Saudi Arabia to Join India-Led Big Cat Alliance

According to sources from India’s Ministry of Environment, Saudi Arabia is set to join the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and will become its 26th member country.

The International Big Cat Alliance was launched by India as a global initiative focused on the conservation and protection of big cats and their habitats around the world.

The alliance was started by India with the objective of promoting coordinated global action for the protection of big cat species and their habitats.

Experts also believe that Saudi Arabia’s inclusion will strengthen financial cooperation, regional conservation partnerships and biodiversity management efforts.

Members of the International Big Cat Alliance

At present, the alliance has 25 signatory countries and five observer countries.

The 25 member countries of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) include India, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Paraguay, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

History of the International Big Cat Alliance

IBCA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 during the 50th anniversary celebrations of Project Tiger and was formally approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024.

The International Big Cat Alliance was initiated by India as a multinational conservation platform aimed at protecting seven major big cat species across the world.

The seven big cats included under IBCA are – Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.

Last year in November, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav addressed the High-Level Ministerial Segment on the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) at UNFCCC CoP30 in Belém, Brazil.

IBCA has been established through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the NTCA was established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force and received legal status under Section 38L of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006.