Soaring Bird Sensitivity Map

Tool Details

Use It
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Description

The Soaring Bird Sensitivity tool has been designed to provide developers, planning authorities and other interested stakeholders with early access to information on the distribution of soaring bird migration between Europe, the Middle East and East Africa. This is designed to inform early decision-making and enabling safe siting of new developments, such as wind farms, ensuring that negative impacts on this crucial migration route are minimized.

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Where it has been used

The map is being used by consultants working on projects in Jordan and the Middle East in guiding their decision-making process. There has been good buy in from international financial institutions, with both the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank recommending consultants to use this.

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How the tool is used for implementing a landscape approach

Over two million soaring birds migrate through the Rift Valley and Red Sea biannually. These birds face several risks during their migration - from hunting to agricultural intensification to wind energy development. This tool shows decision-makers areas of high sensitivity where migratory soaring birds pass through in large numbers. Its most useful aspect is to highlight the risks of development to migratory soaring birds in this region and to engage developers in addressing these constraints.

Tool Specifications

Tool Submitted By:

Julien Jreissati, Communications Officer - BirdLife International

User Type

Development Practitioners, Researchers, Subnational / National Government

Type of Tool

Assessing
Understanding
Assessing