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Context: India 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation adopted the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement.

 

Organised by: The Government of Malaysia and Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

 

Key highlights of the conference:

• Asked for formalising collaboration and sharing intelligence information among law enforcement agencies to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking.
• Will implement a South East Asia Tiger Recovery Plan, focused on where tiger poaching and trafficking are acute.

 

India’s achievements:

• India has doubled the tiger population in 2018 itself, 4 years ahead of the targeted year 2022.
• The budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.
• 14 Tiger Reserves in India have already been awarded with international CA|TS accreditation and efforts are on to bring in more Tiger Reserves under CA|TS accreditation.

The 14 tiger reserves, which have been accredited are

• Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam
• Satpura, Kanha and Panna in Madhya Pradesh
• Pench in Maharashtra
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar
• Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh
• Sunderbans in West Bengal
• Parambikulam in Kerala
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka and
• Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu

 

Why to conserve Tigers?

• Tigers, the top predators in ecosystem, are vital in regulating and perpetuating ecological processes.
• Conservation of top carnivore guarantees the wellbeing of forested ecosystems, the biodiversity as well as water and climate security.
• It is as an umbrella species for majority of the ecosystem in the Indian sub-continent.

 

Key challenges to tiger conservation

 

• rise in organised poaching driven by an international demand for tiger body parts and products
• depletion of tiger prey and
• habitat loss

 

Global Tiger Forum

• It is the only inter- governmental international body established with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger.
• India is one of the Founding members of the intergovernmental platform of Tiger Range Countries ( Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Myanmar).
• It calls upon Range Countries to prepare and update their National Action Plans for Tiger conservation.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1791473