India, Nepal Deepen Cooperation on Forest Conservation and Climate Action

New Delhi, Feb 26 : India and Nepal on Wednesday formalised a new partnership aimed at enhancing collaboration in forest management, wildlife protection and climate action. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment to strengthen bilateral efforts across key ecological sectors.

The agreement was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Nepal’s Minister for Forests and Environment Madhav Prasad Chaulagain.

According to the official statement, both nations share rich biodiversity and extensive protected area networks. With interconnected ecosystems and transboundary wildlife habitats, the MoU seeks to improve coordination in conservation planning, policy development and sustainable environmental governance.

The partnership outlines cooperation in developing landscape-level biodiversity strategies, focusing on key species such as elephants, tigers, snow leopards, rhinoceroses, Gangetic dolphins and vultures. It also includes measures for restoring wildlife corridors, strengthening protected area management, addressing biodiversity threats, tackling forest and wildlife crime, and enhancing frontline enforcement capacity.

Additionally, the agreement promotes the exchange of technical expertise and best practices, along with the development of smart and environmentally sustainable infrastructure in biodiversity rich regions.

Officials stated that the initiative will reinforce joint conservation efforts, safeguard shared ecosystems and support sustainable natural resource management across the region.