SA to host pre-AEWA meeting

Deputy Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Thomson would address delegates of the the more than 37 African countries, the department said in a statement.

The meeting was a platform for the African countries to deliberate and agree on African regional positions to be taken on issues covered in the agenda of the sixth Meeting of Parties to the AEWA, taking place in November in Bonn, Germany.

The agreement was developed under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which was a treaty of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The AEWA aimed to facilitate close co-operation between countries to maintain or restore migratory waterbird species and their populations at a favourable conservation status throughout their flyways.

AEWA facilitated this co-operation at all levels, stimulating parties to contribute effectively to international conservation, for instance through improved national practices, international collaboration, and joint activities.

South Africa was a range state – one of the countries that the waterbirds visit or fly through in their annual journeys – for migratory waterbirds covered by this agreement and also a party to the agreement.

“Some of the topical issues that will be deliberated on include the fact that developing countries, particularly African countries, rely on natural resources for survival, given the high rate of poverty and unemployment,” the statement said.

“As such, the meeting will discuss conservation approaches such as ‘conservation for people with the people’.”

This approach was expected to yield co-management arrangements for the protection of important bird areas which should be facilitated between management authorities and communities for the benefit of current and future generations, it said.

- ANA