New Delhi, Feb 25: India and Nepal on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change.
The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment at a ceremony held in New Delhi. The event was attended by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Nepal’s Minister for Forests and Environment Madhav Prasad Chaulagain.
The agreement aims to promote collaboration in forest management, wildlife protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. It also focuses on restoration of wildlife corridors and interlinking areas, as well as exchange of knowledge, technical expertise and best practices between the two countries.
India and Nepal share rich biodiversity and extensive networks of protected areas. Given their shared ecosystems and transboundary wildlife habitats, both sides emphasised the need for closer coordination to address conservation challenges and strengthen environmental governance.
Under the MoU, the two countries will cooperate in developing landscape-level biodiversity conservation strategies, with a focus on key species such as elephants, Gangetic dolphins, rhinoceroses, snow leopards, tigers and vultures.
The agreement also provides for strengthening forest and protected area management, restoring ecological corridors to create transboundary conservation landscapes, addressing biodiversity threats, and combating forest and wildlife crime. Capacity-building initiatives for frontline enforcement staff and promotion of smart green infrastructure in biodiversity hotspots are also included.
Officials said the MoU is expected to deepen India–Nepal cooperation in conservation efforts and contribute to the sustainable management of shared natural resources and ecosystems in the region.
