Bonn, 16 June 2011 - Climate change is already having a significant impact on migratory species across the globe. Birds are starting to arrive and breed earlier, turtles are being observed at higher latitudes and some long-distance migrants are starting to decline due to climate change. Future predictions point to many more declines, extinctions and a total reshuffle of ecosystems as they stand today.

While the interactions between climate change and biodiversity are complex, there is a pressing need for governments to agree on joint activities to tackle the problem. An expert workshop was convened from 6-8 June at the Tour du Valat research station in the South of France under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to make recommendations on how best the international community could assist migratory species in dealing with climate change. Experts brought together ecological, genetic, climatic and legal insight in order to formulate a roadmap for action ranging from appropriate monitoring, identification of most vulnerable species and spatial planning to the role of local people and legal matters in this context.

The recommendations will become the heart of the climate change resolution, which will be tabled at the forthcoming Tenth Conference of the Parties (COP) in Bergen, Norway, for CMS Parties to adopt. The resolution will build upon the existing climate change mandate from COP5, COP8 and COP9. It is hoped that the new resolution will provide Parties with concise and specific guidance on adaptation and mitigation measures. The management tools for conservation are likely to remain the same in the light of climate change, but their application will change. Adaptive management will be essential in order for policies to be implemented with sufficient flexibility.

For the Meeting Agenda, click here.