Paro, Bhutan - On the occasion of Earth Day 2024, the Royal Government of Bhutan is hosting the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference under the patronage of Her Majesty The Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The Conference will launch an ambition to mobilize US $1 billion in new funding over 10 years for the preservation of tiger landscapes, which are vital to maintaining biodiversity, sequestering carbon, supplying resources to over 100 million people, and ensuring the overall health of our planet.
Co-organised by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Tiger Conservation Coalition, of which World Wildlife Fund is a part of, the conference will include expert panels leading insightful discussions on sustainable finance, linkages with the United Nations' Global Biodiversity Framework, and the role of public-private partnerships in safeguarding tiger landscapes. The two-day event brings together tiger range countries, visionary private and public sector donors, thought leaders, international development agencies, and conservation NGOs including WWF to foster dialogue, collaboration, and innovative solutions for the conservation of tigers and tiger habitats.
Formed ahead of the 2022 Year of the Tiger, the Tiger Conservation Coalition comprises a diverse group of tiger conservation organizations and multilateral agencies that support tiger range countries in realizing their long-term tiger conservation ambitions and delivering impact for nature and people from the local to the global levels.
His Excellency the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, said "Bhutan is honored to host this globally significant event on tiger landscape conservation as part of our ambitions to be a world leader in environment sustainability, carbon neutrality, and biodiversity conservation"
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO of the Global Environment Facility said "Since 2010, the Global Environment Facility has provided more than $197 million in financing and mobilized another $880 million, in co-finance, for tiger conservation. To increase effectiveness of the GEF's investments, and to mobilize sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation and use, we need to expand collaboration across all sectors of society. This conference will bring together varied experts and leaders to focus on this iconic species and help determine how to realize biodiversity financing at the scale we urgently need."
As the world's largest cat and an apex predator, tigers play a significant role in the structure and function of the ecosystems on which humans and wildlife rely. They are a "landscape" species, needing large areas with diverse habitats, free from human disturbance and rich in prey.
Stuart Chapman, Chair Tiger Conservation Coalition and Lead of WWF Tigers Alive said "Landscapes with wild tigers are healthy and vibrant ecosystems which are critically important in a climate changing world. Securing these tiger landscapes through sustainable financing will bring multiple benefits to the people and wildlife across Asia."
Keynote speakers will include a global environmental champion, His excellency the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, CEO and Chairperson of the world's biggest biodiversity fund, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, and WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts. Collectively speakers and panelists will shine a spotlight on tigers and their potential to maximize contributions to global biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development agendas.
As the world grapples with the urgent need for conservation efforts, the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference in Bhutan stands as a beacon of hope, inspiring collective action towards a sustainable and harmonious coexistence between humans and the magnificent creatures that inhabit our shared planet.
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