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Kenya




   [artificial light at night] affects insects can help conservationists   Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory
   reduce or eliminate one of the major drivers of insect declines,“ it   Species. “It can stall the recovery of threatened species and interfere
   says.                                                    with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations, reduce
                                                            breeding success and their chances of survival. Light pollution is a
   With artificial light increasing by around 2 per cent per year   growing phenomenon which needs to be considered in conservation
   globally, light pollution has become a pertinent issue. At the   efforts and which can be avoided or minimized through nature-
   Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals thirteenth   friendly lighting design and management.”
   meeting of the Conference of Parties  (CMS COP13) which took
   place in Gandhinagar, India from 17 to 22 February 2020, delegates   Managing the impact of artificial light
   considered the topic for the first time following draft resolutions
   submitted independently by the European Union and Australia.   New proposed guidelines drafted by the Government of Australia
   Artificial light not only impacts insects. Turtles, seabirds and   provide a framework for assessing and managing the impact of
   shorebirds, and ecosystems at large, are being affected.  artificial light on susceptible wildlife, including migratory species.
                                                            For example, they consider wildlife-friendly lighting design and the
   Artificial light at night can disorientate adult and hatchling sea   management of light sources near protected wildlife. The guidelines
   turtles, so they are unable to find the ocean. Birds are also known   recognize the potential of conflicting requirements for wildlife
   to become disorientated by lights, resulting in higher bird mortality   conservation and human safety and the need for a balance between
   due to collisions with artificial structures such as buildings.   the two. To prevent harm to migratory species, the guidelines
   Migratory shorebirds may be exposed to increased predation where   propose a multi-step approach. If artificial light is visible outside,
   lighting makes them visible. They may also abandon preferable   best practice light design should be applied so as not to impact
   roosting sites to avoid lights.                          nearby habitats of threatened species. An environmental impact
                                                            assessment should consider negative effects before artificial light
   “Light pollution can disrupt critical behaviour in wildlife,“ says   sources are installed.


























































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