Based on the risk assessment study, experts said the absence of political leadership on wildlife in Southeast Asian countries has hamstrung the tiger recovery programme
While tigers in South Asia and Russia are thriving, Thailand and Myanmar could probably see their tiger population get wiped out in 11 years and four years respectively, a risk assessment by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) revealed at the third global stocktaking meet on tiger conservation. The GTF's assessment also showed that India topped the score on the global tiger recovery programme (GTRP), followed by Russia, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Eleven of the 13 tiger range countries are participating in the meet to review the St Petersburg declaration goal of doubling wild tiger population globally.
The GTF carried out a risk assessment, scientifically known as population and habitat viability assessment, in all tiger range countries to ascertain the challenges they faced in recovery of tigers. However, the most worrying results, finalised as of now, were from Thailand and Myanmar. GTF is an international intergovernmental organisation that focuses on global tiger conservation.
The assessment pointed to the habitat loss and low prey base in the Southeast Asian countries as one of the primary reasons for decline in the health of tiger ecosystem and highlighted the best practices in South Asian countries. These included intensive monitoring, regional cooperation, technical surveillance and habitat conservation.
Thailand, currently, has an estimated 189 tigers while Myanmar is said to have between 20 and 30 tigers as per rough estimates.
"A mid-term review and revisiting of the 2010 declaration is necessary," said SP Yadav, former deputy secretary general, GTF and currently, secretary, UP Biodiversity Board.
Experts said that the absence of political leadership on wildlife in Southeast Asian countries has hamstrung the tiger recovery programme. "India has a long history of political leadership on tiger conservation which is missing in South East Asia. I see hope in Thailand and opportunities in Myanmar while more boots on the ground are needed in Malaysia. If the downward trend can be reversed, it will be a big development," said Stuart Chapman, conservation director, Greater Mekong region, World Wildlife Fund, covering Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Globally, there are an estimated 3,890 tigers in 13 tiger range countries which are concentrated solely in Asia along with 450 odd Siberian tigers in Russia. GTF's secretary general Rajesh Gopal said that there is a need to revive prey and their habitat in countries that are lagging behind in the global tiger recovery programme (GTRP).
Rajesh Gopal added that GTF has engaged with all tiger range countries closely and visited almost all of the 13 countries to meet with government officials and field staff. The focus is now on South East Asia and soon, GTF plans to have a dialogue with Thailand and Myanmar's government officials.
CAUSAL EFFECT
Based on the risk assessment study, experts said the absence of political leadership on wildlife in Southeast Asian countries has hamstrung the tiger recovery programme
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Tiger")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}