Decisions 15.216 to 15.219 - Climate Change and Migratory Species
Crosscutting Conservation Issues
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Decision directed to: Parties
Parties are requested to:
a) identify case studies evidencing successful actions that have supported migratory species’ adaptation to climate change;
b) identify case studies evidencing ecosystem services provided by migratory species that contribute to addressing climate change;
c) share them with the Secretariat.
Decision directed to: Parties, IGOs & NGOs
Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to:
a) use the guidance on barriers as summarized in Annex 5 of document UNEP/CMS/COP15/Doc.28.12/Rev.1 to identify and mitigate barriers likely to impede the movements of migratory species, including potential range shifts in response to climate change, and share any observations with the Secretariat;
b) use the recommendations contained in the Report on the Impacts of Climate Change on Cetacean Welfare and Conservation, summarized in Annex 2 to document CMS/COP15/Doc.25.4.1/Rev.1, to improve understanding of the impacts of climate change on cetacean species and support their conservation in the face of climate change, and share any experiences and lessons learned in applying the recommendations with the Secretariat.
Decision directed to: Scientific Council
The Scientific Council is requested, subject to the availability of resources, to:
a) re-establish its Climate Change Working Group and update its Terms of Reference as needed;
b) undertake a horizon scan of potential impacts of climate change on migratory species, including the identification of threats, opportunities and disrupters, as well as potential conservation actions and how they can be pragmatically implemented;
c) convene a workshop, to:
i. identify those migratory species most likely to be impacted by climate change, including by changes to their migration routes, and therefore most in need of conservation interventions, with a focus on those listed on Appendix I, as well as species for which interventions might have wider benefits;
ii. conduct a review of the impacts of migratory species’ range shifts on ecosystem functioning, including through the loss and introduction of migratory species and their associated ecosystem services, as well as potential policy implications;
d) develop case studies to:
i. showcase how migratory species have adapted to barriers to migration in the context of their adaptation to climate change, and how management interventions have helped migratory species overcome such barriers;
ii. demonstrate effective actions to prepare for and respond to extreme climate events likely to impact vulnerable migratory species, including early-warning systems and response protocols;
e) organize webinars outlining synergies between migratory species conservation and the delivery of wider international goals and targets, including the IPBES Nexus Assessment response options;
f) promote knowledge exchange and collaboration between the CMS Scientific Council Working Groups on Climate Change and on Ecological Connectivity on overlapping areas of work;
g) identify overlaps between CMS activities related to migratory species and climate change and those of related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), including both synergies and trade-offs;
h) develop fact sheets on the benefits of migratory species conservation to the implementation of goals and targets under other MEAs, tailored for different audiences;
i) address youth concerns in discussions related to migratory species and climate change;
j) through the Working Group on Migratory Species and Health and Working Group on Climate Change as well as other relevant workstreams in CMS family agreements to jointly collate and discuss measures to monitor, prevent and mitigate mass mortality events of populations of migrating species and identify actions that can be taken in that regard.
Decision directed to: Secretariat
The Secretariat shall, subject to the availability of resources:
a) support the Scientific Council in the implementation of Decision 15.218;
b) bring to the attention of the Scientific Council any case studies shared by Parties under Decision 15.216;
c) collect and bring to the attention of the Scientific Council any feedback from Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on their experience with using the guidance materials and recommendations referred to in Decision 15.217;
d) engage and cooperate with other MEAs and organizations, including in particular the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the Ramsar Convention, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the IUCN, at relevant meetings, to provide information about climate change and migratory species, and invite Parties to reinforce the coordination between MEAs focal points.