How Asia’s development push is driving migratory birds to extinction

The most recent estimate is an 8 per cent annual reduction between 2014 and 2019. Over the past three generations, the reduction is suspected to have been 70-80 per cent. If we don’t take urgent action to protect these species and their habitats, the region’s skies could soon fall permanently silent.

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Migratory birds threatened by illegal hunters in southwest China

There is a glimmer of hope amid all this concerning news in the form of the Regional Flyway Initiative, which the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched in 2021 to safeguard vital wetlands across the Asia-Pacific. To achieve this, the ADB will partner with the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat, BirdLife International and other stakeholders to raise a substantial US$3 billion in the next decade to protect priority wetland clusters.

The convergence of these factors – the adoption of sustainable practices, the dedication of conservationists and the impassioned advocacy of younger people – presents a formidable arsenal in the fight to safeguard the future of the flyway and its avian users.

In this quest to protect the flyway, the voices of countless species echo a fervent plea for action. The skies, once filled with the vibrant hues of migratory flocks, must not fall silent. The fate of Asia’s migratory birds is intertwined with our own, and in their preservation we will find the preservation of our collective natural heritage.

Mohammad Yunus is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biological sciences at Khon Kaen University, Thailand