The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graced the opening of the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference, a globally significant summit co-organised by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Tiger Conservation Coalition, at Dungkar Dzong in Pangbisa, Paro on 22nd April.
In the Inaugural Address, Her Majesty, under whose patronage the Conference has been organised, highlighted the critical importance of protecting tigers and tiger landscapes for the overarching wellbeing of our planet. Her Majesty thanked all the people whose efforts have enabled tiger populations to increase in Bhutan and in other tiger range countries, and reiterated the vital need for sustainable funding to support the work of conservationists.
“In our commitment to conservation, we must not neglect the realistic and vital need for sustainable funding. All too often, the invaluable work of conservationists is impeded by the unpredictability of financial support. Therefore, the intention of this conference is to raise significant resources through innovative financing mechanisms for tiger landscapes,” Her Majesty said.
“Together, we can rewrite the narrative of extinction and loss, and instead create a beautiful story of compassion, resilience, restoration and reverence for all living beings. And in this shared journey of conservation, may we find comfort in the interconnectedness of all life and the boundless potential for positive change.”
The 2-day conference brings together tiger range countries, private and public sector donors, thought leaders, international development agencies, and conservation NGOs to foster dialogue, collaboration, and innovative solutions for the conservation of tigers and tiger habitats. It will have 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 conference will culminate with a commitment to mobilise 1 billion USD in new funding over ten 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 the planet.
His Royal Highness Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, Crown Prince of Pahang, Malaysia, The Prime Minister, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, President and CEO of WWF-US, Carter Roberts, and CEO of Global Environment Facility, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, were among the distinguished speakers at the opening session of the conference.
The Tiger Conservation Coalition is diverse group of organizations formed ahead of the 2022 Year of the Tiger, which includes the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA); Fauna & Flora International (FFI), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural State, Panthera, TRAFFIC, United Nations Development Programme (UNPD), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
Bhutan is one of 13 tiger-range countries in the world, and home to 131 tigers- a 27% increase since the last survey held in 2015. Bhutan has also recorded the highest altitude in the world at which tigers have been found, at over 4000 metres.
