Background and Development Challenges 

Tigers are on the verge of extinction, and Thailand is one of only 10 remaining range countries that still supports wild populations in its forests. Led by UNDP, the Tiger Landscape Investment Facility (TLIF) partners with financial institutions to unlock private capital from their balance sheets and channel it into nature-positive investments. By leveraging their outreach into remote areas, these partnerships enable TLIF to generate financial returns while supporting sustainable M/SMEs that contribute directly to tiger conservation.

In collaboration with conservation organizations, TLIF reduces threats to biodiversity by conserving and restoring tiger habitats, while strengthening sustainable livelihoods that lower pressures on forests. By incubating green enterprises, structuring investment-ready projects, and advocating for enabling domestic capital, TLIF delivers lasting benefits for both people and nature.

In protected areas and buffer zones, chemical-intensive farming degrades land, insecure tenure discourages sustainable practices, and subsistence hunting reduces prey species vital for tigers. To break this cycle, the UNDP-led Technical Assistance Facility helps communities shift toward sustainable livelihoods by supporting green enterprises and conservation projects, making them investment-ready (CPD1), empowering communities through capacity building and partnerships (2), and delivering real benefits for local livelihoods and nature (3).

Local financial institutions are key to financing small-scale enterprises, but high perceived risks and collateral demands often exclude biodiversity-positive ventures. Through portfolio guarantees, UNCDF’s de-risking facility—working with partner financial institutions—reduces these risks and unlocks domestic capital (1) for inclusive and equitable economic growth (2) (3).