ⓒ EAAFP

The East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) is delighted to announce the addition of ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) as its 42nd Partner, effective 14 April 2025. By integrating urban development with biodiversity management, ICLEI CBC brings a vital perspective to the Partnership, addressing the growing need for localized and nature-focused urban solutions — filling in a critical gap in protecting migratory waterbirds in urban wetlands along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.  

With a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (known as ICLEI) champions sustainable development that is zero-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular. Through peer exchanges, partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives, ICLEI empowers local governments to turn sustainability commitments into impactful actions. 

Recognising the crucial role that cities and local governments play in nature conservation and biodiversity management, ICLEI CBC supports its members by providing tools, training, and platforms such as the Urban-Nature series and the Cities and Regions Biodiversity Summit in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Through these efforts, ICLEI CBC ensures that cities remain central to global biodiversity initiatives, underscoring their indispensable role in fostering coexistence between people and wildlife—especially in urban areas increasingly pressured by development. 

A proud partner of the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity, ICLEI CBC demonstrates its strong commitment to conserving migratory species and their habitats through its new Journeys for Life  initiative, offering cities along migratory routes an opportunity to share knowledge, resources, and best practices for conserving and restoring habitats. By emphasising urban wetlands as critical habitats for migratory waterbirds, this initiative aligns seamlessly with EAAFP’s goals and strengthens collective efforts across the Flyway. 

EAAFP Secretariat and ICLEI CBC at the Fourteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan ⓒ EAAFP

With this year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme, “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” ICLEI CBC’s membership in EAAFP presents a timely opportunity to drive actions from local governments in protecting migratory waterbirds, as well as highlight the role of cities as shared spaces for both people and wildlife.  

ICLEI CBC is hosted by the ICLEI Africa Secretariat and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. For more information, please visit https://cbc.iclei.org.