This subspecies of tiger is distinguished by its smaller size and darker coat compared to other tiger subspecies and is restricted to Peninsular Malaysia .

In the 1950s , it was estimated that around 3,000 tigers once roamed the vast rainforests of the Peninsular . Now , fewer than 150 wild tigers remain , primarily in Taman Negara , Belum-Temengor Forest Complex , and Endau-Rompin Forest Complex .

A combination of land use change from the industrial agriculture and development era post-independence , wildlife poaching , habitat loss , and prey scarcity has precipitated this decline over the years .

INSUFFICIENT AND FRAGMENTED FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE

Compounding the threats is the insufficient and fragmented financial landscape for conservation efforts . The Global Wildlife Programme ( GWP ) Phase II project is a collaborative effort between the Malaysian government and international bodies to reduce wildlife crime and enhance the protection of Malaysia ’ s iconic wildlife species .

With support from the Global Environment Facility ( GEF ), United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) is working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability ( NRES ) and key partners Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia ( DWNP ), Royal Malaysia Police ( RMP ), Sabah Wildlife Department ( SWD ) and Sarawak Forestry Corporation ( SFC ) to safeguard three iconic wildlife species and their habitats within critical protected area complexes .

GWP involves multi-stakeholder collaboration at national , sub-national and local scales , with specific attention paid :

• engagement of indigenous communities and women ;

• strengthened national leadership and coordination of the multi-agency response to wildlife crime ;

• evidence-driven conservation management approaches ;

• testing and implementation of

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad delivering his address on Environmental Sustainability Global Tiger Day 2024 .

The ministry regards the GWP Malaysia project as a strategic platform to enhance key stakeholders ’ capacity and capability to safeguard the iconic Malayan Tiger across Malaysia ’ s diverse geography and rich biodiversity .”

– Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division , Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability

innovative technologies and best practices that enhance capacity for cost-effective prevention and management of wildlife crime ; and

• enterprise development , including the establishment of tourism concession models and sustainable livelihoods that enable rural communities to gain greater benefits from wildlife conservation . The project aims to directly benefit

45,000 people , of whom 2020 ( 47 per cent ) are women .

To protect an umbrella species such as a tiger , conservation efforts call for a holistic approach such as integrated landscape management , which requires long-term horizon planning and appropriate allocation of resources to be able to deliver permanent results at scale .

An assessment of the Malaysia

The first Global Wildlife Project ( GWP ) Project Management Unit Meeting in Putrajaya in July 2024 .

Biodiversity Financing Needs for 2018-2025 estimates that US $ 530m on average per year is needed in order to fund biodiversity-related initiatives to achieve the national biodiversity targets .

An estimated US $ 297m is secured annually from various sources , with public funds as the primary source ( 67 per cent ), leaving US $ 233m of biodiversity gap annually .

Unlocking private financing for large-scale nature conservation efforts is , therefore , one of the opportunities that need to be tapped into .

Many existing financing mechanisms , such as wildlife bonds , debt for nature swaps , and impact funds , although important , need to be complemented with new financing approaches to bridge the gaps these instruments are not able to meet . – @ green