‘New Delhi Declaration’ in the works for upcoming international summit on conservation of big cats

Relevance: : GS Paper III – Environment | Biodiversity | Conservation | International Cooperation

Important Keywords for Prelims and Mains

For Prelims:

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), New Delhi Declaration, Project Tiger, Big Cats, One Health Approach, Wildlife Crime, CITES, NTCA, Transboundary Conservation, Habitat Connectivity

For Mains:

biodiversity diplomacy, wildlife governance, conservation finance, ecological security, habitat fragmentation, transboundary cooperation, sustainable development, climate resilience, species conservation, global environmental leadership.

Why in News?

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is preparing a “New Delhi Declaration” for adoption at the upcoming global summit on big cat conservation likely to be held on June 1, 2026.
This declaration is expected to become the first major international declaration exclusively focused on the conservation of big cats.
It aims to strengthen cooperation among countries for protecting big cat species through habitat connectivity, wildlife crime prevention, financial mobilization, and a One Health approach.
The summit follows the growing international recognition of India’s leadership in wildlife conservation, especially after the success of Project Tiger and the formal establishment of the IBCA.

What is the New Delhi Declaration?

The New Delhi Declaration is a proposed international conservation framework dedicated to the long-term survival of the world’s major big cat species.
It seeks to establish shared commitments among member countries for habitat protection, anti-poaching efforts, scientific cooperation, and financing support.
The declaration focuses on landscape-level conservation rather than isolated protected areas, recognizing that big cats require large connected habitats for movement and breeding.
It also promotes cross-border cooperation because many big cat habitats extend across national boundaries.
Its adoption would make India the center of a new global institutional framework for big cat conservation diplomacy.

What is the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)?

The International Big Cat Alliance is an India-led intergovernmental alliance created for the protection and conservation of seven major big cat species across the world.
It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 April 2023 during the 50th anniversary celebration of Project Tiger.
It became a treaty-based international organization on 23 January 2025 with its permanent secretariat located in India.
The alliance works as a global platform for resource mobilization, knowledge sharing, scientific cooperation, anti-poaching efforts, and conservation policy coordination.
It is open to both range countries where big cats naturally occur and non-range countries willing to support conservation.
As of 2026, it has 24 member countries and observers such as Kazakhstan, Namibia, and Thailand.

Seven Big Cats Covered under IBCA

The alliance focuses on the conservation of seven iconic big cat species:

Tiger
Lion
Leopard
Snow Leopard
Cheetah
Jaguar
Puma (Cougar)
These species are distributed across Asia, Africa, and the Americas and represent both ecological importance and symbolic conservation value.
India is directly linked to five of these species—tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah—making it central to global conservation efforts.

Key Focus Areas of the Declaration

*Key Focus Area*	*Description*
Habitat Connectivity	Big cats need large landscapes and uninterrupted corridors for movement. Focus on landscape-level planning and transboundary connectivity across protected areas and national borders. Important for species like snow leopards, tigers, and leopards.
Wildlife Crime Prevention	Illegal trade, poaching, and trafficking are major threats. Emphasis on intelligence sharing, legal cooperation, and joint enforcement against organized wildlife crime networks.
Finance Mobilization	Conservation requires sustained funding for habitat restoration, anti-poaching infrastructure, compensation systems, and community participation. Focus on mobilizing public and private finance.
Scientific Cooperation	Encourages sharing of research, population monitoring, genetic studies, and conservation technologies among countries.
Community Participation	Involvement of local communities through livelihood support and human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies.

One Health Approach in Big Cat Conservation

The declaration strongly supports the One Health approach.
One Health recognizes that the health of wildlife, livestock, ecosystems, and human beings is interconnected.
Emerging zoonotic diseases often originate from wildlife-human interaction zones, especially where habitat fragmentation increases contact.
Protecting big cat ecosystems therefore also contributes to public health security.
Healthy forests reduce disease risks, maintain ecological balance, and improve resilience against climate shocks.

India’s Role in Global Big Cat Conservation

*Area*	*Prelims-Specific Facts*
Tiger Population	India hosts ~75% of the world’s wild tigers (as per latest All India Tiger Estimation).
Asiatic Lion	Found only in Gir landscape (Gujarat); only wild population in the world.
Snow Leopard	India has ~10–15% of global population; found in trans-Himalayan regions (Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).
Cheetah Reintroduction	Under Project Cheetah (2022), African cheetahs introduced in Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh). India lost native cheetah in 1952 (declared extinct).
Protected Areas	India has 50+ Tiger Reserves under Project Tiger (NTCA is nodal authority).

Project Tiger and Institutional Support

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for tiger conservation.
It is implemented through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Its objectives include protecting tiger habitats, maintaining viable populations, reducing poaching, and preserving biodiversity-rich ecosystems.
India now has one of the world’s strongest tiger reserve systems under this programme.
The success of Project Tiger laid the foundation for India’s leadership in the International Big Cat Alliance.

