Five months after its landmark announcement with the World Bank, BirdLife International’s ambitious flyway conservation initiative is rapidly gathering pace, marking a pivotal moment in global efforts to align development finance with nature-positive outcomes for migratory birds. This strategic alliance, rooted in shared expertise and a common vision for biodiversity preservation, is demonstrating tangible progress across critical fronts, from enhanced coordination and expanded partnerships to significant resource mobilization and the establishment of robust technical foundations. The initiative underscores a growing international recognition that safeguarding migratory species, which traverse continents and connect ecosystems, is indispensable for global ecological health and sustainable development.
Deepening the Alliance: A New Era for Flyway Conservation
The initial announcement in October 2025 signaled a new chapter in conservation, where the immense financial power and reach of multilateral development banks (MDBs) are strategically harnessed to protect some of the planet’s most vulnerable species. While the partnership between BirdLife International and the World Bank currently operates without direct financial transfers between the two entities, its strength lies in the synergistic exchange of knowledge, technical capabilities, and strategic influence. BirdLife International, with its unparalleled scientific authority on birds and extensive global network of over 100 partner organizations, brings critical ecological data and on-the-ground implementation capacity. The World Bank, conversely, offers its vast experience in development finance, policy integration, and its ability to influence large-scale infrastructure projects that often intersect with vital migratory routes.
To translate this shared ambition into concrete impact, BirdLife International has swiftly established dedicated technical and strategic teams. This internal restructuring has been crucial for ensuring seamless alignment across diverse geographical regions and thematic areas, facilitating swifter decision-making processes, enhancing accountability, and fostering stronger collaboration within its expansive global partnership. The efficient internal coordination is a testament to the urgency and strategic importance placed on this initiative, setting a precedent for how conservation organizations can effectively scale their operations to meet global challenges.
A Tapestry of Partnerships: Expanding Global Reach
The African-Eurasian Flyway Initiative (AEFI), formally launched in November 2025 in collaboration with the World Bank, stands as a cornerstone of this expanding conservation architecture. This initiative follows successful precedents set with other MDBs, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the East Asian Australasian Flyway and CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, for the Americas flyway. These earlier partnerships provided invaluable lessons and a blueprint for integrating conservation priorities into large-scale development planning, showcasing the potential for MDBs to become powerful allies in the fight against biodiversity loss.
Further solidifying its comprehensive approach, BirdLife-led consultations in January 2026 brought together technical representatives from key Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). These included the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), among others. The Ramsar Convention, established in 1971, provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources, which are critical habitats for countless migratory species. The CMS (also known as the Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine, and avian migratory species throughout their range, while AEWA specifically targets the conservation and sustainable use of migratory waterbirds and their habitats across Africa and Eurasia. These engagements are vital for ensuring that flyway conservation efforts are not only scientifically sound but also deeply embedded within the existing global biodiversity and migratory species policy frameworks, guaranteeing long-term sustainability and legal backing. By aligning with these international conventions, the initiative leverages existing mandates and fosters a harmonized approach to complex transboundary conservation challenges.
Fueling Conservation: Mobilizing Critical Resources
The success of any large-scale conservation endeavor hinges on its ability to secure robust and sustainable financial resources. In a significant win, BirdLife International successfully secured a €5.2 million EU LIFE grant. This substantial investment is earmarked for the conservation of the critically endangered Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a species facing severe threats across its vast migratory range. The project will involve partners across Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, demonstrating the transboundary nature of flyway conservation and the necessity of coordinated international action. This landmark grant not only provides crucial funding but also signals a growing confidence among international donors in BirdLife’s integrated flyway approach and its proven capacity for effective, on-the-ground implementation.
In parallel to this success, BirdLife International has been diligently developing a comprehensive £7.5 million restoration and scaling proposal. This ambitious plan is centered around seven of BirdLife’s partner organizations strategically located along the African-Eurasian Flyway. Furthermore, over 30 priority flyway site investment profiles have been meticulously prepared, designed to attract and catalyze further funding from a diverse range of prospective supporters. A dedicated resource mobilization strategy is actively mapping existing donors and scoping new avenues for financial support, ensuring a diversified and resilient funding base.
A particularly transformative development on the horizon is the proposal for a Civil Society global flyway grant mechanism, currently being developed in collaboration with other multilateral development bank partners. If realized, this mechanism would represent a monumental step towards securing long-term, predictable financing for civil society organizations working on flyway conservation worldwide, empowering local communities and NGOs to play a more significant role in protecting these vital ecological corridors. This innovative financing model reflects a deeper understanding of the need for sustained investment beyond individual projects, fostering systemic change.
