The 12th Meeting of Partners (MoP) of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) convened Monday at the Shangri-La Plaza, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu to coordinate strategies for protecting one of the world’s major bird migration routes.

The MoP, a biennial gathering, serves as the main decision-making forum for the EAAFP. It brings together partners to review progress, adopt decisions, and set the direction for preserving the flyway, which stretches from the Arctic/Siberia through East and Southeast Asia down to Australasia.

The East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) is a critical chain of internationally important wetland sites that must be sustainably managed to provide stopover, breeding, feeding and wintering habitats for migratory waterbirds.

Birds use the route to travel thousands of kilometers annually, linking ecosystems from Alaska and Russia through Southeast Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

The flyway spans 22 countries, encompassing over 1,000 wetland sites. This route supports more than 50 million migratory waterbirds from over 250 different species, including several that are globally threatened, such as shorebirds, cranes and ducks.

These migratory birds depend on biodiverse wetlands, including mudflats, estuaries, lakes and coastal zones.

Beyond sustaining avian life, these habitats are vital for flood protection, water purification and supporting local livelihoods, playing a crucial role in building resilience against the impacts of the climate crisis. The birds themselves contribute to pest control, plant pollination and eco-tourism.