Wetlands International, together with Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) and BirdLife International have launched a new five-year initiative to protect the ecosystems and communities along the East Atlantic Flyway, one of the world’s most important migratory routes for waterbirds.

Each year, millions of migratory birds travel the East Atlantic Flyway, from the Arctic tundra through Europe to the coastal wetlands of West Africa. Along this route, critical wetland sites provide essential rest, feeding, and breeding grounds for more than 90 waterbird species. These ecosystems also support the wellbeing and resilience of the people who live near them.

But these wetlands are under threat. Climate change is amplifying droughts, flooding, sea-level rise, and erosion, damaging the delicate balance of nature and disrupting the lives of communities that depend on these ecosystems for food, livelihoods, and protection.

In response, Wetlands International and partners have launched a new programme to safeguard these critical sites for birds and people: Climate Resilience for Critical Sites for Migratory Birds and People along the East Atlantic Flyway.

The programme will run from 2025-2029 in 9 critical wetland sites across 7 countries in West Africa that are not only biodiversity hotspots, but also buffer zones against climate risks such as coastal erosion, flooding, and drought: Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania, Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, Saloum Delta, Senegal, Diawling National Park, Mauritania, Inner Niger Delta, Mali, Lower Mono Delta, Togo and Benin and additional sites of flyway importance across the West African coast.

Our aim is to increase the climate resilience at these key wetland sites by restoring ecosystems and supporting communities. Through promoting nature-based solutions that benefit both people and migratory birds, improved early warning systems, and inclusive flyway governance, the initiative supports both biodiversity conservation and the people that depend on healthy wetlands in the face of a changing climate.

The programme combines science, community knowledge, and policy dialogue to:

• Conduct climate risk and vulnerability assessments at each site.
• Implement site-based restoration and adaptation measures tailored to local needs.
• Build capacity of local stakeholders and youth to participate in decision-making.
• Integrate early warning systems and climate forecasting into wetland management.
• Foster South-South cooperation and flyway-scale governance.

Wetlands International leads the implementation of several key components of the programme, focusing on restoring ecosystems, strengthening local management capacity, and promoting nature-based solutions. We support partners across the flyway with technical expertise, capacity building, and coordination, ensuring that climate resilience efforts are grounded in science, inclusive governance, and strong local ownership. We are also the local partner in the Saloum Delta, Senegal.

The East Atlantic Flyway explained (a video by Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative):

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Implementing partners:

• BirdEyes, University of Groningen, Centre of Excellence for Global Ecological Change
• Guinea Bissau: Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas (IBAP)
• Mauritania: Banc d’Arguin National Park (Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, PNBA)
• Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal: Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone in West Africa (Partenariat Régional pour la Conservation marine et côtière, PRCM)
• Angola: Omulamba Biota Conservation
• Ghana: Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research
• Guinee: Guinee Ecologie
• Morocco: GREPOM
• Namibia: Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF)
• Nigeria: Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF)
• Sierra Leone: The Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL)
• South Africa: BirdLife South Africa

Supported by:

International Climate Initiative (IKI), funded by the Federal Government of Germany.

Banner picture: Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS)