Closing the conservation gap

How international cooperation at global and regional levels supports species conservation and migration

By GRID-Arendal Natalia Skripnikova, Paige Hellbaum Eikeland

March 26^th, 2026

The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15) took place in Campo Grande, Brazil, from March 23–29, 2026. In this piece, we explore how conservation efforts at different levels (global, regional, and local) can support ambitious international commitments that are also effective at the local level.

Global Priorities: Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS; also referred to as the Bonn Convention) is the only global convention established exclusively for the conservation of migratory species, their habitats, and migration routes. It is also one of the oldest Multilateral Environmental Agreements under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme, adopted on 23 June 1979. As of today, 133 nations are parties to the Convention, engaging in international cooperation and coordinated action to conserve migratory species in places where such species spend any part of their life, as well as enhancing sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. In the context of CMS, “migration” takes a legal definition (any listed species crossing an international border), rather than a biological one.

The Convention recognises that certain migratory species are threatened with extinction and provides a global platform to address these challenges. CMS is an example of what is called a framework Convention. It promotes the establishment of various types of agreements, which include legally binding treaties (called Agreements, currently 7) or non-binding Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs; currently 19) and can be adapted to the requirements of regions. This approach is flexible, allowing states within species ranges to tailor plans and actions to their conservation needs.

The Convention applies to the species that are listed in two Appendices: Appendix I covers migratory species which are endangered and Appendix II concerns species “which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those species which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement”. The principal decision-making body of the Convention is the Conference of the Parties (COP), which meets once every three years and sets the budget and priorities of the following three years. At the COP, parties decide on whether to list new species or amend existing listings in the Appendices and consider reports submitted by each Party, the Scientific Council, and the Agreements established under the Convention.

Six people pose in front of a screen for — Julian Blanc (UN Environment Programme), Azamat Usupbekov (CAMP Alatoo), Patience Gandiwa (ZimParks), Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor (The World Bank Group), Tiina Kurvits (GRID-Arendal), and Enrique Michaud Lopez (Global Alliance for Rangelands & Pastoralists).

Audience listens to presentation about establishing a wildlife corridor in the Tian Shan mountains. Screen shows a snow leopard in a rocky, mountainous landscape. — CAMCA project event at CMS COP 15

Regional Platforms: The Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) and the CAMCA Project

While CMS provides guidance and incentives to conserve migratory species through international cooperation, setting broad priorities and identifying global trends, its framework structure also allows it to contribute to species protection at the regional level.

In addition to Agreements and MOUs, the Convention also supports 5 initiatives, including the Central Asian Mammals Initiative, or CAMI. Supporting the efforts of this initiative, ‘The Central Asian Mammals and Climate Adaptation’ (CAMCA) project was implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The project, funded by IKI (German Special Climate Change fund) is an international collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme, CMS Secretariat, and the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as local partners (ACBK, CAMP Alatoo, CAMP Tabiat, Ilbirs Foundation, and Tajikistan Nature Foundation), and international NGOs such as GRID-Arendal and WWF-US.

A herd of goats grazes in a green, grassy field dotted with yellow flowers. A rocky hillside rises in the background, with trees and the ruins of a stone structure visible.

Yellow wildflowers bloom on a hillside. Mountains rise in the background, with a small stream visible in the valley.

Four people stand on a grassy hill overlooking a mountain range. A turquoise river winds through the valley. One person points towards the landscape.

Yurt and tent sit in a grassy mountain valley at dusk. Snow-capped peaks rise in the background beneath a crescent moon. Backpacks rest outside both structures.

View from a car window of a vast, arid mountain range under a partly cloudy sky with sun rays. Foreground shows roadside vegetation and a car side mirror.

Whitewater rapids surge through a rocky canyon. Boulders line the riverbanks, while tan mountains rise on either side under a partly cloudy sky.

Central Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change, and this threatens both humans and wildlife. Migratory species such as the argali sheep and snow leopard can adapt by altering their movement patterns and habitat use, but this may expose new threats outside of the existing protected area network. Fences and roads pose barriers to the movement of migratory species in search of suitable habitat and food, and human-wildlife competition over resources is increasing, especially as livestock grazing and seasonal use also shift to higher elevations in an effort to adapt to climate change. CAMCA is responding to those needs, as well as the need to increase awareness regarding the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and improved integration of climate considerations into biodiversity and ecosystem management, including management of protected areas.

Map of Central Asia showing protected areas and communities for the CAMCA project. Green areas mark protected areas, red dots mark community locations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. — CAMCA project overview map

CAMCA’s goal was to increase the climate resilience of six Central Asian species, three of which are listed under CMS: the snow leopard (Panthera uncia; listed in Appendix I in 1986), Bukhara deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis; listed in Appendix II in 2005), and argali sheep (Ovis ammon, listed in Appendix II in 2011).

However, the project was also designed to benefit wildlife and local communities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan by supporting ecosystem-based adaptation for communities and climate-smart wildlife management both in and around protected areas. The project helped to improve the adaptive capacity of both mountain ecosystems and the lowlands that depend on them.

Three men sit at a dark wooden desk in an office. A new Canon EOS 850D camera box sits on the desk. One man holds a document, and a laptop displays a spreadsheet.

A group of people birdwatching with binoculars overlooking a marsh at dusk. Mountains are visible in the distance under a pale orange sky.

