Decisions 15.210 to 15.211 - Infrastructure Development and Migratory Species
Crosscutting Conservation Issues
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Decision directed to: Scientific Council
The Scientific Council is requested to extend the Working Group as established until the Sessional Committee decides its work is complete or an alternative arrangement is made, focusing its work on the following tasks:
a) develop technical guidance for adapting critical habitat criteria to migratory species, including ecological connectivity and subpopulation considerations;
b) prepare standard scoping checklists for inclusion of migratory species in EIAs/SEAs, with recommended survey methods and data sources;
c) identify best-practice, cost-effective monitoring methods for infrastructure impacts on migratory species;
d) support the Secretariat, as appropriate, in the delivery of Decision 15.211.
Decision directed to: Secretariat
The Secretariat shall, subject to the availability of resources:
a) compile and disseminate examples of adapted critical habitat methodologies incorporating ecological connectivity for migratory species;
b) liaise with multilateral development banks (MDBs) and the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) on updating their guidance, and with relevant bodies maintaining the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the GEO Portal to ensure alignment and data sharing;
c) update, regularly, the Online Library of Existing Databases on Movements, Habitats, and Presence and Absence of Migratory Species accessible to Parties and practitioners;
d) convene, in cooperation with the Scientific Council Working Group on Ecological Connectivity, holders of databases on migratory species distribution and movements, including those used by MDBs, to explore the potential for harmonizing data standards and optimizing visualization for targeted data users;
e) organize regional and national workshops to raise the awareness and increase the capacity of government representatives who are working in sectors concerned with infrastructure development of the needs and requirements of migratory species, in close collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders, multilateral development banks, bilateral development banks, donors and other organizations and institutions that are involved in linear infrastructure development;
f) identify infrastructure databases for spatial data on existing and planned linear infrastructure in cooperation with Parties, relevant organizations and experts;
g) review the implementation of Guidelines for Addressing the Impact of Linear Infrastructure on Large Migratory Mammals in Central Asia by Parties and update the Guidelines on the basis of the lessons learned from their review and other sources;
h) develop guidelines for preparing and using ecological connectivity plans as tools for migratory species conservation;
i) develop and circulate among Parties impact assessment (including strategic environmental assessment) screening guidelines, taking into consideration existing international, regional or national tools, including requirements of migratory species, ecological connectivity and ecological restoration in linear infrastructure development, as guidance materials for the implementation of CMS Resolution 07.02 (Rev.COP15) Impact Assessment and Migratory Species;
j) develop guidelines where gaps exist, including checklists, on the impact of infrastructure on migratory species for all geographic regions on the basis of the lessons learned from the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) infrastructure guidelines review, the CMS Energy Task Force and other sources, and translate CMS guidelines into national languages;
k) compile available information, in cooperation with partners, on the effectiveness of CMS-listed species-specific mitigation solutions, including lessons learned, for landscapes and types of infrastructure barriers and identify those species that need further analysis/research;
l) include in its communication strategy engagement with the financial and infrastructure-related sectors;
m) include in its communication programme:
i. development of fact sheets and policy briefs based on CMS guidance materials in collaboration with relevant CMS Initiatives, Task Forces and Scientific Council Working Groups;
ii. visualization of species distribution, and existing and planned infrastructure extracted from interactive online tools (including the CAMI Atlas and Bird Migration Atlas).