Feb 17,2020

Insect decline and its cascading effects on migratory species feeding on them will be on the agenda for the first time at a UN summit on migratory species beginning in Gujarat.

Significance of CMS COP 13.

• The 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the .Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13) will take place from February 15 to 22 Feb 2020 in Gandhinagar.
• It is the first time India will host a CMS COP.
• 129 countries will attend it.
• CMS COP13 will be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17, marking India’s commitment to tackling the loss of biodiversity and the protection of vulnerable species globally.
• The UN Wildlife Conference in India will also kick off the ‘super year’ for biodiversity, which will culminate in the adoption of a new global biodiversity framework in Kunming in China during the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference in October 2020.
• At the triennial conference, more than 1,200 delegates from 129 countries will take decisions on the conservation of migratory wildlife, which is in significant decline worldwide
• The insect decline agenda is scheduled for discussion on February 19 for the first time.

Highlights of the Draft Resolution:

• According to CMS an environmental treaty under the aegis of the UN Environment Programme about half of all insect species are rapidly declining.
• Generalist species of insects that form a third of the total and which were once common and widespread are too facing extinction.
• IPBES   while reviewing the drivers of insect decline has estimated that, at the current rate, 40 per cent of the world’s insect species might become extinct over the next few decades.
• The main drivers causing insect decline are habitat change and loss, pollution through synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, invasive species and pathogens, as well as climate change.
• According to CMS, despite recent developments in research on insect decline and its drivers, knowledge gaps remain about the conservation status and population trends of insects in some regions.
• Furthermore, attention towards this issue is only recently starting, as the insect numbers worldwide continue to fall dramatically.

Actions Recommended:

• Increased scientific research is needed to better understand the impact of insect decline on migratory insectivorous animals.
•  Precautionary approach with respect to the use of pesticides, especially in habitats important for migratory birds and bats.
• However, caution should be taken that non-target insects that are the food of migratory insectivores are not harmed.
•  Restoration of habitats and addressing the causes of decline to conserve insects.
•  Raising awareness among farmers regarding the drivers of insect decline.

Parties to EUROBATS:

•  Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats, have already noted that insect decline is a threat to the population of bats.
• EUROBATS agreement focuses on the Conservation of Bats Population and indirectly points to the conservation of insects to save bats.
• Insect biodiversity plays a vital role for functioning ecosystems, especially for insectivorous migratory species such as birds and bats.