April 22, 2024
Introduction:
Bhutan is hosting the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference on Earth Day 2024 to mobilize $1 billion in new funding over the next decade for the preservation of tiger landscapes across Asia. These landscapes are crucial for maintaining biodiversity, sequestering carbon, supporting over 100 million people, and ensuring the overall health of the planet.
Conference Details
- The two-day conference is being hosted under the patronage of Bhutan’s Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck.
- It is co-organized by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Tiger Conservation Coalition.
- The conference will include expert panels on sustainable finance, linkages with the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework, and the role of public-private partnerships in safeguarding tiger landscapes.
Importance of Tiger Conservation
- The tiger is the largest felid and an apex predator, playing a significant role in the structure and function of ecosystems.
- Tigers are a “landscape” species, requiring large areas with diverse habitats, free from human disturbance and rich in prey.
- Landscapes with wild tigers are healthy and vibrant ecosystems, critically important in a climate-changing world.
Global Tiger Population
- In the last year, The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that the global tiger population had stabilized and potentially increased.
- Data suggested a potential 40% increase in tiger numbers, from 3,200 in 2015 to 4,500 in 2022, despite extreme threats.
- This represented the first potential climb in the species’ numbers in decades.
The status of tiger conservation in India
India has made significant strides in tiger conservation, with the latest figures showing an increase in their numbers.
- Tiger population rose to 3,167 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018
- India hosts around 75% of the global tiger population
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers
- Project Tiger, launched in 1973, has played a crucial role
- Challenges include habitat loss, poaching, and human-animal conflicts
Key Facts:
- The Global Environment Facility has provided more than $197 million in financing and mobilized another $880 million in co-finance for tiger conservation since 2010.
- Tiger range countries and the conservation community have made extraordinary progress in protecting the species in recent years, with several populations witnessing upward trajectories in numbers.
- The coming together of inspired minds from diverse public and private sectors is essential to strategically identify how a long-term future for the tiger is financially possible.
The Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference 2024 in Bhutan is a significant step towards mobilizing the necessary funds for the long-term conservation of tigers and their habitats across Asia.