A new publication “Burning Bright: UNDP and GEF in the Tiger Landscape” was released at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation in New Delhi this week.
The release took place during a three-day conference that brought together more than 700 tiger conservation experts, field scientists, protected area managers, donor agencies and foundations, along with other stakeholders committed to bringing tiger populations back to healthy levels in the wild.
Earlier last week the world celebrated the positive trends in tiger numbers throughout its range countries. Still, in some countries the challenge continues unabated with poor prospects for the maintenance of viable populations. Therefore, national, regional and global efforts to save wild tigers from extinction need to continue and expand.
“Burning Bright: UNDP and GEF in the Tiger Landscape” tells stories of GEF and UNDP Tiger conservation efforts in Asia.
The publication highlights the unique contribution of 10 projects funded by the GEF and implemented by UNDP in six tiger range countries - Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand, demonstrating how conservation activities in tiger habitat can accomplish more than the preservation of one iconic wildlife species.
“We warmly welcome the recent reports that point to an overall gain in the global tiger population at a global scale - the first such trend seen in decades. This is the outcome of a combined effort by the international community, national governments, NGOs and local communities to safeguard the future of this iconic landscape species”, said Gustavo Fonseca, the Director of Programs of the GEF. “With 220 million provided by the GEF in grants alongside over half a billion in co-financing from partners directed to tiger range countries, we rejoice to see our support making a difference where it counts most”.
More and more, GEF investments are being directed to integrated approaches that address habitat loss, poverty, gender inequality and illegal wildlife trade in a more holistic manner, raising the likelihood of success of the interventions.
“UNDP invests in tiger conservation as we know that their existence indicates the health of ecosystems, underpinning livelihoods of millions of people,” said Adriana Dinu, Executive Coordinator for the UNDP Global Environmental Finance unit. “We work with tiger range countries in designing integrated solutions to address the key drivers of environmental degradation and to articulate what tiger means for people and sustainable development.”
The projects included in the publication illustrate how the chosen approach can promote improvement in human well-being and support countries’ efforts towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Providing the right conditions for tigers to survive and thrive provides life-giving benefits to humans, not only on a local or regional scale, but also for the whole planet.