A wildlife protection group has launched a new project aimed at preserving the dwindling population of Bengal tigers as changes in climate and habitat further imperil the endangered species.

The Sundarbans Tiger Project (STP) was launched at Khulna University on February 17, a joint project involving the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) and the Zoological Society of London, and will focus on promoting greater awareness of the threats to tigers and other wildlife.

According to research published by the World Wildlife Fund in 2010, tigers are among the world’s most threatened species, with only an estimated 3,200 remaining in the wild.

Organizers of the event said that climate change along with human population growth have contributed to the shrinking of tiger and other wildlife populations.

The campaign will cover five coastal districts that comprise a large section of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the mouth of the Ganges river.

“If we don’t take steps to address the impacts of climate change on the Sundarbans, the only way its tigers will survive this century is with scuba gear,” said Colby Loucks, WWF-US deputy director of conservation science and the lead author of the study Sea Level Rise and Tigers: Predicted Impacts to Bangladesh’s Sundarbans Mangroves.

“Tigers are a highly adaptable species, thriving from the snowy forests of Russia to the tropical forests of Indonesia. The projected sea level rise in the Sundarbans will likely outpace the tiger’s ability to adapt,” he warned.

The projected sea level rise of 28 cm by 2070 may cause the remaining tiger habitat in the Sundarbans to decline by 96 percent, pushing the population to 20 from an estimated 440 at the moment, study said.

Rising pressure on tiger habitats have forced tigers to look for food elsewhere, which has resulted in the death of cattle and increasing attacks on humans, said Anwarul Islam, head of the WTB.

There have been reports of as many as 37 tiger attacks this year, with 12 villagers killed.

STP has so far formed a number of Forest Tiger Response teams that are trained to assist people injured by tigers and chase the tigers out of the villages.

“Tigers enter villages mainly for food, as deer are few in number these days and only a few wild boars remain amid indiscriminate poaching,” said Anwarul Islam,

“We are trying to work with the government to ensure the safety of tigers as well as [other] wildlife in the Sundarbans.”

The STP campaign will also include community outreach programs and discussion forums to educate villagers on how to protect themselves and the wildlife of the Sundarbans.