OREANDA-NEWS. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW Development Bank has provided a EUR 20 million subsidy to improve management of protected areas in tiger habitats and to conserve tiger populations with the involvement of the local community. The funds are being allocated to NGOs and local conservation authorities through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Specific measures (such as forest conservation, eco-tourism and anti-poaching initiatives, etc.) are being implemented in selected countries where tigers still roam free, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Bhutan, which pledged to double tiger numbers to more than 6,000 in 2010. Plans are underway to implement (often transnational) measures, suggested by NGOs and local protected area authorities and chosen using a competitive selection process, in four to five countries.

“Ensuring the survival of tiger populations means keeping ecosystems intact. Tiger habitats firstly offer prospects for tourism and secondly guarantee the livelihood of the local community thanks to their diverse natural resources. If we make efforts to conserve these natural areas, we will therefore directly alleviate poverty for the people living there,” said Dr Norbert Kloppenburg, member of the KfW Group Executive Board.

“The tiger is the face of Asia's biodiversity and an emblem of the world's natural heritage,” says Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN Director General. “This generous support from Germany provides great hope for this iconic species, which is currently on the brink of extinction. Saving it depends on restoring tigers' rapidly shrinking forest habitat. This will regenerate valuable ecosystem services and improve the lives of some of the most marginalised people on our planet.”