IBCA Summit Defining Moment To Deliberate On Future Of Big Cat Conservation: Bhupender Yadav

New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said the upcoming International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026 will be a defining moment in global conservation diplomacy, bringing together world leaders and experts to deliberate on the future of big cat conservation.

The two-day IBCA Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from June 1. IBCA is an intergovernmental international organisation headquartered in India, established for the conservation of seven big cats — lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.

Addressing the launch event of the website and logo for the first IBCA Summit, Yadav underlined that the summit will strengthen international partnerships, promote South-South cooperation, inspire collective action among big cat range countries and align conservation efforts with global biodiversity and climate goals.

"For the first time, world leaders will convene exclusively to deliberate on big cat conservation across continents," he added.

The minister further informed that a key outcome of the summit would be the adoption of the first-ever global declaration on big cat conservation, titled 'Delhi Declaration', which will articulate shared priorities, strengthen transboundary cooperation and promote a landscape-based approach for conserving big cats and their habitats.

He further said the summit, guided by the theme 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem', would bring together over 400 conservationists, policymakers, scientists, multilateral agencies, financial institutions, corporate leaders and community representatives from across the globe.

Highlighting India's journey in big cat conservation, Yadav noted that it has been marked by commitment, innovation, scientific management, institutional collaboration and community participation.

Citing the success of Project Tiger and initiatives for lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah conservation, Yadav said India has demonstrated that conservation and development can go hand in hand, strengthening ecosystems, improving livelihoods, resilience, and mitigating climate challenges.

"India's experience and a deep sense of global responsibility inspired the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch the IBCA in 2023," he added.

Yadav said IBCA is a first-of-its-kind platform bringing together countries home to the seven big cats, reflecting India's belief that conservation challenges must be addressed collectively through cooperation, knowledge sharing and mutual support. During the event, he also released a promotional film on the summit.

Several heads of mission of big cat range countries, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of External Affairs and IBCA, attended the event.

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