Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme in Asia II

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Wild tigers form the top of the ecological pyramid in large parts of Asian forests. Viable tiger populations are therefore a key indicator of intact ecosystems. However, over the last 100 years the number of wild tigers has fallen dramatically from an estimated 100,000 to around 3,890. Tiger habitats are also areas in which a large proportion of the local population lives in poverty or is threatened by poverty. Tiger habitats provide a variety of ecosystem services for the local population. The destruction of these habitats therefore has serious consequences for them too. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the recipient of the financial contribution and sponsor of the project, analogous to Phase I of the project (BMZ No. 2013 36 544), and is therefore responsible for implementing the project. The estimated total costs are around EUR 8.57 million. A grant of EUR 7.5 million from the Federal Cooperation with Regions budget item is being made available to finance the project. The aim of the project is to improve the management of selected tiger habitats including their natural resources, reduce the threat to tiger prey and reduce the dependence of the local population on forest resources. The achievement of the objectives will be measured using the following indicators: 1) improvement in the level of management effectiveness in the supported tiger habitats, 2) improvement/stabilization of the Green List scores, 3) increased occurrence of tiger prey in the supported tiger habitats and 4) change in the income composition of the local population, reflecting the availability of alternative livelihoods. The target group of the project is the population that lives in or on the edge of tiger habitats and who are more dependent than average on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of these habitats for their livelihoods. This population is typically characterized by above-average poverty rates and marginalization. Overall, analogous to Phase I, three outputs are to be achieved as part of Phase II: 1) resources and capacities for tiger habitat management are improved, 2) the occurrence of human-wildlife conflict in the participating communities is reduced, and 3) knowledge and skills of residents of supported tiger habitats regarding tiger conservation measures and alternative livelihoods are improved.