Asian Waterbird Census Coordinators Conclude Two-Day Conservation Meeting in Bihar

The two-day meeting “Asian Waterbird Census India Coordinators Meeting” organized for the conservation of aquatic animals and wetlands concluded successfully on Sunday. This workshop was organized with the joint efforts of Bombay Natural History Society, Wetlands International South Asia and Bihar State Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Representatives from various states including Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi participated in this meeting. The participants included state level coordinators, forest department officials, scientists, wetland experts and representatives of voluntary organizations.

Topics like quality and standardization of AWC data, strategy to increase citizen participation, use of AWC data in policy decisions, national identification of priority wetlands were discussed in the meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to review the current status of Asian Waterbird Census in India, exchange of experiences of the states, and development of a coordinated monitoring strategy. This initiative also strengthens international agreements such as Ramsar Convention, Convention on Migratory Species and Biodiversity Treaty.

Bihar's role received special appreciation in the meeting. The state has set an example by systematically conducting AWC surveys across Bihar for four consecutive years from the year 2022. This achievement gives Bihar a distinct identity from other states of the country.