BirdLife International

It’s Saturday and early this morning, after an all night session, the Cali COP was suspended. This is the BirdLife International reaction. #BirdLifeCOP16 #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifePartnership #MessagesofHope #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature

The results are in!🎉 We received more than 3,700 messages of hope from 85 countries around the world! 🌎 These messages from bird lovers and nature enthusiasts were shared at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, COP16 in Colombia.📝🐦 They were displayed at crucial moments during negotiations, reminding world leaders as they made key decisions about what’s at stake and to lead us forward to a future where nature is prioritised and protected. 🌿 Thank you to everyone who sent in their messages and the wider BirdLife Partnership for your support! 🙌 Read more here 👉https://lnkd.in/gjJjXnw8 #COP16Colombia #BirdLifeInternational #Biodiversity #MessagesofHope #Hope National Audubon Society Nature Canada

It's Wednesday, day 10 of the Cali COP (well it's actually Thursday now as time ran away with me, but imagine its Wednesday!)... ...and we are getting to the sharp end negotiations as ministers debate the final package. Inevitably, money remains the most contentious issue: the level of funding that is being pledged, the fund that is used to administer it and also whether sectors that depend on and use biological resources (including Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources) should begin to contribute to conservation particularly through support for both Indigenous People and Local Communities. On the latter, the best case scenario is an agreement with a mandate for governments to take action nationally and with clarity on where the money is coming from, how much and where it is going. During the day, BirdLife had a series of events including two showcasing how development banks (like CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe- and Asian Development Bank (ADB)) are supporting flyway conservation and another sharing with Ministers the amazing Messages of Hope that were sent in from >3,700 people from 85 countries. And finally, I also caught up with Vera Voronova, director of BirdLife International Partner ACBK — Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan. Standing in front of a huge and mesmerising painting by Colombian artist Carlos Jacanamijoy whose works embodies the spirit of the indigenous Inga people of South America, we talked about the challenges of translating ambition outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework into national action for a country like Kazakhstan, the impact of the climate crisis and also the world-leading Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative. It's been quite a month for Vera and her team. First Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative was nominated for an The Earthshot Prize prize and yesterday she won the Midori Prize. I've known Vera for ten years and I cannot think of a more worthy winner. She's a conservation hero. You can read more about Vera here: https://lnkd.in/dHAzteGH #BirdLifeCOP16 #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifePartnership #MessagesofHope #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature

Over the past two weeks we have had new alarming statistics about the state of nature. First, the Living Planet Report by WWF and Zoological Society of London (ZSL) highlighted the catastrophic declines in freshwater species, then the IUCN Red List reported the increased risk of extinction to tree and (from BirdLife International) migratory bird species. Despite the vibrancy of debate and inspirational conservation interventions (many led by BirdLife Partners) profiled in the margins of the talks in Cali, the negotiations themselves and commitments made by governments are not keeping pace with the severity month crisis. That’s why I said this: “We cannot accept inaction as the new normal. This means more action to bolster efforts to recover threatened species, to protect and restore more land, fresh water and sea, and to transform our food, energy and industrial systems. We have five years to raise hundreds of billions of dollars. If we don’t see it materialise, I dread to think where we will be in 2030.” https://lnkd.in/epnQtupz

Let’s talk Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)! 🗺 Only 1/5 of areas identified as the most important for biodiversity are fully protected.🦉 To conserve 30% of land, waters and seas by 2030, we need to focus on both quality and quantity of sites. KBAs are our best tool in identifying quality sites for conservation in every country. 💧🌎 So far, 13 countries have included actions based on KBAs in their revised National Targets, and 33 countries are pinpointing areas that matter most for biodiversity. 📍📄 By ensuring that 30% of our conservation efforts focus on these vital sites, we can make a real impact in achieving Goal A: halting extinctions. ❌ Together, we can protect the most vital places for nature! 🙌 Help KBAs here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ev5JiP2W #Biodiversity #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature #BirdLifeInternational #Habitats #ProtectedPlanet #ProtectedAreas #KBAs

🚨Red List Update🚨 Migratory shorebird populations are plummeting globally. ⚠️ 📉 16 species have been reclassified to higher threat categories, with potential causes including habitat loss and degradation, disturbance, hunting and climate change. 🌊 🌎 Travelling the world on migration routes called flyways, shorebirds are a familiar sight worldwide. Protecting shorebirds is vital for all of us. 💚 The places migratory birds stop and rest on their long journeys are important for millions of people. CBD COP16 is the moment to galvanise action to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. 🤝 Nature loss can be reversed but extinctions cannot.❌ Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eF76wQda #COP16Colombia #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifeFlyways #RedList #HabitatLoss #Shorebirds #ClimateChange #Extinction #Conservation

