“Illegal trade in wildlife is robbing the livelihoods of local communities and eroding the global commons” - GEF CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii.
On the occasion of International Tiger Day, July 29th, the Global Environment Facility would like to highlight its work in combating illegal wildlife trade, and the importance of this effort in conserving tiger populations worldwide.
The booming illegal trade in wildlife products is eroding Earth’s precious biodiversity, robbing us of our natural heritage and driving whole species to the brink of extinction. The killing and smuggling is also undermining economies and ecosystems, fueling organized crime, and feeding corruption and insecurity across the globe.
Combating the illegal trade in wildlife is a high priority for the GEF. In June 2015, the GEF Council launched the flagship “Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development” program. The program aims at stopping poaching, trafficking and demand for wildlife and wildlife products illegally traded between Africa and Asia. It is a comprehensive effort to protect threatened species and their habitats, with a suite of investments to address the problems and look for short and long term solutions in the source, transit and demand countries.
Recently approved at the June 2016 GEF Council meeting, the program will expand to include projects in 19 countries with a total investment of US$ 130 million from the GEF leveraging US$ 700 million in co‑financing. The GEF agencies assisting countries in developing and implementing these projects are the Asian Development Bank, the UN Development Program, the UN Environment Program, and the World Bank. Some of these agencies are closely involved in the organization of the Wild for Life campaign.
Tigers continue to be threatened to the point of extinction by poaching and trafficking, most often facilitated by organized crime syndicates that undermine the peace and security of rural communities and urban centers alike. GEF’s project strategies in the tiger range countries seek to simultaneously address the variety of conditions that allow criminal activity to thrive.
Since 2010 GEF’s tiger conservation efforts comprise 22 projects in 12 tiger range countries. GEF grants for these projects total US$120 million and this investment has also leveraged co-financing of $450 million from national and international partners. Through these projects, GEF is strengthening management of over 17 million hectares of tiger habitat. These projects have contributed to increased tiger population in some countries.
“Tigers do not recognize borders”, wrote IUCN in their recent news feature. “The transboundary nature of many tiger landscapes requires practitioners to collaborate to achieve positive results.” IUCN’s objective and evidence-based approach are critical in bringing together multiple stakeholders in working towards this ambitious goal.
At the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii this September, together with the host and other partners GEF will be organizing a training program for conservation experts on designing successful tiger conservation projects. At the Congress, GEF will also officially launch the “Burning Bright: UNDP and GEF in the Tiger Landscape” publication.
The publication highlights the unique contribution of 10 projects funded by the GEF and implemented by UNDP demonstrating how conservation activities in tiger habitat can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through economic and social development, and accomplish more than the preservation of one iconic wildlife species.
Our Partners are also covering the conservation of tigers on this special day follow them here:
UNDP - The fear factor: How a little alarm protects tigers, landscapes – and us
IUCN - Fierce yet fragile: Coexistence in a changing world
WWF - How rangers are working to save tigers: A Q&A with Rohit Singh
UNEP – Wild for Life