Bangladesh joins International Big Cat Alliance as new member, count reaches 27
Bangladesh officially joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), a treaty-based international conservation body headquartered in New Delhi and spearhe...
What Happened
- Bangladesh officially joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), a treaty-based international conservation body headquartered in New Delhi and spearheaded by India, bringing total membership to 27 nations.
- Bangladesh's cabinet approved the proposal to join IBCA, with the primary motivation cited as protecting the Royal Bengal Tiger — one of seven big cat species under the Alliance's mandate — and safeguarding the Sundarbans, a critical shared transboundary tiger habitat.
- Bangladesh's membership also aims to strengthen cooperation on illegal wildlife trafficking and poaching, and to facilitate technical knowledge exchange with other tiger-range nations.
- The IBCA brings together range countries and non-range countries alike to pool resources, expertise, and political will for big cat conservation globally.
- The Alliance's first international summit was held in 2026 with 14 countries confirming participation, signalling IBCA's transition from founding stage to active institutional operation.
Static Topic Bridges
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): Overview
The IBCA is a multilateral international organisation dedicated to the conservation of seven major big cat species worldwide. It was formally launched by India on April 9, 2023, during an event marking the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
- Founding: Launched April 9, 2023, by the Government of India.
- Seven species under mandate: Tiger (Panthera tigris), Lion (Panthera leo), Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Jaguar (Panthera onca), Puma (Puma concolor), and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- Structure: General Assembly (all members); Council of 7–15 members elected for a five-year term; Secretariat.
- Funding: India committed one-time budgetary support of ₹150 crore for the period 2023–24 to 2027–28.
- Legal basis: Treaty-based international organisation; members accede to the IBCA framework agreement.
- IBCA came into force as a fully functional international legal entity following ratification by sufficient founding members.
Connection to this news: Bangladesh's accession to 27 total members represents a meaningful expansion of IBCA's geographic reach and reinforces the India-Bangladesh cooperation dimension, given the shared Sundarbans ecosystem and the common Royal Bengal Tiger population.
Project Tiger and India's Conservation Legacy
Project Tiger is India's flagship wildlife conservation programme, launched in 1973 by the Government of India to protect the Bengal tiger from extinction. It was inaugurated on April 1, 1973, at Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, under then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
- Project Tiger led to the establishment of Tiger Reserves across India under a dedicated administrative structure.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established in 2006 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2006) to provide oversight of Project Tiger and tiger reserves.
- India hosts the world's largest population of wild tigers; the 2022 All-India Tiger Estimation put India's tiger population at approximately 3,167 — up from ~1,411 in 2006.
- India has 56 notified Tiger Reserves as of 2024, covering approximately 78,135 sq km.
- The 50th anniversary of Project Tiger in April 2023 was the occasion for IBCA's launch — connecting India's domestic conservation achievement to its new international leadership role.
Connection to this news: India's success with Project Tiger — reversing tiger decline through dedicated reserves, anti-poaching measures, and community engagement — is the model that IBCA seeks to replicate and adapt for all seven big cat species globally.
The Sundarbans: A Shared Transboundary Ecosystem
The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove ecosystem, spanning approximately 10,000 sq km across the delta of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system. It straddles India and Bangladesh, with the Indian portion (~4,000 sq km) and the Bangladeshi portion (~6,000 sq km).
- The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Indian Sundarbans were inscribed in 1987; the Bangladeshi Sundarbans (Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary) in 1997.
- It is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (both India and Bangladesh sides designated separately).
- The Sundarbans hosts one of the highest densities of the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) remaining in the wild.
- The ecosystem faces threats from sea-level rise (climate change), illegal poaching, habitat degradation, and human-wildlife conflict.
- The Indian Sundarbans Tiger Reserve is a core area within the larger biosphere reserve.
Connection to this news: Bangladesh's primary stated motivation for joining IBCA is protecting its share of the Sundarbans — making the membership a natural extension of the existing bilateral conservation cooperation on the transboundary Sundarbans ecosystem.
Big Cat Conservation: Global Status and Threats
All seven big cat species under the IBCA mandate face significant conservation pressures; several are classified as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
| Species | IUCN Status | Wild Population (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Tiger | Endangered | ~5,574 (2022, global) |
| Lion | Vulnerable | ~20,000–25,000 |
| Snow Leopard | Vulnerable | ~4,000–6,500 |
| Leopard | Vulnerable | Unknown; declining |
| Jaguar | Near Threatened | ~64,000–173,000 |
| Puma | Least Concern | Unknown; stable in range |
| Cheetah | Vulnerable | ~6,700 (fastest declining) |
- The primary threats to all species include habitat loss, prey base depletion, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal wildlife trade (poaching and trafficking).
- CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix I listings prohibit commercial international trade in all seven species and their parts.
- The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952; Project Cheetah launched the reintroduction of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa at Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) from September 2022.
Connection to this news: The IBCA framework addresses all seven species under a single institutional umbrella — enabling range countries that share habitat (like India and Bangladesh for tigers) to pool conservation strategies while also engaging non-range countries for funding and scientific collaboration.
India's International Environment Diplomacy
India has increasingly used multilateral environmental initiatives to assert soft power and global leadership.
- International Solar Alliance (ISA): Launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris (2015); headquartered in Gurugram; over 120 member countries.
- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI): Launched by India at the UN Climate Action Summit (2019); headquartered in New Delhi.
- One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG): International solar grid initiative proposed by India.
- Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): Launched by India at COP26 (2021) as an individual behaviour-change campaign.
- IBCA follows this pattern: India funds and hosts the secretariat, provides the core institutional architecture, and invites global membership.
Connection to this news: IBCA fits squarely within India's pattern of establishing international environmental bodies where India's domestic conservation achievements provide credibility and the initiative advances India's international standing while addressing genuine conservation goals.
Key Facts & Data
- IBCA launched: April 9, 2023, on 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
- IBCA headquarters: New Delhi, India.
- Seven species under IBCA: Tiger, Lion, Snow Leopard, Leopard, Jaguar, Puma, Cheetah.
- Total IBCA membership after Bangladesh: 27 nations.
- India's IBCA funding: ₹150 crore for 2023–24 to 2027–28 (approved by Union Cabinet).
- Bangladesh's primary motivation: Protection of Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans.
- Sundarbans area: ~10,000 sq km total (India ~4,000 sq km; Bangladesh ~6,000 sq km).
- Sundarbans UNESCO inscription: India 1987; Bangladesh 1997.
- India's tiger count (2022 census): ~3,167 — highest in the world.
- Project Tiger launched: April 1, 1973, at Jim Corbett National Park; 50th anniversary 2023.
- NTCA established: 2006 under amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- India's Tiger Reserves: 56 as of 2024.
- Cheetah extinction in India: 1952; reintroduction via Project Cheetah at Kuno NP from September 2022.
- CITES Appendix I: All seven IBCA species listed; commercial trade prohibited.