India and Nepal on February 25 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to strengthen bilateral cooperation in environmental conservation, forest management and climate change.
The MoU was signed by Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Madhav Prasad Chaulagain, Nepal’s Cabinet Minister for Forests and Environment.
The agreement aims to promote collaboration in wildlife protection, environmental conservation, biodiversity and climate change, including the restoration of wildlife corridors and the exchange of knowledge, technical expertise and best practices.
According to a release from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the MoU emphasises the formulation of biodiversity conservation strategies at the landscape level, with a focus on key species such as elephants, Gangetic dolphins, rhinoceroses, snow leopards, tigers and vultures.
The agreement also seeks to strengthen forest and protected area management, restore corridors and other interlinked areas to create transboundary conservation landscapes, address threats to biodiversity, combat forest and wildlife crime, enhance the capacity of enforcement agency staff, and promote sustainable green infrastructure in biodiversity hotspots.
Both India and Nepal possess rich biodiversity and natural heritage, with extensive networks of protected areas within their territories. The two countries are parties to several multilateral environmental agreements and conventions.
Given their shared ecosystems and transboundary wildlife habitats, there is a recognised need to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two governments on forests, wildlife, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and climate change.
The signing of the MoU is expected to deepen India–Nepal cooperation in wildlife and biodiversity conservation and contribute to the protection of shared ecosystems and the sustainable management of natural resources in the region.