1. 8th IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Colloquium
Climate Change Adaptation and the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species and its Daughter Agreements
8th IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Colloquium
Ghent, September 2010
Arie Trouwborst
Tilburg Law School

2. Climate change & migratory species
Changes in:
Temperature
Precipitation
Extreme events …
Nature’s response: (attempted) adaptation

3. Climate change & migratory species (cont.)
Adaptation problematic:
Rate of change
Existing pressures
Adverse impacts, including species extinctions

4. Adaptation measures Enable dispersal Enlarge habitats
Active translocation
Reduce other stressors …
International cooperation

5. International policy: G8/G20
‘spontaneous adaptation is not expected to be sufficient to reduce the impacts on biodiversity at all levels, or on vulnerable ecosystems’
‘Proactively putting in place actions for climate change adaptation of natural and managed ecosystems’
Carta di Siracusa on Biodiversity, 24 April 2009

6. International law Global Regional UNFCCC, Kyoto, post-Kyoto
Ramsar Wetlands Convention 1971
World Heritage Convention (WHC) 1972
Migratory Species Convention (CMS) 1979
Biodiversity Convention (CBD) 1992
Regional
EU Birds and Habitats Directives 1979/1992
CMS daughter agreements
... 6

7. CMS 114 parties Objective Appendix I: strictly protected species
Appendix II: species to be conserved through daughter instruments

8. CMS & adaptation Convention provisions: Do not address climate change
Some may favour adaptation:
Protection App. I species and habitats (Art. III)
‘take action to avoid any migratory species becoming endangered’ (Art. II(2))
Some may hamper adaptation:
‘Historic coverage’ (Art. I(1)(c)(4))
‘Range (state)’ (Art. I(1)(f)/(h))

9. CMS & adaptation (cont.)
COP Resolution 8.13 (2005) on Climate Change and Migratory Species
Study ‘Migratory Species and Climate Change’ (2006)
COP Resolution 9.7 (2008) on Climate Change Impacts on Migratory Species
Species vulnerability assessments (first set: 2010)

10. COP Resolution 9.7 (2008)
‘Concerned that climate change is already known to be affecting the habitat, behaviour, distribution and abundance of migratory species listed under the Convention’ ‘Recognising that due to climate change, ranges of migratory species are changing and that CMS instruments may need to adapt to these variations’ ‘Acknowledging the considerable threat that climate change poses for migratory species and their habitats’

11. COP Resolution 9.7 (cont.)
‘design and implement adaptation strategies for migratory species threatened by climate change’ ‘wherever possible act upon and fully implement advice [..] provided by the Scientific Council’ ‘incorporation of climate change impacts and relevant adaptation measures into species-specific Action Plans’ ‘despite the remaining uncertainty surrounding the full scale of impacts of climate change on migratory species, not to delay related decision-making and action’

12. CMS daughters Treaties (7) Non-treaty instruments (20)
Climate adaptation, stages:
Recognize potential threat
Call for / commission research into impacts
Call for adaptation measures
Guidance on adaptation measures

13. Treaty daughters
1990 Wadden Sea Seals (IV(4)) 1991 European Bats (EUROBATS; IV(3)) 1991 Baltic & North Sea Small Cetaceans (ASCOBANS; IV(4)) 1995 African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA; IV(3)) 1996 Cetaceans Mediterranean, Black Sea & Contiguous Atlantic (ACCOBAMS; IV(4)) 2001 Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP; IV(3)) 2007 Gorillas (IV(3))

14. Treaty daughters (cont.)
Treaty provisions:
None address climate adaptation
Various provisions implicitly relevant
MOP decisions:
Only AEWA
Technical guidance:

15. Example: Gorilla Agreement
‘coordinate their efforts to ensure that a network of suitable habitats is maintained or re-established throughout the entire range of all species and sub-species, in particular where habitats extend over the area of more than one Party to this Agreement’ (Art. III(2)(c))

16. Example: AEWA
MOP Resolutions 3.17 (2005) & 4.14 (2008) on climate change and migratory waterbirds
2007 study ‘The Effects of Climate Change on Migratory Waterbirds within the African-Eurasian Flyway’
Strategic Plan (Target 1.2)
Conservation Guidelines (No. 12, 2010) on Measures Needed to Help Waterbirds to Adapt to Climate Change

17. Example: AEWA (cont.)
‘designate and establish comprehensive and coherent networks of adequately managed sites, to accommodate range-shifts and facilitate waterbirds’ dispersal’ (Resolution 4.14, 2008)
‘as far as possible, maintain the ecological character of the sites important for waterbird populations under changing climate conditions through appropriate management measures’ (id.)

18. Non-treaty daughters
1993 MoU Siberian Crane 1, MoU Slender-billed Curlew Action Plan Sahelo-Saharan Antelopes MoU African Marine Turtles 1, MoU Great Bustard 1, MoU Marine Turtles IOSEA MoU Bukhara Deer MoU Aquatic Warbler MoU Western African Elephants MoU Pacific Islands Cetaceans 1, 2

19. Non-treaty daughters (cont.)
2006 MoU Saiga Antelope 1, MoU Ruddy-headed Goose MoU South American Grassland Birds MoU Mediterranean Monk Seal MoU Dugong Action Plan Central Asian Flyway 1, 2, MoU W. African Aquatic Mammals 1, 2, MoU African-Eurasian Birds of Prey 1, 2, MoU High Andean Flamingos MoU Sharks 1

20. Example: Action Plan Central Asian Flyway
‘Range States shall cooperate to determine and monitor the impacts of climate change on migratory waterbirds and their habitats and where appropriate respond to the threats’ (Par )

21. Example: MoU Western African Aquatic Mammals
‘Incorporate climate change considerations into conservation plans, assessments and strategies, and implement, where appropriate, implementation strategies aiming to increase the resilience of marine ecosystems and species to climate change’ (Small Cetacean Action Plan, Obj. 5.6) ‘Develop long-term strategies to protect manatee habitats in relation to climatic changes’ (Manatee Action Plan, Obj. 3.2)

22. Evaluation The CMS regime already favours adaptation: Implicitly:
Countering other threats
Protected area networks
Explicitly:
Treaties: COP/MOP decisions, vulnerability assessments, adaptation guidelines
Non-treaty daughters: substantive provisions
State of the art: AEWA (1, 2, 3, 4)

23. Evaluation (cont.) Limitations / challenges:
Outdated treaty & MoU provisions:
Climate change not addressed
‘Historic coverage’
‘Range (state)’
Participation &
implementation
Mitigation (!)

24. Legal questions
Potential future range states (signatories, observers, cooperating partners?)
Amendment & interpretation
Non-migratory species
Migratory species (‘cyclically and predictably’ / ‘periodically’)
Non-migratory species:
‘Technical migrants’
Rest

25. Thank you!
See also:
A. Trouwborst, ‘International Nature Conservation Law and the Adaptation of Biodiversity to Climate Change: a Mismatch?’ 21 Journal of Environmental Law (2009) 419