No place to land: Loss of natural habitats threatens migratory birds globally

On their epic journeys, often spanning thousands of kilometres, migratory birds cross many borders, linking different countries as well as ecosystems.

The annual migration of an estimated 50 billion birds representing around 19 per cent of the world's 10,000 bird species is one of nature's great natural wonders. Yet each year, more and more of the natural habitats migratory birds need to complete their journeys either diminish or disappear completely.





The theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2011, celebrated around the world on 14-15 May, was ' Land use changes from a bird’s-eye view ' and it highlights the negative effects human activities are having on migratory birds, their habitats and the planet’s natural environment. The loss, fragmentation and degradation of natural bird habitats is occurring globally and is mainly caused by the pressures resulting from a growing human population, rapid urbanization and unsustainable human use of natural areas.

Beautiful Bird

“Although migratory birds face many serious threats, the way humans use the land around them has by far the greatest negative effect. Unsustainable human land use, whether through deforestation, intensive agriculture, biofuel production, land reclamation, urbanization and mining directly removes or damages the habitats of migratory birds, affecting their populations on a global scale”, said Bert Lenten, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and initiator of the World Migratory Bird Day campaign.

World Migratory Bird Day was organized by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) - two intergovernmental wildlife treaties administered by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). BirdLife International, Wetlands International and the Secretariat of the Partnership for the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAFP) are also main partners of the global campaign.

“As the two intergovernmental treaties dedicated to the conservation of migratory animals, including migratory birds at global and flyway scale, the Convention on Migratory Species and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement have launched World Migratory Bird Day to make people aware of the threats migratory birds face along their migration routes”, said Bert Lenten.

CMS and AEWA bring together governments and other stakeholders to coordinate and further develop global flyways policy, to ensure that all flyways in the world benefit from some kind of coordination mechanism that promotes cooperation at ground level among the countries involved. This includes working towards establishing a viable network of sites which can be used by migratory birds to breed, rest and refuel during their migration.

Dr. Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International’s Chief Executive said: ‘Land-use change poses an immediate and increasing threat to the world’s migratory birds. Habitats vital to these species on their incredible journeys are being destroyed or degraded at an alarming rate and the bird’s-eye view is becoming bleaker. The BirdLife Partnership, with over 110 conservation organizations along the world’s flyways, is working across borders to help stem this tide and achieve the effective joined-up conservation needed to make a difference for these inspiring birds.’

Initiated in 2006, World Migratory Bird Day is an annual campaign backed by the United Nations and is devoted to celebrating migratory birds and promoting their conservation worldwide.

Events for WMBD 2011 in over 50 countries included bird festivals, education programmes, presentations, film screenings and birdwatching trips, run by hundreds of volunteers, dedicated groups and organizations around the world.

Edutainment Strategy in Conservation of Environment and Agriculture Modernization

Considering the theories of emotional response which maintain that emotional messages in drama, music and humor in edutainment approaches to communication are more readily accepted by audience members and more likely lead to behavior change than messages with low emotional content, it is reasonable to believe that use of edutainment in promoting conservation of environment and modernization of agriculture is very vital.

Local people in rural areas come into contact with natural resources so often due to the nature of their daily chores. It would be paramount therefore to target them with edutainment approaches in conserving environment and modernization of Agriculture since they might not afford to buy news papers or and radio sets. Channels such as live theater performances and radio dramas which employ folk theater, puppetry, story telling, songs, music, mimes and folk dances would are paramount in this venture. I have seen this practically happen in several parts of Uganda and Rwanda. See the photos above showing local people in Rukungiri district of Uganda performing to the audience in an agriculture sensitization concert.

Several scholars including Barman (1998), Singhal and Rogers (1999) and Tufte (2005) have written much on this subject proving that the use of edutainment is vital in educating local people on various issues.

Handwashing Could Wash Away Diseases

Every 15th October the World marks Global Handwashing Day, in an effort to mobilize and motivate millions around the world to wash their hands with soap.

Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal disease and pneumonia, which together are responsible for approximately 3.5 million child deaths every year.

Children are highly susceptible to the diseases caused by a lack of effective sanitation and poor hygiene. More than 5,000 children under the age of five die every day as a result of diarrheal diseases, caused in part by unsafe water, lack of access to basic sanitation facilities and poor hygiene.

By washing hands with soap, families and communities can help reduce child morbidity rates from diarrheal diseases by almost 50 per cent.

To achieve this reduction, and for large scale, community-sensitive, and sustainable change to occur, partnerships with national and local governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious and community leaders, schools and the private sector are essential.

After learning about improved hygiene behaviour in schools, children can act as agents of change by taking these messages home to their families and communities.

Handwashing with soap, particularly after using the toilet and before eating, could significantly impact health, survival, child mortality, and help reduce poverty.

Climate Change and Increasing population threatening Uganda's Animals

Authorities in Uganda are warning that increased population in the country coupled with climate change are greatly reducing on the number of wild animals in the country.

Jeconiuos Musingwire, the Western region focal person for the national environmental watchdog- NEMA says that more and more habitats for wild animals are being encroached on by local people who turn them into settlements. He also says that climate change is greatly turning habitants for such animals into uninhabitable.

He warns that in future such animals could have no place to stay if stringent measures are not taken now to control increasing population and harsh climate changes. I took these pictures in Lake Mburo national park in Uganda.

Waste Management still poor

Management of wastes especially those generated from cities and towns in Africa remains a big problem. This photo is a clear example of what is happening in some parts of Africa. I took these photos in Rubindi town in Mbarara district, Uganda.