- By Kamal Kumar
- Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
International Big Cat Alliance: Bolstering the India-led Big Cat Alliance (BCA), 16 countries – including Brazil, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Malaysia – have officially joined the multilateral conservation effort, reported officials from the Environment Ministry on Friday. Additionally, nine international organizations, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, have given their consent to be part of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi greenflagged the formation of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on Thursday. The effort is being deemed as a tool to further the 'Big Cat diplomacy' of India, as well as, an important step in wildlife conservation. The initiative is also aimed to boost the 'green economy' across the member states.
IBCA will provide a framework for the protection and conservation of seven majestic big cat species: tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, pumas, snow leopards, and cheetahs, found across the member states.
To support this initiative, the Indian government has pledged a one-time budgetary allocation of ₹150 crore, spread over five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
Demonstrating international support for the IBCA, 16 countries have already joined the coalition, with the Environment Ministry expecting more countries to follow suit.
"We have received consent from 16 nations as alliance members and 9 international organisations. We are expecting more countries to join soon," a ministry official said.
Five out of seven big cats found in India
With the recent reintroduction of the Cheetahs, India has now become home to five big cats including Tigers, lions, leopards, Snow leopards and Cheetahs, out of the seven targeted by IBCA. Through collaborative efforts and knowledge sharing, the IBCA aims to tackle the pressing challenges faced by big cats, including habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
These 16 countries have joined the IBCA so far
The 16 IBCA member countries are Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Kenya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Suriname and Uganda.
