© Petra Kaczensky

The meeting is jointly organised by the CMS Secretariat and the International Academy for Nature Conservation (INA) of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with funding from the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). It is being convened within the framework of the 2020 – 2023 Joint Work Programme between the CMS Secretariat and the BfN under the activity “Developing an International Single Species Action Plan for the Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus).”

The 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS (COP13) adopted Resolution 11.24 (Rev. COP13), containing the Programme of Work 2021-2026 for the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI POW). Activities 11.1-11.8 of the CAMI POW address conservation of the Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus). In particular, Activity 11.1 requests the Range States, with the support of the CMS Secretariat and IUCN Equid Specialist Group to Update status and distribution of Asiatic Wild Ass in all countries and develop a cross-boundary conservation vision. Furthermore Activity 11.2 requests the Range States with the support of the CMS Secretariat and the IUCN Equid Specialist Group to Develop an International Single Species Action Plan for the Asiatic Wild Ass covering all Range States as well as national action plans. The Meeting will facilitate implementation of these Activities.

Objectives

 The main objectives of the meeting are to:

• Review the status and distribution of the Asiatic Wild Ass
• Discuss aspects of re-introduction, habitat fragmentation and mitigation measures, wildlife health and transboundary conservation
• Identify main threats and actions needed
• Develop and endorse the Single Species Action Plan for the Asiatic Wild Ass.

Participation in the meeting is upon invitation by the CMS Secretariat and BfN.