What is it?

• Every January, thousands of volunteers across Asia and Australasia visit wetlands in their country and count waterbirds. This citizen science programme is the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).
• It is an annual exercise conducted since 1987.
• The AWC is an integral part of the global waterbird monitoring programme, the International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International.
• In India, the Forest Department and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) support the exercise. 
• The census, thus covers the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway and a large part of the Central Asian Flyway.

The census has the following objectives:

1. to obtain information on an annual basis of waterbird populations at wetlands in the region during the non-breeding period of most species (January), as a basis for evaluation of sites and monitoring of populations
2. to monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands
3. to encourage greater interest in waterbirds and wetlands amongst citizens

Why in the news?

• The Asian Waterbird Census is being conducted in Andhra Pradesh’s Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby wetlands.

References:

1. https://south-asia.wetlands.org/our-approach/healthy-wetland-nature/asian-waterbird-census/
2. https://epaper.thehindu.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=G4O84RL0T.1&imageview=0