Dubai, UAE - The Royal Government of Bhutan and the Tiger Conservation Coalition are hosting a side event today at the UNFCCC CoP28 in Dubai. The event titled “Inspiring Partnerships for Sustainable Financing for Tiger Landscapes” will delve into the critical connections between tiger conservation and the global climate and biodiversity agendas.
At a time when climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing concerns worldwide, the event aims to highlight how a sustainably funded, landscape scale and tiger-focused plan of action will help countries across the Asia region meet their climate commitments and those under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The discussion will explore innovative strategies and collaborative partnerships to secure sustainable financing for preserving tiger landscapes.
Tigers depend on and occur in almost all the forest types in Asia. As such, their status is tied to the health of those forests: the carbon they capture and store, the water they retain and release slowly and dependably, the resources they supply to local communities, and other essential ecosystem functions.
Bhutan, known as a champion of environmental conservation and sustainability, will host and provide a perspective for hope at finding synergies between protecting tigers and meeting broader environmental goals. The event will feature a high-profile panel of the leadership of the Royal Government of Bhutan and Tiger Conservation Coalition members, including IUCN, Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, WCS and WWF and, climate experts from UNDP and private sector experts from HSBC.
The event will take place on December 9th, 2023, at the Bhutan Pavilion in the Blue Zone of CoP28, providing a platform for collaborative action and generating momentum towards innovative solutions for financing tiger landscapes. This side event precedes a significant summit in April 2024 when, under the patronage of Her Majesty The Queen of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, the Royal Government of Bhutan will host a high-level Conference on Sustainable Financing for Tiger Landscapes. The Conference is being supported by the Tiger Conservation Coalition, which includes EIA, FFI, IUCN, Panthera, TRAFFIC, UNDP, WCS, and WWF.
Dr. Fred Launay, President and CEO of Panthera, stated, “Our upcoming Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference is a pivotal moment where we invite key stakeholders to join hands in a collective commitment to invest in the recovery of this iconic species and its landscapes.”
Launay continued, “Let us understand that tiger conservation is not just about protecting a species; it's a commitment to safeguarding our climate, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions. By restoring and expanding tiger landscapes, we not only meet global biodiversity goals, but also contribute significantly to climate resilience. The path forward is clear - investing in sustainable financing for tiger landscapes is an investment in our shared future.”
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NOTES TO EDITOR
About the Tiger Conservation Coalition
The Tiger Conservation Coalition brings together leading biologists and experts in wildlife crime, human-wildlife coexistence, policy, finance, development and communications, with unprecedented alignment on achieving tiger conservation at scale. Its member organisations include the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna & Flora, Panthera, TRAFFIC, the United Nations Development Programme, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The Tiger Conservation Coalition is an independent group of organisations that have worked extensively together on major tiger assessments, including the latest assessment by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, IUCN’s Green Status of Species assessment, and Tiger Conservation Landscapes 3.0 under a shared vision for tiger conservation. For more information, contact info@tigercoalition.org
About the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference
To advance tiger conservation efforts, the “Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference” will be hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan on April 22-23, 2024, under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck and co-organized by the Tiger Conservation Coalition. Please find more information at the website: tiger-finance.org
Why tigers matter
As the world’s largest cat and an apex predator, tigers play a significant role in the structure and function of the ecosystem on which both humans and wildlife rely. The value of ecosystem services where tigers are present is estimated at $11 trillion dollars a year. Tragically, in the last 100 years, tigers have lost more than 93% of their historic range and have become extinct in several countries in Southeast Asia. They are a “landscape” species, needing large areas with diverse habitats, free from human disturbance and rich in prey. Success or failure means more than securing the future of a single iconic species – it sets a precedent for how we will consider and prioritise the health of nature in global development and in a changing climate in the future. For more information, see: https://panthera.org/cat/tiger
For media requests, please contact:
Susie Weller Sheppard, +1 347-446-9904, sweller@panthera.org
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© Sebastian Kennerknecht
