Blending conservation finance with inclusive governance to protect tigers and support livelihoods in the Western Forest Complex
Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok
LuckyStep/shutterstock
Project overview
Thailand’s wild tiger population has rebounded to approximately 200, centered in the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), the only landscape in Southeast Asia showing a documented population increase. At its heart lies the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, a UNESCO World Heritage site that serves as a regional blueprint for recovery.
Yet this progress faces persistent threats. Displacement and a lack of access to resources have pushed local communities toward unsustainable maize farming and subsistence poaching, while commercial poaching networks and indiscriminate snaring threaten critical prey species like the sambar deer.
The UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund supported Investments in Tiger Landscapes project addresses this challenge through blended finance, inclusive governance, and climate-resilient livelihoods. By shifting from exclusionist 'fortress conservation' to collaborative frameworks that secure community rights and economic stability, the project aims to scale Thailand's recovery model across four additional landscapes while ensuring that local communities—especially women, youth, and indigenous groups—benefit from conservation efforts.
Project site: Communities along Western Forest Complex, Thailand
Project duration: 2026 – 2029
UNESCO's roles
UNESCO leads Output 1.1, focusing on improving the management of community forests and territories within the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng World Heritage property. Drawing on decades of experience in World Heritage and community-based conservation, UNESCO works to:
Key UNESCO-led activities include:
- Participatory governance: Facilitating meaningful community engagement within existing Protected Area Committees through meetings, awareness campaigns, and capacity-building.
- Conflict reconciliation: Developing pilot projects that balance communities' economic and cultural needs with biodiversity conservation targets.
- Collaborative mapping: Supporting joint documentation of indigenous natural resource use between local authorities and ethnic communities, providing technical basis for sustainable governance frameworks.
Sakunrat Yeesakun / CUSRI
The three-pillar approach
The project employs a blended financing model to address conservation challenges at scale. The Nature Investment Facility provides grant funding for non-revenue conservation and capacity building, while the Tiger Ecosystems Fund establishes a pipeline for nature-positive private investments and biodiversity credits.
1. Inclusive Governance
Empowering local communities to secure rights to sustainably access forest resources for livelihood and navigate legal frameworks through constructive dialogue with authorities. UNESCO leads this pillar, focusing on community forests and territories within the World Heritage property.
2. Climate-Resilient Livelihoods
Transitioning farmers from intensive monoculture to sustainable agroforestry and developing female-led community enterprises to ensure long-term economic stability.
3. Enhanced Law Enforcement
Equipping government rangers for SMART patrols and specialized snare removal to secure the landscape against commercial poaching networks.
Sakunrat Yeesakun / CUSRI
Why it matters
Tigers are both an umbrella and an indicator species. This means that where tigers thrive, entire ecosystems are healthy: forests are intact, prey populations are stable, and water sources are clean. Benefits extend far beyond wildlife: by protecting tiger landscapes through inclusive governance, the project protects the ecosystems that local communities depend on for water, food security, and climate resilience.
The Western Forest Complex model demonstrates that conservation can succeed when communities are partners. Scaling the approach requires not just protected areas, but secure land rights, sustainable economic alternatives, and governance systems where local knowledge shapes conservation strategy.
Supported by :Nature Facility
Participating UN entities :UNDP ,UNESCO
Resources