Waterbird populations across the African-Eurasian flyway are on a downward trend, with declining populations outstripping growing ones by almost 50 per cent, shows the latest conservation status report compiled for the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) – an inter-governmental treaty administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

However, the report also shows that the populations subjected to active conservation measures generally fare much better, with 45 per cent of them declining, compared to a staggering 83 per cent decline in populations not covered by active conservation measures.