International Big Cat Alliance headquarters will be in India; the Centre allocates Rs 150 crore

International Big Cat Alliance headquarters will be in India; the Centre allocates Rs 150 crore

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conventions

Context:

• The Indian government announced the establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on February 29, 2024, following an idea proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
• The headquarters of IBCA will be located in India.

Details:

• The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Modi, approved a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for IBCA.
• This funding is allocated for a five-year period from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

Big Cats Overview:

• “Big Cat” refers to large species within the Felidae family, primarily those in the Panthera genus: Tiger (Panthera tigris), Lion (Panthera leo), Jaguar (Panthera onca), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)
• These species are capable of roaring, with the lion’s roar being the loudest, audible from 8-10 kilometres away.
• The snow leopard was initially classified as Uncia uncia but was later reclassified into Panthera.
• Although not part of the Panthera genus, Puma (Puma concolor) and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) are commonly included in big cat listings.

Big Cats in the Indian Subcontinent:

• Historically, the region has been home to several big cats: Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, Indian leopard, Indian/Asiatic cheetah (declared extinct in 1952), Snow leopard.
• In 2022, the Government of India initiated a program to reintroduce African cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, aiming to revive the cheetah population in the country.

About the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• Formation and Purpose
  • The IBCA is envisioned as a coalition involving 96 big cat range countries, non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, conservation partners, scientific organizations, business groups, and corporates.
  • The alliance aims to establish networks, develop synergies, and create a centralized platform for sharing successful conservation practices and resources.
  • Its primary goal is to arrest the decline in big cat populations and reverse this trend through a multi-faceted approach.
• Strategies and Objectives
  • The IBCA will focus on knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking, advocacy, financial and resource support, research, technical assistance, education, and awareness.
  • It seeks to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and advocate for policy initiatives that align biodiversity conservation with local needs, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• Organizational Structure
  • The IBCA’s structure will include an Assembly of Members, a Standing Committee, and a Secretariat, with headquarters based in India.
  • Its Framework of Agreement is modelled after the International Solar Alliance, another initiative proposed by Prime Minister Modi in 2015.
  • The statute of the IBCA will be finalized by an International Steering Committee, which includes national focal points of founding member countries.
  • An interim head of the IBCA Secretariat will be appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) until the IBCA appoints its Director-General during an Assembly meeting.
• Funding and Support
  • The Centre plans to seek contributions from bilateral and multilateral agencies, public sector organizations, national and international financial institutions, and donor agencies to support the IBCA’s initiatives.