flyway is a major migratory route for birds, covering 30 countries from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. It is home to more than 400 species of migratory birds, including threatened and endangered species such as the Siberian crane and the lesser white-fronted goose.

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Of these 30 countries, 11 have come on-board for coordinated efforts to save migratory birds within the Central Asian flyway. These eleven countries are India, Armenia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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Other than these eleven countries, twenty nine more nations must also come on-board for the formalisation of complete Central Asian Flyway within one single mechanism.

The formalisation of the Central Asian Flyway initiative is being seen as a significant step towards the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.

What is a flyway?

A flyway is a geographical region within which a number of migratory bird species complete their annual cycle. The annual cycle includes breeding, moulting, staging and non-breeding.

A total of 370 species of migratory birds visit the Indian subcontinent annually.

Central Asian Flyway: India's leading role

Once agreed upon by all the countries, India may serve as secretariat of the Central Asian Flyway in due course, The Times of India reported.

"India has been taking proactive steps in the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats and has been advocating establishment of a Central Asian Flyway initiative that first began in 2005 in New Delhi," Suresh Kumar, senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, who assists the India's central government in matters relating to the Convention on Migratory Species, was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

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