Reforestation initiative that helped triple Nepal’s tiger population recognized as one of seven UN World Restoration Flagships

The Terai Arc Landscape initiative aims to protect a biodiversity hotspot shared by India and Nepal that was rapidly degrading. On Nepal’s side alone, more than 7.5 million people and a plethora of wildlife – tigers, rhinos, elephants, black bucks, buffaloes, crocodiles, and birds – depend on the vast Terai Arc Landscape, stretching across 2.47 million hectares. As poaching, habitat loss, degradation, and human tiger conflict increased, the forested area receded, and wildlife decreased.

The initiative – which started with the Government of Nepal’s launch of the Terai Arc Landscape Program in 2001 – has already brought back to life a forest area 13 times the size of Kathmandu, and nearly tripled its tiger population to 355 from 121. In the entire Terai Arc landscape, shared by India and Nepal, the population more than doubled to 1,174. According to partners in the project, some 40,000 local community members, engaged in community-based anti-poaching units, citizen science, and nature-based tourism, and as forest watchers, are already improving the livelihoods of almost 500,000 households.

The World Restoration Flagship awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) – which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. The awards track notable initiatives following global commitments to restore one billion hectares – an area larger than China. The award for the Terai Arc Landscape initiative was announced by UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador, actress and environmentalist, Dia Mirza.