NEW DELHI: India has formally become a member of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) - a global body which was formed at the country's behest to conserve seven big cats including Tiger , Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah. The country signed and ratified its framework on Thursday.
The IBCA, headquartered in New Delhi, is a multi-country and multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, aiming at securing the future of big cats and their habitats. Besides India, three other countries - Nicaragua, Eswatini and Somalia - have also formally joined the Alliance by ratifying its framework.
Welcoming the move, director general of the IBCA, S P Yadav, told TOI on Friday that there is a lot of excitement about the Alliance among other big cat range countries and many of them will join the global body in coming months. “As the home to five big cats (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah), India’s success in big cat conservation will greatly benefit Alliance members worldwide,” said Yadav.
All UN member countries, including non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, are eligible to become members of IBCA. Besides the four which formally joined it, 20 other countries too have consented to be its members. Nine International organizations also have consented to be partner organizations of the Alliance.The IBCA was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of commemorating 50 years of India’s Project Tiger in April last year. Subsequently in February this year, the Union cabinet had approved the establishment of the Alliance with a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.The Alliance's framework aims for cooperation among countries for mutual benefit in furthering the conservation agenda with big cats as mascots for sustainable development and livelihood security.
The IBCA will establish networks and develop synergies in a focused manner so as to bring to a common platform a centralized repository of successful practices that can be leveraged to strengthen the conservation, and stop decline in big cat population and reverse the trend.
"The parties (member countries) to this agreement shall be guided by the principles of coordinated action for protection and conservation of seven big cats, seeking the benefits of collective action under the IBCA," said a statement from the environment ministry.
It said, "The Alliance focuses on sustainable use of natural resources and mitigates challenges emanating from climate change . By safeguarding big cats and their habitats, the IBCA contributes to natural climate adaptation, water and food security and well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems."
The IBCA, headquartered in New Delhi, is a multi-country and multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, aiming at securing the future of big cats and their habitats. Besides India, three other countries - Nicaragua, Eswatini and Somalia - have also formally joined the Alliance by ratifying its framework.
Welcoming the move, director general of the IBCA, S P Yadav, told TOI on Friday that there is a lot of excitement about the Alliance among other big cat range countries and many of them will join the global body in coming months. “As the home to five big cats (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah), India’s success in big cat conservation will greatly benefit Alliance members worldwide,” said Yadav.
All UN member countries, including non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, are eligible to become members of IBCA. Besides the four which formally joined it, 20 other countries too have consented to be its members. Nine International organizations also have consented to be partner organizations of the Alliance.The IBCA was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of commemorating 50 years of India’s Project Tiger in April last year. Subsequently in February this year, the Union cabinet had approved the establishment of the Alliance with a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.The Alliance's framework aims for cooperation among countries for mutual benefit in furthering the conservation agenda with big cats as mascots for sustainable development and livelihood security.
The IBCA will establish networks and develop synergies in a focused manner so as to bring to a common platform a centralized repository of successful practices that can be leveraged to strengthen the conservation, and stop decline in big cat population and reverse the trend.
"The parties (member countries) to this agreement shall be guided by the principles of coordinated action for protection and conservation of seven big cats, seeking the benefits of collective action under the IBCA," said a statement from the environment ministry.
It said, "The Alliance focuses on sustainable use of natural resources and mitigates challenges emanating from climate change . By safeguarding big cats and their habitats, the IBCA contributes to natural climate adaptation, water and food security and well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems."
