Source: DTE
Context: Central Asian nations, including India, have endorsed a six-year transboundary conservation plan under the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) to protect 17 migratory mammal species.
About Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI):
What it is?
- The Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) is a collaborative conservation framework under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), aimed at protecting migratory and nomadic mammals across Central Asia’s vast steppe, desert, and mountain ecosystems.
Established in: Launched in 2014 during COP11 of CMS held in Quito, Ecuador, and later revised at COP13 (Gandhinagar, India, 2020).
Aim: To preserve migratory connectivity, combat threats such as habitat fragmentation, poaching, and climate change, and enhance cross-border cooperation among Central Asian nations for shared species conservation.
Key Features:
- Covers 17 flagship species, including Saiga antelope, Snow leopard, Wild camel, Urial, Argali sheep, Bukhara deer, and Persian leopard.
- Encourages regional coordination through national action plans, data sharing, and removal of physical migration barriers.
- Promotes ecosystem-level management rather than isolated species protection.
- Engages governments, NGOs, IUCN, and local communities in a multi-stakeholder approach.
Significance:
- Preserves the “Serengeti of the North”, one of the world’s largest remaining landscapes for long-distance ungulate migrations.
- Enhances transboundary ecological connectivity vital for species adapting to climate change.
