Conservation of Tiger Landscapes as Natural Capital Emphasises Indian Environment Minister

India’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, today inaugurated a 2-day International Workshop on the theme ‘Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism as Pillars for Livelihood and Income Generation’ in New Delhi.

The workshop is being jointly organised by the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), on 2nd and 3rd September, 2026.

Attendees included the Secretary (EFCC), Special Secretary (EFCC), Country Director for India (ADB), and senior officials from the Ministry, IBCA, NTCA, ADB, and representatives from Tiger-range countries.

The deliberations focused on recognising tiger landscapes as natural capital, highlighting the value of ecosystem services, and exploring how conservation, bioeconomy and ecotourism can serve as key drivers of sustainable livelihoods, local income generation and long-term ecological security.

Addressing the inaugural session, Mr Yadav highlighted India’s remarkable conservation journey under Project Tiger, emphasising that the survival of tigers is intrinsically linked to the health of forests, grasslands, rivers, prey species, wildlife corridors and local communities.

Minister noted that tiger landscapes represent valuable natural capital, providing critical ecosystem services such as water security, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, biodiversity conservation and livelihood support.

The Minister underscored the need to move beyond species-centric conservation towards integrated landscape management that simultaneously advances ecological security and socio-economic development.

He emphasised the importance of nature-based solutions, innovative financing mechanisms and community-based ecotourism. Mr Yadav stressed, “Conservation with harmony and human-nature coexistence should be the foundation of ecological conservation”.

He highlighted that conservation of land means protection of quality food, which ultimately is essential for the survival of the human species.

The Minister stated that the world is facing the challenge of desertification, depletion of soil moisture, and degradation of soil quality.

Conservation of Tiger Landscapes assumes prime importance in this scenario by tapping into the native community’s wisdom to facilitate sustainable socio-economic development, in addition to protecting nature.

The Minister called on workshop participants to deliberate on the need to codify traditional knowledge and incorporate that wisdom into policymaking in the fields of Conservation, Bio-Economy, and Eco-tourism.

This workshop should focus on Knowledge sharing, capacity building, native knowledge sharing and transforming the nature of policymaking.

IBCA must take the lead in bringing together native wisdom from the Global South to devise ecological conservation policies, he added.

During the event, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) formalised their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking an important step towards strengthening collaboration in landscape conservation, sustainable development, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and nature-positive financing initiatives.

Mr Yadav also highlighted the growing role of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a global platform for cooperation among countries and institutions working to conserve the seven big cat species.

Welcoming the partnership between IBCA and the ADB, Ms Mia Oka informed that 2026 marks the completion of 40 years of ADB’s partnership with India.

She highlighted that India brings its vast experience of ecological conservation and sustainable socio-economic development to share with the Big Cat range countries.

Ms Oka highlighted ADB’s role in bringing together big cat range countries, sharing India’s rich conservation experience, and creating sustainable financing opportunities for ecological conservation.

The workshop brought together distinguished international experts and government representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, and Vietnam, along with senior officials from the MoEFCC, representatives of State Forest Departments and Tiger Reserves across the country, development partners, researchers, conservation practitioners, and other key stakeholders.

It provides a unique platform to share experiences, promote regional and international cooperation, and identify innovative approaches to strengthen landscape conservation while advancing sustainable development objectives.