Nanthar Island and Mayyu estuary, one of the six flyway network sites in Myanmar, was also designated as a Ramsar Site in 2020. This area covers around 3600 ha and provides nutrients rich habitat for many migratory birds. The migratory waterbirds include five globally threatened species including perhaps 5% of the global population of the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpipers. This area has been designated as Marine National Park recently, although still lacks of attention for protection due to limited resources. So, enhancing the awareness of local communities will enable them to aware about the legally protection status of this marine national park and will support for its long-term conservation programme. Nature Conservation Sociey-Myanmar organized a capacity building training for local communities in cooperation with local partner,Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association(RBANCA) in April 2022, and basic bird watching techniques and patrolling methods were taunght to the members of Local Conservation Group.
For the second time World Migratory Bird Day of 2022, Nature Conservation Society – Myanmar will organize WMBD event in the secondary school of Aung Daing Village,
Sitttwe township, Rakhine State near Nanthar Island according to the guide line of National Health Department for the COVID-19 prevention and measures. Students,
teachers, members of LCG, officials from Forest Department and interested participants will be invited to the WMBD event. Topics for presentations will include
about the history of WMBD, annual celebrations and slogans, wetlands and migratory birds conservation. Protecte area management, Myanmar Biodiversity and Protected
Area Conservation Law and rules and regulations will be explained during the event. Quiz sessions will also be included to get more attention by the participants. A bird
watching trip to Nanthar Island will also arranged on the next day of WMBD event, and members of existing Local Conservation Group, local youths and interested
participants will be invited to join the trip. The participants who attend the event will could learn about WMBD, wetlands and their importance. Participants of the bird watching trip will enable to see the migratory shorebirds which come to Nanthar Island annually for wintering and will understand a brief ecology of migratory birds from their land. They could also help to
clean the Nanthar Island by trash collection after bird watching activities. Documentary and WMBD song in Burmese will also shown during the WMBD event.Photos of the threatened migratory birds from Nanthar island and Ramsar Sites/EFN sites information will be exhibited. T-shirts that include the theme of WMBD 2022 will be distributed to the participants during the event.