Photo: Jitendra Bajracharya/ICIMOD

To collaborate on conservation and sustainable mountain development in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Worldwide Fund for Nature–Nepal (WWF-Nepal) on 23 July at our headquarters in Kathmandu. The agreement was signed by Ghana Shyam Gurung, Country Representative, WWF Nepal, and Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD.

We recognize and share several common objectives with WWF-Nepal, especially with regards to landscape conservation, payment for ecosystem services, protected area management and biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and resilience building of mountain communities, and atmosphere and air pollution in the region. The memorandum is aimed at strengthening collaboration to foster these common goals for the benefit of mountain and downstream communities and their environment in the HKH.

Under the agreement, we will work with WWF-Nepal together on these five key areas:

• Promote partnership and regional cooperation in bringing forward the agendas of the vulnerable people and communities of the HKH region in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Promote environment conservation and management in Lumbini, Nepal
• Promote knowledge development and the exchange of information, including technical data and methodologies
• Build capacity within various target groups in the region and facilitate technology and skills transfer through training programmes
• Develop and collaborate on outreach and engagement events.

“We are delighted to be formalising the relationship between ICIMOD and WWF-Nepal. Both parties bring different expertise to our common goals and we look forward to a fruitful collaboration to benefit mountains and people,” said Pema Gyamtsho. He stressed the importance of encouraging collaboration and creating synergy between likeminded institutions to reduce threats to biodiversity, tackle climate change related disasters, and provide livelihood support to communities.

Speaking on behalf of WWF-Nepal after the signing of the MoU, Ghana Shyam Gurung said: “This agreement has opened up avenues for further collaboration in addressing climate change related disasters, scaling up transboundary-level conservation, and achieving overall conservation goals.”

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