It’s Saturday, day 6 of the Cali COP... …and I thought it was time to share some views from our host BirdLife International Partner here in Colombia – Calidris. Today’s conversation is with Diana Eusse (Migratory Shorebird Projects Coordinator for South America) who has been one of the Calidris team supporting many BirdLife Partners both last week at the Americas Partnership Meeting and this week here in Cali. Calidris is over thirty years old and is based in Cali itself but it has programmes across the country and is an active participant in the Conserva Aves programme (conserva-aves.org) which I profiled last week. Their logo (surely one of the best in the BirdLife partnership) is based on the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri), a long distance migrant that breeds in Alaska and migrates down to the the Pacific coast and Surinam on the Atlantic. It’s one of the species that is central to the shorebird programme that Diana leads. But, Calidris has also done a huge amount to engage more people across Colombia including through their urban bird monitoring programme and it was great to be able to visit one of those sites (the Bataclán Ecopark) this morning.  With more than 500 breeding and migratory bird species recorded in the city, Cali can lay claim to being the world’s capital city for birds and is why it hosts the Colombia Birdfair (colombiabirdfair.com) which has taken place in February every year for the past decade. This is all part of the work that many BirdLife Partners do around the world to engage more people to be aware of and care for wildlife. We want to create great, big bird- and nature-loving societies around the world so that when politicians attend future COPs they can be bolder and more ambitious for nature, knowing they have the support of their people back home. Enjoy the interview and here you can find out more about Calidris here: calidris.org.co. #BirdLifeCOP16 #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifePartnership #MessagesofHope #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature

It's Thursday, day 4 of the Cali COP... ...and it's been a warm day so I retreated inside to cool down to have a conversation with Pedro Develey, director of BirdLife International Partner SAVE Brasil to hear his perspective on the week so far. We spoke after we had an excellent event showcasing our joint Partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB) and East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) designed to restore a network of sites of migratory water birds, people and the climate. It was uplifting to hear different institutions like Agence Française de Développement and The World Bank talk about how they are realigning their programmes to support nature conservation as well as tackling climate change. It feels like the big institutions are shifting and is exactly the sort of move we need to close the c$700 billion annual funding gap for nature. Sadly, in the negotiating rooms in Cali, we are not seeing the level of ambition we need from developed nations to deliver their commitments to mobilising the resources necessary to tackle the nature crisis. We need developed countries to make substantial and immediate increases in financing for developing countries to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, from NOW. This is essential to avoid future costs associated with biodiversity loss and climate change. Remember that the World Economic Forum cites biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as the third biggest risk to the global economy over the next ten years. Providing at least $20 billion annually to developing countries by 2025 (as promised in the Global Biodiversity Framework) is a first and necessary step toward closing the overall biodiversity funding gap. And if governments need any more inspiration, they should listen to Pedro's story about the work Save Brasil is doing to save species from extinction. #BirdLifeCOP16 #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifePartnership #MessagesofHope #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature

Join us in celebrating 20 years of the BirdLife Seabird Tracking Database!🎉 The Database has become one of the most comprehensive marine conservation collaborations in the world. 🌊🌎 It hosts one of the largest collection of seabird tracking data in existence, helping address the growing threats to seabirds and the marine environment in general.🗺 A new study published today highlights the remarkable achievements of this world-leading dataset, currently hosting more than 43 million location records and 55,000 tracks from 168 seabird species in 55 countries.🐦💧 Read more in our article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eddipNDA #BirdLifeInternational #Seabirds #BirdLifeMigratoryFlyways #TrackingData #Conservation #MarineConservation

It’s Wednesday, day 3 of the Cali COP... ...the pattern of the first week is now set with negotiations on key issues being progressed (with mixed results) through various contact groups including on contentious issues like Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources*. The plan is that most issues are resolved before Ministers arrive next week. But in reality, there will be a lot of hard negotiations still needed to ensure a decent outcome emerges by the end of the COP. One encouraging sign has been the positive momentum to try and bring commitments for tackling biodiversity loss and climate change closer together - which will only be a good thing as destruction of high carbon habitats (like forests and peatlands) contribute about 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions while protection and restoration of nature could deliver 30% of the solution (in terms sequestering or storing carbon). This was the topic of my conversation with Joseph Onoja, the Director General of BirdLife International Partner NCF Nigeria which I recorded earlier today. *DSI is neatly explained here: https://lnkd.in/dpA7mCVz Onoja Joseph Daniel, PhD #BirdLifeCOP16 #BirdLifeInternational #BirdLifePartnership #MessagesofHope #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature