World Migratory Bird Day 2015 Promotes Bird-Friendly Energy

Abu Dhabi, 11 May 2015 – Every year tens of millions of migratory birds, including raptors, are killed or injured by poorly designed, planned and sited energy infrastructure.  They collide with installations such as wind turbines and power lines, get electrocuted on power distribution poles, and suffer loss of their habitats due to energy generation plants and associated facilities.   Demand for energy is increasing rapidly.  This is resulting in the construction of more and more energy related obstacles and ultimately higher mortality rates for migratory birds.

This year’s World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is focused on raising awareness about the importance of the way in which energy generation and distribution technologies are deployed – more care should be taken to prevent, minimize and mitigate impacts on migratory birds and their habitats.

To celebrate WMBD, the Environment Department of the Dubai Municipality in the United Arab Emirates hosted a one-day Seminar to raise awareness about the threats to birds posed by energy developments and to highlight the steps that can be taken to effectively address them.  The event took place at the Falcon Heritage Center, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai on Monday 11 May 2015.  Lyle Glowka, Executive Coordinator of CMS Office - Abu Dhabi and Nick P. Williams, Head of the Coordinating Unit of the Raptors MoU were both invited to speak at the seminar.

"Although bird-safe electricity poles may incur marginally higher construction costs at the outset, such investment by power companies can save far more money later on by avoiding outages caused by bird-kills, reducing work for their technical and customer service teams, enabling uninterrupted supplies and thereby enhancing customer satisfaction.  Truly a win-win outcome for birds and for people", said Nick P. Williams.

For several years, CMS has been highlighting the threats posed to migratory birds caused by energy generation and distribution.  In November 2011, CMS Parties adopted Resolution 10.11 on ‘Power Lines and Migratory Birds’ which urged countries to implement and widely disseminate the ‘Guidelines on how to avoid or mitigate the impact of electricity power grids on migratory birds in the African-Eurasian region’.

And more recently, in November 2014, CMS Resolution 11.27 on ‘Renewable Energy and Migratory Species’ was adopted.  This Resolution endorses the ‘Renewable Energy Technologies and Migratory Species: Guidelines for Sustainable Deployment’ and instructs the CMS Secretariat to convene a multi-stakeholder Task Force on Reconciling Selected Energy Sector Developments with Migratory Species Conservation.  The aims of this Energy Task Force are to: promote the benefits of existing decisions; encourage Parties to implement current guidance and decisions; develop any necessary new guidelines and action plans as appropriate; and, make recommendations on suitable responses to specific problems and gaps in knowledge.

 

About World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)

World Migratory Bird Day was initiated in 2006 by the Secretariats of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). With the theme “Energy – Make It Bird-Friendly!” WMBD 2015 aims to highlight the importance of deploying energy technologies in a way that prevents, minimizes and mitigates impacts on migratory birds and their habitats.  Hundreds of events are being held all over the world in more than 80 countries to celebrate WMBD 2015.  Find out more on the WMBD website.

 

Last updated on 23 April 2018

Type: 
News
Country: 
United Arab Emirates
Threats: 
Electrocution
Habitat loss and degradation
Energy production and mining
Infrastructure and service corridors
Species group: 
Birds