Amplifying the Message: Building a Global Platform
Effective communication is paramount in galvanizing support and raising awareness for such a far-reaching initiative. Over the past months, BirdLife International has invested significantly in amplifying its message and building a strong global platform. This includes the production of a compelling launch video for the African-Eurasian Flyway Initiative (AEFI), designed to visually communicate the urgency and beauty of migratory bird conservation. A dedicated brand identity and comprehensive guidelines have been developed for the African-Eurasian Flyway, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging across all communications channels. Furthermore, a new webpage has been established, serving as a central hub to showcase BirdLife’s engagement with multilateral development banks and to provide updates on the progress of its flyway initiatives.
A major upcoming event is BirdLife International’s second Global Flyways Summit, scheduled to be hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 11, 2026. This high-profile gathering is anticipated to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders, including government representatives, leading financiers, scientific experts, and civil society organizations from around the world. The summit will serve as a crucial forum for fostering dialogue, sharing best practices, and forging shared solutions for migratory bird conservation. A highlight of the event will be the premiere of a brand-new series of short films on the flyways, which will spotlight the critical work undertaken by BirdLife Partners across various regions, bringing to life the profound impact of their efforts and the intricate journeys of migratory birds. The summit will undoubtedly generate significant political will and public engagement, propelling the flyway agenda forward.
Shaping Policy and Practice: Integrating Nature into Development
Looking ahead, a key strategic objective is the development of bird-inclusive investment principles and guidelines specifically tailored for multilateral development banks. These practical tools are designed to help mainstream nature-positive approaches directly into infrastructure planning and development finance decisions. By providing clear frameworks and criteria, BirdLife aims to ensure that future development projects minimize negative impacts on migratory birds and their habitats, and ideally, contribute positively to their conservation. This proactive engagement seeks to integrate ecological considerations from the earliest stages of project conceptualization, rather than merely attempting to mitigate damage post-facto.
Planned engagements at major international forums underscore the breadth of this policy-shaping ambition. BirdLife International intends to participate actively in CMS COP15 (Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species), including discussions with the Energy Taskforce, to advocate for bird-friendly energy infrastructure. Further engagements are slated for London Climate Action Week and the CBD COP (Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity), where the importance of migratory bird conservation will be highlighted within broader climate and biodiversity agendas. The organization is also exploring options for regional and sector-specific capacity-building workshops, aiming to strengthen the practical implementation of nature-positive policies on the ground, equipping local stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary for effective conservation.
The Scientific Bedrock: Guiding Strategic Investment
Underpinning all these efforts is a foundation of rigorous scientific research and data. In recent months, BirdLife International has undertaken a monumental task, assessing and ranking more than 5,680 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) across the African-Eurasian Flyway. IBAs and KBAs are internationally recognized sites critical for the global persistence of biodiversity, identified using standardized criteria. This meticulous assessment has evaluated their significance specifically for migratory birds, providing an invaluable evidence base for targeted conservation action.
Through extensive consultations with its network of partners, BirdLife has identified 256 priority flyway sites along the eastern side of the African-Eurasian Flyway, with parallel consultations actively underway for the western side. This detailed scientific mapping will be instrumental in guiding the AEFI’s inception phase, enabling the precise identification of priority sites, countries, and landscapes where early investment among BirdLife’s over 80 partners in the flyway can yield the most significant and impactful results for migratory birds.
Once these initial pilot countries are confirmed, BirdLife International will proactively engage with governments, local civil society organizations, and research institutions. This collaborative approach ensures strong alignment, fosters local ownership, and promotes mutually beneficial strategies for conservation. With these pilot countries serving as models, the long-term goal is to scale this successful approach across the entire flyway, creating a continuous network of protected and well-managed habitats.
Simultaneously, consultations with the World Bank are delving into how BirdLife International’s unparalleled knowledge and expertise as the world’s global authority on birds can be seamlessly integrated into the Bank’s project pipeline. This involves providing expert technical advice to mainstream nature-positive solutions directly into various development investments, from infrastructure projects to agricultural initiatives. This collaboration aims to embed environmental sustainability into the very fabric of development, ensuring that economic progress does not come at the expense of vital ecosystems and species.
The rapid momentum generated in the past five months clearly indicates a transformative direction: by strategically combining cutting-edge science, robust partnerships, and innovative finance mechanisms, BirdLife International and its allies are fundamentally reshaping how global development interacts with migratory birds and their habitats. While the scale of the task ahead remains immense, the foundations laid are exceptionally firm. The vision of a future where migratory birds thrive across healthy, interconnected flyways, supported by a global framework of nature-positive development, is closer than ever before, promising a brighter future for both biodiversity and humanity.