'New Delhi Declaration' in the works for upcoming international summit on conservation of big cats, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is drafting a New Delhi Declaration for big cat conservation, potentially the first international declaration of its kind.
• The declaration is expected to be placed for adoption at the global big cat summit likely to be held on June 1.
• The declaration focuses on habitat connectivity, wildlife crime prevention, finance mobilization, and a One Health approach.
• The IBCA, launched on April 9, 2023, aims to conserve seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, and jaguar.
• The IBCA currently has 24 member countries, including 10 African nations, with Kazakhstan, Namibia, and Thailand as observers.

Detailed Insights:

• The New Delhi Declaration emphasizes landscape-level and transboundary habitat connectivity to ensure the safe movement of big cats across regions.
• Strengthening cooperation on wildlife crime prevention is a key focus, addressing threats like illegal wildlife trade and poaching that endanger big cat populations.
• Mobilization of finance is crucial to support conservation efforts, including habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, and community engagement programs.
• Advancing the One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of wildlife, livestock, and human health, addressing emerging wildlife diseases that can impact big cat populations.
• The global big cat summit follows the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit on May 31, highlighting the importance of international collaboration in conservation.
• The summit aims to expand the IBCA's membership, encouraging more range countries to commit to the alliance's conservation goals.

Key Concepts Involved:

• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): An international organization dedicated to the conservation of seven big cat species.
• One Health: An approach recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
• Range Country: A country within the natural geographic distribution of a particular species.