WOW Exchange Programme Workshop Meeting of WOW Demonstration Projects and Regional Centre Teams from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria 4-7 November, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Flyway-level Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds in Africa and Eurasia

BIRDS MIGRATION A MIRACLE OF NATURE

African Eurasian Flyways Cover Countries 118

over 3,000,000 migratory waterbirds 300 species The African Eurasian Waterbirds Agreement UNEP-AEWA (1995) unique ecological requirements increasingly scarce habitats congregatory behaviour vulnerability

forming a NETWORK of critical sites essential for migratory waterbirds Sites holding >1% of the population of individual wader sp. over 100,000 important wetlands (and other habitats) Ramsar Convention (1975)

flyway conservation shared resource = shared responsibility for their conservation and sustainable use improving cooperation among all countries along the flyways developing a stronger science base improving our understanding of waterbirds migration providing better support to decision-making for their conservation avoiding antagonistic interventions along the flyways harmonising policies and optimising actions on the ground sharing resources for the benefit of all partners along the african-eurasian flyways (and beyond): –enhancing professional capacity –mobilising financial resources –training, education and awareness tools

JOINT EFFORT WOW is the largest waterbirds and wetlands conservation initiative ever to take place in the African-Eurasian Region

THE TEAM More than 100 project staff involved in over 20 countries (plus a network of hundreds of other staff and volunteers) Project Coordination Unit Based in: Wageningen, The Netherlands

what are we doing? regional-level activities 1.science base for decision-making 2.capacity building & training 3.communication and networking activities in the field –demonstration projects in 12 countries –four regional centres

The critical sites network tool (component 1)

Improving our understanding of the Critical Network of Sites required by Migratory Waterbirds

A multi-national technical team at work

integrating & linking several databases Into one portal: THE CRITICAL SITE NETWORK TOOL

Capacity Development (component 2)

developing training programmes & materials to support flyway-level conservation

Capacity Development

Regional Training Boards

WOW Flyway Training Modules Each module contains: Illustrated Textbooks and Session Plans Powerpoint Presentations Exercise manuals Case studies 1.Understanding the flyway approach 2.Applying the flyway approach 3.Communicating the flyway approach

textbooks and manuals

powerpoints

Demonstration Projects (component 3)

Activities in the field Projects in 12 coutries along the flyway Demonstrating Best Practice in Wetlands Management and Waterbirds Conservation

Demonstration Projects Regional Hubs Project Coordination Unit

Ecotourism Wetland Restoration Trans-boundary Management Management Planning Community Mobilization Alternative Livelihoods Education and Awareness Control of invasive species

WOW Regional Centres

Thank you

Organising our thinking about migration: Waders as an example of waterbird flyways