International Big Cat Alliance | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the High-Level Ministerial Segment on the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) at UNFCCC CoP30 in Belém, Brazil.

He announced that India will host a Global Big Cats Summit in 2026 in New Delhi.

Nature and Status

• IBCA became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation and an international legal entity on 23 January 2025.
• Headquarters: India
• Set up through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Launch and Approval

• Launched by the Prime Minister in 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
• Formally approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024.

Open Membership:

• Available to all UN member states—both:
  • Range countries (where big cats naturally occur), and
  • Non-range countries interested in supporting global big cat conservation.

Objective and Species Covered

• IBCA seeks to coordinate global efforts for the conservation of seven major big cats:
  • Tiger
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Snow Leopard
  • Cheetah
  • Jaguar
  • Puma
• India hosts 5 out of these 7 species, except:
  • Puma
  • Jaguar

India’s Role and Contributions

• India is the host country and the location of the IBCA Secretariat.
• India has committed ₹150 crore (2023–2028) for IBCA operations and is exploring additional financing via bilateral, multilateral and donor partnerships.

Source: PIB

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