Still river winds through a landscape of tall reeds and grasses under a clear blue sky. Mountains are visible in the distance.

Road winds through a desert landscape with a river in the distance. Purple flowering bushes and green trees line the riverbanks. A tan, rocky hill rises on the right.

Entrance to Beshai Palangon State Natural Reserve, Tajikistan. Green archway with Tajik flags above metal gates, signs in Tajik and English. Portrait of Emomali Rahmon on right.

Aerial view of a wide river flowing through a dense green forest towards hazy mountains in the distance.

Two Iberian red deer stand in a field of shrubs. A large male with antlers stands to the right, while a female stands behind him to the left. The scene is lit by soft, natural light.

Local Impacts: Promoting learning beyond the project

While the CAMCA project ends in 2026, CAMCA partners have developed several ecosystem management tools for impact beyond the initial project lifetime. This included piloting a new tool to assess the vulnerability of Protected Areas (PAs) to climate change and identify priority areas for strengthening resilience, building on earlier tools used to map climate vulnerabilities identified by community members and tools to identify species vulnerability.

This new tool is called the Protected Area Vulnerability Assessment (PAVA), built on earlier methodologies, and designed as a structured set of simple, easy-to-answer questions that help identify climate-related risks. The tool assesses three main climate-related dimensions: the sensitivity of a protected area to climate change, its level of exposure to climate-related hazards, and its capacity to adapt. It also considers non-climate-related threats. Results are presented as scores, where higher scores indicate greater vulnerability. These are further grouped into three levels of urgency, helping managers prioritize actions.

A key feature of PAVA is its usability in data-scarce contexts. Rather than relying solely on quantitative datasets, it captures the knowledge and experience of protected area staff, making it a practical tool for rapid assessments and decision-making. At the same time, the process of completing the assessment encourages discussion among stakeholders, helping to identify risks, knowledge gaps, and discuss potential responses.

Protected Area Vulnerability Assessment (PAVA) tool results showing exposure and sensitivity. Semi-circle gauges with green, yellow, and red sections indicate the level of each, with a final vulnerability score of 29 of 49.

CAMCA partners CAMP Alatoo and Tajikistan Nature Foundation conducted pilots in protected areas in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where it proved effective in capturing climate-related challenges. In Tajikistan, for example, the assessment highlighted issues such as soil degradation, water scarcity, and shifts in species behavior, including increased human–wildlife conflict driven by drought conditions. In Kyrgyzstan, the tool identified growing risks from avalanches, landslides, and extreme weather events, as well as limited awareness and preparedness among staff. These applications demonstrated that PAVA could reveal both environmental vulnerabilities and institutional gaps, such as the need for improved risk management and staff training.

Recommendations from these pilots highlighted the importance of using PAVA within a facilitated workshop setting and linking assessment results to concrete management actions. Looking ahead, PAVA is being further tested in protected areas in Nepal and Bhutan to help validate its applicability across different ecological and governance contexts. As the CAMCA project concludes in 2026, WWF, UNEP, and GRID-Arendal plan to make the tool more widely accessible and to develop supporting materials for practitioners. Stay tuned to the project website (camcaproject.org) for updates!

A group of people sit around a table during a meeting. A woman sits at the head of the table with papers and glasses in front of her. Behind her, seven men sit in a row, listening. A projector sits on the table. — In February 2025, project partners CAMP Alatoo held a workshop together with 10 staff members from Khan Tengiri State Nature Park

A table outlines conservation impact levels: Critical (red), Recommend (yellow), and Consider (green). Each level includes a text description of its impact on protected areas.

Mountain landscape shows a grassy meadow leading up to a hillside dotted with evergreen trees, under a blue sky. The mountain peak is brown and partially in shadow.

Wide view of a braided river flowing through a brown, grassy plain under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Snow-capped mountains are visible in the distance.

Frozen waterfall cascades down a brown mountainside. The ice formation is layered, with snow cover on the ground and surrounding rocks.

Where policy meets practice: closing the implementation gap

Ultimately, the experience of CMS and projects such as the CAMCA demonstrates that effective species conservation depends on a continuous exchange between global frameworks and local implementation. Multilateral agreements provide the vision, structure, and political momentum, while regional and on-the-ground actions translate these commitments into tangible outcomes for species and ecosystems.

Tools like the Protected Area Vulnerability Assessment (PAVA) further illustrate how innovation emerging from field experience can feed back into global processes, strengthening their relevance and impact. As environmental challenges grow increasingly complex and interconnected, bridging the gap between global and local and sustaining a beneficial two-way dynamic will be essential to ensure that international cooperation remains not only ambitious in scope but also effective in practice.

This experience also highlights that global environmental governance cannot succeed without strong regional and local initiatives as well as regional and local initiatives reinforce the commitments at the global level. Policy change becomes more effective when supported by actions that drive implementation, foster innovation, and build knowledge. In this way, multilateral cooperation, when closely linked with implementation on the ground, can align efforts and create lasting change.

Two conservation signs stand side-by-side in a rural area. The left sign lists fines for illegal hunting of bear, ibex, snow leopard, argali, and deer. The right sign features snow leopards and text about ecosystem health. — CAMCA sign at Naryn Nature Reserve

References

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (https://www.cms.int/)
UNEP-WCMC, 2024. State of the World’s Migratory Species. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The Central Asian Mammals and Climate Adaptation (CAMCA) project (https://camcaproject.org/)