Will India’s International Big Cat Alliance Attract Global Participation at UN Forest Forum?

New Delhi, May 9 (NationPress) India has extended an invitation to nations to become part of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) during the ongoing session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20), as stated by the government on Friday.

The IBCA serves as a global platform initiated by India aimed at bolstering the conservation of seven big cat species through collaborative research, knowledge sharing, and skill enhancement.

During the 20th session of UNFF20, which is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from May 5 to 9, India showcased its substantial advancements in forest conservation and sustainable forest management.

The nation reiterated its dedication to fulfilling the Voluntary National Contributions (VNCs) under the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.

India reported a steady rise in forest and tree cover, now constituting 25.17 percent of its total geographical area, according to the latest India State of Forest Report. This improvement is attributed to key national initiatives such as the restoration of lands along the Aravalli Green Wall, a 7.86 percent increase in mangrove cover over the last decade, afforestation of over 1.55 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, and the planting of 1.4 billion seedlings as part of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) campaign, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Headed by Sushil Kumar Awasthi, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, MoEFCC, the Indian delegation urged for global action on the results of the Country-Led Initiative (CLI) hosted by India in Dehradun in October 2023, which focused on forest fire management and certification.

The nation also recognized and commended CLI initiatives led by the Republic of Congo, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Austria, highlighting the necessity of embedding CLI outcomes into formal global frameworks to address priority forestry challenges.

Moreover, India participated in a high-level panel on “Valuing Forest Ecosystems in National Policy and Strategy,” where the delegation presented findings from pilot studies conducted in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and various tiger reserves.

These studies evaluated ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, water provisioning, and biodiversity conservation, utilizing frameworks such as the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA).

While recognizing the challenges in assessing non-market services, India stressed the importance of incorporating ecosystem valuation into national planning for informed forest governance and long-term ecological sustainability, as indicated by the ministry.