Significance of the New Delhi Declaration

It will likely become the first formal global declaration exclusively dedicated to big cat conservation.
It strengthens international environmental diplomacy through practical conservation cooperation rather than symbolic commitments.
It positions India as the institutional hub of global big cat governance.
The declaration also integrates biodiversity conservation with climate resilience, public health, and sustainable development goals.
By promoting finance, connectivity, and crime prevention together, it creates a more realistic and implementation-focused conservation model.
It may also strengthen international pressure against illegal wildlife trade networks.

Way Forward

IBCA membership should be expanded to include more range countries, especially from Africa and Latin America.
Dedicated global conservation funds should be created for long-term habitat management and conflict compensation.
Cross-border wildlife corridors must be protected through formal bilateral and regional agreements.
Technology such as satellite tracking, camera traps, AI surveillance, and DNA forensics should be expanded.

Conclusion

The New Delhi Declaration represents a major step in transforming big cat conservation from isolated national efforts into coordinated global governance.
It recognizes that protecting big cats means protecting forests, water systems, climate resilience, and public health itself.
India’s leadership through the International Big Cat Alliance reflects both ecological responsibility and strategic environmental diplomacy.

CARE MCQ

Q. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), consider the following statements:

It was launched during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
It covers tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and rhinoceros.
It is an India-led intergovernmental organization for global big cat conservation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 3 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 2 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (a)

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct : IBCA was launched in 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.

Statement 2 is incorrect : rhinoceros is not included; puma is included instead.

Statement 3 is correct : IBCA is an India-led intergovernmental conservation alliance.

Q. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the conservation status of big cats, consider the following statements:

The International Big Cat Alliance was launched to protect all seven major big cats, including species that are not naturally found in India.
The Snow Leopard is classified as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Alliance promotes knowledge sharing and capacity building among range countries to address issues such as human-wildlife conflict.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is an India-led global conservation initiative aimed at protecting seven major big cats—Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma. It includes species such as Jaguar and Puma, which are not found in the wild in India. This reflects India’s effort to promote global rather than only national big cat conservation. Therefore, this statement is correct.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Snow Leopard is currently listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List, not Critically Endangered. It was earlier classified as Endangered but was later downlisted in 2017 after reassessment of its global population. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.

Statement 3 is correct: One of the major objectives of the IBCA is to strengthen cooperation among big cat range countries through knowledge sharing, technical support, training, and capacity building. It also focuses on common challenges such as habitat loss, poaching, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. Hence, this statement is correct.

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF):

WWF focuses only on protecting endangered species such as the giant panda and tiger.
It collaborates with IUCN in areas such as species monitoring and protected area management.
WWF works only in developing countries with high biodiversity and has no significant role in developed countries.
WWF played an important role in establishing the TRAFFIC network for monitoring wildlife trade.

How many of the above statements are incorrect?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Although WWF is well known for protecting flagship species like the giant panda, tiger, rhino, and elephant, its work is much broader. It also focuses on habitat conservation, climate change, freshwater systems, forests, oceans, and sustainable development. Therefore, saying it focuses only on endangered animals is incorrect.

Statement 2 is correct: WWF works closely with organizations such as the IUCN in areas like biodiversity assessment, species conservation, habitat protection, and management of protected areas. Their collaboration helps improve scientific conservation planning and implementation. Hence, this statement is correct.

Statement 3 is incorrect: WWF operates globally and is active in both developing and developed countries. Environmental issues such as climate change, wildlife trade, and habitat degradation are global concerns, so WWF’s work is not limited only to biodiversity-rich developing nations. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.

Statement 4 is correct: WWF, in partnership with IUCN, played a major role in establishing TRAFFIC, the international wildlife trade monitoring network. TRAFFIC works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten biodiversity. Hence, this statement is correct.

Q. With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), consider the following statements:

The IUCN is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for setting global environmental policy.
The IUCN Red List categories help inform the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The IUCN works with governments and NGOs in implementing conservation projects on the ground.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Ans: (b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The IUCN is not a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is an independent international organization that includes governments, government agencies, NGOs, scientists, and civil society groups as members. Although it works closely with the UN and supports global environmental policy, it is not formally a UN body. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.

Statement 2 is correct: The IUCN Red List provides scientific assessment of species’ conservation status such as Vulnerable, Endangered, and Critically Endangered. These assessments are often used to guide decisions under CITES, especially for determining which species should be placed under different appendices for trade regulation. Hence, this statement is correct.

Statement 3 is correct: The IUCN actively collaborates with governments, NGOs, local communities, and international agencies to implement practical conservation measures. Its role is not limited to assessment; it also supports field-level conservation projects, protected area management, and biodiversity restoration efforts. Therefore, this statement is correct.