Nepal and India Sign Bilateral Agreement on Biodiversity Conservation

Kathmandu. A bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on biodiversity conservation has been signed between the governments of Nepal and India. The agreement was signed in New Delhi on Wednesday in the presence of Nepal's Minister for Forest and Environment, Madhav Prasad Chawlaigai, and India's Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav.

On behalf of Nepal, the MoU was signed by Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, Nepali Ambassador to India, and on behalf of India, by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Forest spokesperson Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal informed. High-ranking officials from both the Government of Nepal and the Government of India were present on the occasion.

Nepal and India are state parties to various international conventions on environmental conservation, including biodiversity, under the United Nations. Protected areas and biological corridors exist in the border regions connecting the two nations, and many wild animals, including elephants, rhinos, and tigers, freely and unimpededly cross the border in these areas.

Therefore, this MoU is expected to play a role in enabling both countries to coordinate and cooperate in the areas of protected areas, biodiversity, and wildlife crime control, adopt a common strategy for biodiversity, and develop the capacity of field-level staff.

Furthermore, Minister for Forest Chawlaigai stated that the MoU will assist in controlling and regulating wildlife poaching and illegal trade in cross-border areas, conducting studies, research, and monitoring of wildlife, and developing public awareness and capacity at the local level.

It is expected that the implementation of the MoU will contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in both countries by organizing regular patrols and meetings in the areas surrounding the borders for experience and knowledge exchange, developing and expanding best practices, and promptly exchanging information regarding wildlife and illegal trade.

The MoU includes a provision allowing both countries to exchange wildlife crime-related information with the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) for the control and regulation of international wildlife crime.

On Nepal's side, the Ministry at the center, the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation under it, and at the local level, the concerned Provincial Ministries of Forest and Environment, Protected Areas, and Divisional Forest Offices will coordinate and cooperate in implementing the understanding.

The MoU stipulates that the agreement will be automatically renewed every five years unless one nation provides written notice through diplomatic channels, and it will be reviewed every three years. It is also mentioned in the MoU that any problems arising during the implementation of the agreement will be resolved through mutual understanding.

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