Tiger range countries to discuss policies and regulations to save tigers

In an effort to save the dwindling tiger population, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), in collaboration with the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), will hold a two-day workshop at Hotal Taj Tashi in Thimphu on May 30 and 31.

The workshop will, for the first time, address in a practical context multi-sectorial implications for planning and implementation of the Smart Green Infrastructure (SGI) tools. SGI is defined as infrastructure that avoids tiger habitats, minimizes and mitigates adverse impacts through tiger-friendly design, and compensates for any remaining damage to have a net positive impact.

“With human population growth and intense development pressure, tiger habitat is under threat. We need to develop “no go” areas,” said an MoAF official. “Land use and tiger-corridor planning is necessary.”

He added that the workshop aims to come out with policy recommendations and a range of regulatory and fiscal policies to promote tiger-friendly infrastructures.

Given the critical state of wild tiger populations, it is suggested that all core tiger habitats be designated as “no go” areas for infrastructure development.

At the workshop, stakeholders and practitioners from tiger range countries (which include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam) will also discuss specific lessons and cases.

The workshop will develop a set of multi-level tiger-friendly options (at a policy, sector planning, and engineering level) based on the best practices for government officials, financing agencies, and project managers. These options will highlight the basic elements throughout a project’s lifecycle (including planning, optimal site selection, design, operations, and construction) for roads, hydroelectric dams, and mining operations in tiger conservation landscapes.

According to World Bank’s GTI, in developing economies, infrastructure will continue to overlap with natural habitats. The Bank recognizes the conflict and difficulties of balancing legitimate infrastructure needs with conservation objectives and environmental sustainability.

World Bank, which is also at the forefront of pioneering approaches that go beyond “ring fencing”, says that infrastructure is built by national governments. But to be effective, improvements in design and approach need to be adopted across the board in national policies and not just in World Bank-supported projects.

Tigers are on the brink of disappearing from the wild. The world’s population of wild tigers has plummeted by 95 percent in just over a century, from an estimated 100,000 in 1900 to approximately 3,500 today. Tigers have already disappeared from Central Asia.

By Jigme Wangchuk