The Climate Change Factor

Bonn, 11 October 2017 - Half of Canada’s wildlife species are in “serious and significant decline” according to a recent report by the World Wildlife Fund, which cites climate change as a key driver.

The Living Planet Report Canada says:  “Impacts are being felt across the country, from warmer and more acidic oceans to shifting seasons (and corresponding life-cycle events for wildlife species). Different species are feeling the effects in different ways. The most vulnerable species are long-lived, slow to reproduce, require specialized habitats and foods, and are unable to move in response.”

But Canada, which prides itself on its vast and diverse wilderness, is not a standalone example. The impacts of climate change on migratory animals and the ecosystems on which they depend is duplicated the world over.

At COP12 in Manila, the Convention on Migratory Species will present a draft resolution on climate change that brings together previous CMS resolutions on climate change and migratory species. “The best available scientific information indicates that action to help migratory species adapt to climate change is urgently required,” the draft resolution advises.

The consolidated document has an attached work programme detailing actions to be taken in the short, medium and longer term. These inter alia include:
•    Developing action plans for species most vulnerable to climate change;
•    Identifying and prioritizing habitats most affected by climate change;
•    Protecting important sites for migratory species, through a range of measures;
•    Monitoring environmental change to key areas used by migratory species;
•    Developing guidelines for mitigation and human adaptation projects to ensure that they are not harmful to migratory species. This is particularly relevant with regard to renewable energy technologies, such as wind farms, which can be harmful to migratory birds, for example;
•    Ensuring environmental impact assessments, which are conducted prior to development projects, take into account migratory species;
•    Increasing awareness of the impacts of climate change on migratory species; and
•    Establishing better links between the needs of developing country and research conducted by developed country.

View here the full Climate Change Consolidation Resolution

 

For interviews or to speak to an expert, please contact:

Florian Keil, Coordinator of the Joint Communications Team at the UNEP/CMS and UNEP/AEWA Secretariats
Tel: +49 (0) 228 8152451

Veronika Lenarz, Public Information, UNEP/CMS Secretariat
Tel: +49 (0) 228 8152409
Email: [email protected]

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Last updated on 12 October 2017