Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday emphasised the need to integrate conservation with human development, saying harmony and coexistence between people and nature must form the foundation of efforts to protect tiger landscapes and strengthen ecological security.
Yadav made the remarks while inaugurating a two-day international workshop on ‘Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism as Pillars for Livelihood and Income Generation’ in New Delhi.
The two-day workshop, from September 2-3, has been jointly organised by the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The workshop focuses on recognising tiger landscapes as natural capital, highlighting their ecosystem services and exploring how conservation, bioeconomy and ecotourism can contribute to sustainable livelihoods, local income generation and long-term ecological security.
Addressing the inaugural session, Yadav highlighted India’s conservation journey under Project Tiger and said the survival of tigers is intrinsically linked to the health of forests, grasslands, rivers, prey species, wildlife corridors and local communities.
He said tiger landscapes provide critical ecosystem services, including water security, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, biodiversity conservation and livelihood support.
The Minister stressed the need to move beyond species-centric conservation towards integrated landscape management that can advance ecological security alongside socio-economic development. He also underlined the importance of nature-based solutions, innovative financing mechanisms and community-based ecotourism.
“Conservation with harmony and human-nature coexistence should be the foundation of ecological conservation,” Yadav said.
He also drew attention to the challenges posed by desertification, declining soil moisture and degradation of soil quality, saying conservation of tiger landscapes assumes greater significance in this context.
Yadav emphasised the importance of incorporating the traditional knowledge of local communities into conservation and sustainable development policies. He called on participants to deliberate on ways to codify traditional knowledge and integrate it into policymaking related to conservation, bioeconomy and ecotourism.
He said the workshop should focus on knowledge sharing, capacity building and sharing of indigenous knowledge, while calling on IBCA to take the lead in bringing together traditional wisdom from the Global South to help shape ecological conservation policies.
IBCA, ADB sign MoU
During the event, the International Big Cat Alliance and the Asian Development Bank formalised their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in landscape conservation, sustainable development, capacity building, knowledge exchange and nature-positive financing initiatives.
Yadav also highlighted the growing role of IBCA, established under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a global platform for cooperation among countries and institutions working towards the conservation of seven big cat species.
ADB Country Director for India Mia Oka welcomed the partnership and noted that 2026 marks 40 years of the bank’s partnership with India.
Oka highlighted India’s experience in ecological conservation and sustainable socio-economic development and said ADB would support efforts to bring big cat range countries together, share India’s conservation experience and create sustainable financing opportunities for ecological conservation.
The workshop has brought together government representatives and experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal and Vietnam, along with senior officials from the Environment Ministry, State Forest Departments and tiger reserves across India, development partners, researchers and conservation practitioners.
The two-day event provides a platform for sharing experiences, strengthening regional and international cooperation and exploring innovative approaches to landscape conservation while advancing sustainable development objectives.
