Global Tiger Forum - UPSC Notes

Global Tiger Forum is an Inter-Governmental international body working exclusively for the conservation of Tigers. The topic, ‘Global Tiger Forum’ is important for IAS Exam as it forms the portion of both static part and dynamic part of the syllabus of GS-II and Environment & Biodiversity. 

Aspirants should know that every year, several questions are asked in the UPSC prelims and mains exams from the environment section and hence, this article will brief you about Global Tiger Forum. 

Global Tiger Forum (GTF) – Latest Update

The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), in partnership with the Governments of Bhutan, India, and Nepal, and along with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is undertaking a situation analysis study for assessing tiger habitat status in high altitude ecosystems.

• The study has been supported by the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Program (ITHCP) of the KfW (German Development Bank) and the IUCN. Read in detail about the International Union for Conservation of Nature – IUCN.

The government of India will take inputs from the study to develop a high-altitude tiger master plan.

• Tiger habitats in high altitudes will require protection through sustainable land use, as they are a high-value ecosystem with several hydrological and ecological processes providing ecosystem services.
• Also, they will require adaptation strategies to mitigate the ill effects of climate change.

Global Tiger Forum

In 1993, an International Symposium on Tiger Conservation in New Delhi recommended the formation of an Inter-Governmental International Body that would embark on a Global Campaign for the Protection of Tigers.

• Established in 1994, the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) has its headquarters in New Delhi.
• The General Assembly of GTF meets after every three years.
• It utilises cooperative policies, common approaches, technical expertise, scientific modules and other appropriate programmes. 
• As per the Global Tiger Forum, it was set up to highlight the rationale for tiger preservation and provide leadership and a common approach throughout the world in order to safeguard the survival of the tiger, its prey, and its habitat. 
• The Global Tiger Forum was set up to promote a worldwide campaign to save the tiger, its prey and its habitat. 
• The Global Tiger Forum has plans to promote a legal framework in the countries involved for biodiversity conservation and to increase the protected area network of habitats of the tiger and facilitate their inter passages in the range countries. 

Objectives of the Global Tiger Forum

Global Tiger Forum was established based on the following objectives:

Project Tiger 

• Project Tiger was launched by the Indira Gandhi government in 1973 from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
• The tiger is an endangered species in the world. At the turn of the 20th century, India had a population of tigers that ranged from 20000 to 40000. Due to the hunting practices of the Maharajas and the British, as well as poaching activities, their number had dwindled drastically to about 1820 in the seventies. Another reason for the sinking population is the scarcity of prey for these wild cats.
• The government passed the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 for the protection and preservation of different species of flora and fauna.
• In 1973, the Project Tiger was launched with an ambitious aim of increasing the population of the tiger (scientific name: Panthera tigris) in the country.

Read more on Project Tiger from the linked article.

• The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), in partnership with the Governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal, and along with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is undertaking a situation analysis study for assessing tiger habitat status in high altitude ecosystems.
• The study has been supported by the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Program (ITHCP) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and KfW (German Development Bank).

Global Tiger Forum UPSC:- Download PDF Here

Aspirants are suggested to read other such relevant articles important for Environment and Biodiversity.