Bhubaneswar: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will organise a thematic programme on leopard conservation and biodiversity in Bhubaneswar as part of a nationwide series of events highlighting India’s leadership in big cat conservation and the objectives of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The Bhubaneswar event, scheduled in connection with the observance of the International Day for Biological Diversity, will focus on coexistence between humans and leopards in human-dominated landscapes and showcase Odisha’s biodiversity conservation initiatives.
According to the Ministry, the nationwide programmes will spotlight conservation efforts related to India’s five major wild big cat species — tiger, Asiatic lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah — while highlighting achievements, challenges and collaborative efforts undertaken by the Centre and State Governments.
Apart from Bhubaneswar, thematic events will be organised in Gir (Gujarat) for Asiatic lion conservation, Chandrapur (Maharashtra) for tiger conservation, Gangtok (Sikkim) for snow leopard conservation and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) for cheetah conservation.
The MoEFCC said the pre-summit programmes are aimed at promoting awareness, strengthening stakeholder engagement and showcasing India’s conservation successes under flagship initiatives that led to the establishment of the IBCA following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for global cooperation in big cat conservation.
The Bhubaneswar programme will particularly emphasise human-wildlife conflict mitigation, rescue and rehabilitation infrastructure, public awareness campaigns, frontline staff capacity building and the use of technology for monitoring conflict-prone leopards.
The Ministry said Odisha’s biodiversity conservation efforts linked to ecosystem restoration and community participation will also be highlighted during the event.
The International Big Cat Alliance, launched by India, seeks to strengthen global collaboration for the conservation of seven major big cat species worldwide through policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and public awareness initiatives.
The events are being organised by the MoEFCC in coordination with State Forest Departments, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India, National Biodiversity Authority and other stakeholders.
