TLIF in Nepal

Stage 1/6: Country Scoping & Readiness 

Country Context  

Nepal is one of the world’s leading tiger conservation success stories. The country is currently home to 355 tigers, having successfully achieved its national commitment to double its tiger population.¹ Tiger habitats span the Terai Arc landscape which is a network of protected areas, buffer zones, community forests, and wildlife corridors that sustain not only tiger populations but also vital ecosystem services. Communities living in and around these landscapes depend heavily on natural resources, agriculture, and livestock for their livelihoods, making human-wildlife conflict a central challenge and sustainable economic opportunities a critical component of long-term conservation success. 

Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility 

TLIF conducted a scoping mission to Nepal in May 2026 to assess financing gaps, enterprise needs, and barriers to reaching biodiversity-positive MSMEs across the lower Terai Arc belt. The scoping report is expected to be finalized by June 2026, with financial institution engagement to follow. TLIF aims to mobilize domestic private sector investment into conservation-friendly businesses operating in and around tiger landscapes. 

Priority Sectors  

Four priority sectors have been identified with strong potential to reduce human-wildlife conflict and support biodiversity conservation across the Terai Arc region of Nepal. The first priority is sustainable agricultural and non-timber forest product value chains (including citrus, coffee, chilli, turmeric, ginger, honey, and avocado), which can support more conflict-resilient livelihoods in areas where fencing is impractical or difficult to maintain.  The second is livestock financing combined with human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures such as predator proof fencing and insurance. The third is the financing of timber value chains linked to active and sustainable forest management. The fourth is eco-tourism in protected-area buffer zones, particularly around Banke, Bardia, and Chitwan National Parks.

Approach  

Nepal’s community forests and buffer zones are home to thousands of smallholder farmers, forest-dependent communities, and local entrepreneurs whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with tiger landscapes. TLIF works with local financial institutions to unlock credit for these businesses, reducing the risk of lending so that conservation-friendly micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can access the technical assistance and finance they need to grow. 

Status 

A scoping study has been completed in Nepal, which has been instrumental in adapting the facility to the Nepal context. Two financial institutions – with different mandates that fit the target segments of TLIF – have been identified and bilateral negotiations regarding risk-sharing mechanisms are ongoing. 

Sources  

[1] Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Department of Forests and Soil Conservation, Ministry of Forests and Environment (2022), Status of tigers and prey in Nepal 2022.
[2] Global Tiger Forum (2024), Global Tiger Protected Area Network Compendium 2.0. 
[3] WWF Nepal (2025, December 16), Nepal Launches 5th National Tiger Survey to Assess Population Status, Distribution and Conservation Gains.