Nepal to work with neighbours to conserve Himalayan ecology

Nepal will work closely with its neighbours, India, China and Bhutan, to conserve the unique ecology of the Himalayan region, an intergovernmental body looking after conservation efforts in the region said today.
Cooperation across borders to manage the landscape will�help preserve the Himalayan region's biological diversity and cultural heritage, while enhancing opportunities of livelihood for the local communities, said a statement from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), headquartered here.
ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries, which are covered by the Hindu Kush and Himalayan range. Its members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

To consolidate the ongoing cross-border conservation efforts, the Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) of Nepal, Krishna Chandra Paudel, and the Director General of ICIMOD, David Molden recently signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Prior to the signing ceremony, MoFSC held the 2nd�National Coordination Committee Meeting for 'Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative'.
This initiative is a pioneer programme, supported UK and Germany. It will go a long way in forging transnational cooperation between India, China and Nepal, by proactively engaging them in ensuring the sustained management of ecosystem and protecting the welfare of millions of people living in the region, ICIMOD said today.

The implementation of this MoU will be effected through agreements with key Nepalese institutions that�share the common vision of long-term conservation initiatives based on regional transboundary cooperation and ecosystem management approaches, ICIMOD said.