THE Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) which operates under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is hosting the 12th Meeting of Partners (MOP) on Nov. 10-14 this year, deemed as a recognition of the timely and global significance of the country’s contributions to migratory waterbird conservation and habitat protection.
The event is a first for the BMB for the first time since the launch of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP).
The Philippines is considered home to the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the country’s first Flyway Network Site.
Some 300 delegates from over 20 countries are coming to Manila, representing governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and flyway network site managers from across the EAAF and nearby regions.
Attended by EAAFP partners, experts and observers, the MOP is a platform for knowledge exchange, strengthening partnerships, and advancing science-based approaches to wetland and waterbird conservation.
Uniting diverse communities across the Flyway, this year’s MOP is hemed “Weaving Connections: Celebrating Migration, Traditional Knowledge, and Innovation across our Flyway.”
“Let us ensure that conservation is not pursued in isolation, but integrated with our aspirations for sustainable development, climate resilience, and the well-being of our people,” BMB assistant director Mariglo Rosaida Laririt said.
The EAAF is one of the world’s most important migratory bird routes straddling 22 countries from Alaska, Russia, towards China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and further down to Australia and New Zealand.
Over 50 million migratory waterbirds, including globally threatened species, such as the Far Eastern Curlew, spoon-billed Sandpiper, and black-faced Spoonbill are supported by the Flyway.
