News Excerpt:

The Union Cabinet chaired by India’s Prime Minister approved the establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India with a one-time budgetary support of Rs.150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

Background:

• Acknowledging India's leading role in conserving tigers, other big cats and many of its endangered species, the Prime Minister of India, during his speech on the occasion of Global Tiger Day 2019, called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to curb poaching in Asia. 
• The Prime minister reiterated this on the occasion of Commemorating 50 years of India's Project Tiger in 2023 and formally announced the launch of an International Big Cat Alliance aiming at securing the future of big cats and the landscapes they thrive.
• Seven big cats include Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and the Cheetah out of these five big cats viz. Tigers, lions, leopards, Snow Leopards and Cheetahs are found in India.

About International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA):

• The International Big Cat Alliance has been conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, conservation partners and scientific organisations working in the field of big cat conservation.

• IBCA aims for mutual cooperation among countries to further the conservation agenda. 
• IBCA would have a multipronged approach in broad basing and establishing linkages manifold in several areas and help in knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking, advocacy, finance and resources support, research and technical support, education and awareness.
• It envisages synergy through a collaborative platform for - 
• Increased dissemination of gold standard big cat conservation practices, 
• Provides access to a central common repository of technical know-how and corpus of funds, 
• Strengthens the existing species-specific intergovernmental platforms, networks and transnational initiatives on conservation and protection and 
• Assists in securing our ecological future and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
• It recognizes the importance of integrating biodiversity policies with sustainable development goals (SDGs) to achieve holistic and inclusive conservation outcomes. 
• The aforementioned advocates for policy initiatives that align biodiversity conservation efforts with local needs. 

Regulatory framework of IBCA:

• The IBCA proposes to have an assembly of members, a standing committee as well as a secretariat based in India. 
• The Environment Ministry will appoint an interim director general to head the IBCA secretariat until members of the alliance can meet and appoint a permanent office-bearer to oversee day-to-day operations.

Significance of the IBCA:

• This will be a demonstrative step in a leadership position on the big cat agenda to bring a range of countries and others on a common platform.
• The Alliance ensures 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 the well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems. 
• IBCA would instil cooperation among countries for mutual benefit and immensely contribute to furthering the long-term conservation agenda.
• It would pave the way for a future where natural ecosystems continue to thrive and gain centrality in economic and development policies.