India and Nepal have signed a new MoU to strengthen cooperation on forests, biodiversity and climate action, focusing on wildlife corridors, transboundary conservation and protection of shared Himalayan ecosystems.
India and Nepal have formalised a new agreement to strengthen cooperation on forests biodiversity and climate action, signing a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi on February 25.
The accord was signed by India’s Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav and Nepal’s Cabinet Minister for Forests and Environment Madhav Prasad Chaulagain, according to The New Indian Express and a statement from India’s Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
The MoU seeks to deepen collaboration between the two neighbours in wildlife protection environmental conservation biodiversity management and climate action. It provides for the restoration of wildlife corridors and interconnected habitats along with the exchange of knowledge technical expertise and best practices to reinforce conservation efforts.
A key focus of the agreement is the development of landscape level biodiversity conservation strategies. Officials said it will prioritise species of shared ecological importance including elephants Gangetic dolphins rhinoceroses snow leopards tigers and vultures.
The partnership is also expected to improve the management of forests and protected areas restore ecological corridors and establish transboundary conservation landscapes. It aims to tackle threats to biodiversity curb forest and wildlife crime strengthen the capacity of enforcement agencies and promote sustainable green infrastructure in biodiversity rich areas.
Environmental experts point out that the Himalayan region and the Gangetic plains shared by India and Nepal are among South Asia’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. As the two countries share ecosystems and transboundary wildlife habitats closer policy coordination has long been viewed as critical to effective conservation.
Both governments oversee vast networks of protected areas and are signatories to several multilateral environmental agreements and global conventions on conservation and climate change.
Officials said the MoU is expected to further consolidate India Nepal cooperation in wildlife and biodiversity conservation while supporting the protection of shared ecosystems and the sustainable management of natural resources across the region.
