The Partnership for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway
Launched in November 2006, the Partnership is an informal and voluntary initiative, aimed at protecting migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.
There are currently 27 partners including 14 countries, 3 intergovernmental agencies, 9 international non-government organisations and 1 international business sector.
The Partnership provides a framework for international cooperation, including:
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development of a Flyway Site Network (for sites of international importance to migratory waterbirds)
collaborative activities to increase knowledge and raise awareness of migratory waterbirds along the flyway
building capacity for the sustainable management and conservation of migratory waterbird habitat along the flyway.
Background
Blue dots mark important waterbird sites in the EAAF. Illustration: Maki Koyama © 2008 Partnership for EAAF. Press for enlargement.
The East Asia - Australasian Flyway (the Flyway) is one of nine major migratory waterbird flyways around the globe. It extends from within the Arctic Circle in Russia and Alaska, southwards through East and South-east Asia, to Australia and New Zealand in the south, encompassing 22 countries. Migratory waterbirds share this flyway with 45% of the world's human population.
The Flyway is home to over 50 million migratory waterbirds - including shorebirds, Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans) and cranes - from over 250 different populations, including 28 globally threatened species.
There are currently 700 sites recognised as internationally important to migratory waterbirds along the flyway, many of which are located adjacent to human settlement and vulnerable to rapid social and economic development pressures. Without international cooperation to address these threats, many waterbird species will face extinction in the near future.
Threats to migratory waterbirds and their habitats include:
Loss of habitat through reclamation of wetlands
Loss of habitat due to intensifying agriculture
Degradation of habitat through pollution
Reduction or diversion of water supply
Increase in disturbance by humans
Invasive plants and predators
Climate change