About Asian Waterbird Census:
- It is a citizen-science programme that supports the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide.
- It is conducted annually to monitor the population of waterbirds in the Asian region, and is part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by the Wetland International.
- It was initiated in 1987 and has grown rapidly to cover major region of Asia, from Afghanistan eastwards to Japan, Southeast Asia and Australasia.
- The census thus covers the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway and a large part of the Central Asian Flyway.
- In India, it is conducted under the aegis of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in early January.
What is Bombay Natural History Society?
- It is a Non-Governmental Organisation in India, engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
- It has been designated as a 'Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation' by the Department of Science and Technology. It is the partner of BirdLife International in India.
