The International Solar Alliance, an effort with its headquarters in India to encourage solar installations worldwide, is the model for the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) that the Union Environment Ministry intends to establish and administer. On February 29, the Union Cabinet gave its approval to the idea.
It is acknowledged that India is a global leader in tiger conservation.
At a news conference on Friday, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav stated, “The IBCA, which will have its headquarters in India and to which India has already committed ₹150 crore [for five years], will lead initiatives to disseminate good practices in conserving big cats.” Many “big cat” nations today struggle with resource availability and making the most use of procedures and practices.
Big cat conservation issues across their range of habitats are not being addressed by any international authority. According to Mr. Yadav, many other range nations may adopt the innovative and enduring big cat conservation strategies that India developed. These include tiger and other big cat conservation.
International Big Cat Alliance
The seven principal big cat species in the world—the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma—are the focus of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), a worldwide project that India began in April 2023. As of today, February 29, 2024, the Indian Union Cabinet has approved the creation of the IBCA. The organization will be based in India and work with 97 range nations to protect the habitats of these recognizable predators.
The newly formed International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) will get a one-time budgetary assistance of Rs 150 crore ($18.6 million) from the Union Cabinet, which is presided over by the Indian Prime Minister. The five-year financing period runs from 2023–2024 to 2027–2028. The “big seven” cats—the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma/cougar—are the subject of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), a multi-agency alliance spanning several nations.
Its specific goal is to ensure large cat populations’ long-term survival across their native habitats. 97 nations from Asia, Africa, and the Americas that are home to one or more of these species will be included in the alliance. The success of India’s Project Tiger, which was started 50 years ago and has helped the nation to now house about 75% of the world’s wild tiger population, served as inspiration for the IBCA.
What led to the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance?
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was established to address the threats to big cat species worldwide, including poaching, loss of natural habitats, and decline of prey populations. WWF reports that only 4,500 tigers remain in the wild, while Lions occupy only 8% of their range. The IUCN Red List classifies nearly all big cats as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered. The IBCA aims to foster international cooperation and synergies between a range of countries to protect these majestic big cats.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is working to address human-wildlife conflicts, habitat fragmentation, and climate change impacts on diverse species. With 97 member countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the IBCA aims to balance socio-economic needs with conservation efforts. The alliance consists of public and private players, conservation bodies, scientific institutions, corporations, and individuals. By mobilizing political, economic, and social support across these countries, the IBCA can drive impactful conservation efforts to secure the long-term survival of tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and pumas in the 21st century.
