The Tiger Summit

Heads of governments from tiger range states met in November 2010 at the first ever Tiger Summit  to finalize a Global Tiger Recovery Program. The goal: to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.

The Summit met with success: crucial high level multi-government backing was given to the creation of a plan to help reverse the decline wild tigers populations.

WWF also committed to spend US$50 million over the next 5 years on tiger conservation, and set a goal of increasing that to US$85 million.

Since the Summit, the governments have held two meetings in 2012 - one in New Delhi in May, and the other in Bhutan in October - to take stock of tiger recovery efforts across the tiger's range. 

WWF continues to support tiger range countries in implementation of their national tiger recovery plans, and particularly on working towards Zero Poaching. Poaching remains the single biggest threat to the species and the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers.

The Tiger Summit was the first time world leaders have met to discuss the fate of just one species.
/ ©: WWF Bhutan
The inaugural session of the 2nd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, Bhutan, October 2012.
© WWF Bhutan

WWF's Tiger declaration

WWF is working to secure political will, action and funding to double wild tiger numbers by 2022. 

Long-term action

WWF's Tiger Initiative is working to mainstream tiger conservation into national and regional economic and development plans.

We are working with a number of influential groups in tiger range states – including governments, regional coalitions, and international and multilateral institutions – to:

  • Integrate tiger habitat into land-use plans as a legitimate category so that project and development processes will treat them as conservation areas during project planning, and employ the World Bank's ‘tiger filter’ (see box below)
  • Ensure ongoing discussions on tiger conservation into strategic engagements and developmental dialogues with governments at national, regional and local levels
  • Get endorsement of transboundary agreements at highest levels of governments to address tiger landscape conservation, anti-poaching, and international trade of tiger parts 
  • Help to develop and capitalize a region-wide Trust Fund for tiger conservation
WWF is also looking at ways to improve the effectiveness of ranger patrols through the development of law enforcement monitoring systems across Asia, training teams and key stakeholders in the latest methods in patrolling, prevention and conservation. It is currently supporting protection field staff and rangers through the Tigers Alive Initiative's "Cards4Tigers" action.

/ ©: Adam Oswell / WWF-Canon
School children and Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005, participate in an event asking tiger range states to double the number of wild tigers by the next year of the tiger. The event was held before the First Asian Ministerial on Tiger Conservation in Hua Hin, Thailand.
© Adam Oswell / WWF-Canon
Weak institutional frameworks, poor governance, and lack of political will at all levels have contributed to the failure of tiger conservation efforts.

Low priority for tiger conservation, especially in the quest for accelerated economic development by range states, has fragmented habitat and left populations vulnerable to poaching.

A firm commitment for tiger conservation through planned development and appropriate mitigation is needed from tiger range state governments and from bi- and multi-lateral donors who contribute to development processes.

The World Bank and tigers

The World Bank has pledged to take proactive steps towards tiger conservation.

Global Tiger Initiative
In 2008, it helped formed an ambitious and powerful alliance to save wild tigers from extinction – the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) . The GTI is a collaboration between major conservation NGOs, including WWF, and other stakeholders. Through this alliance, the World Bank will lead consultations and dialogue with range state governments to garner support for tiger conservation at the highest levels.

Tiger filter for development projects
Spurred by WWF's Tiger Initiative and the GTI, the World Bank will also begin to employ a ‘tiger filter’ to assess all planned and future projects for negative impacts to tigers and their habitats.

Any projects that would do irreparable harm would not be implemented in tiger landscapes unless appropriate mitigations can be incorporated into the project plans.

Additionally, projects in important tiger landscape will include components that positively contribute to tiger conservation, and not just mitigate negative impacts. The goal is to introduce such a tiger filter to other multi- and bi-lateral development banks as well.

Goals

    • By 2012, a ‘tiger filter’ is mandatory in planning of all major economic and development projects in tiger range states
    • By 2015, governments and regional coalitions of tiger range states integrate tiger conservation priorities into their economic, development, and policy planning at national and regional scales and demonstrate effective implementation
    • By 2015, an adequately capitalized Tiger Trust Fund is established to support sustainable tiger conservation efforts
    • By 2022, the number of tigers in the wild is doubled.

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Photos and graphics © WWF or used with permission. Text available under a Creative Commons licence.