India and Nepal sign biodiversity conservation MoU on transboundary wildlife

On February 25, 2026 in New Delhi, India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a legal framework for cross-border cooperation on forest and wildlife management. The agreement signals a more stable regulatory environment for nature-based projects and green investments across the climate-vulnerable Himalayan and Terai regions.

On February 25, 2026, officials from India and Nepal met in New Delhi to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on environmental protection, creating a legal framework for cooperation in transboundary forest and wildlife management. The ceremony featured India's Shri Bhupender Yadav and Nepal's Shri Madhav Prasad Chaulagain. The MoU prioritises protection of endangered species crossing the border, including the Bengal tiger, greater one-horned rhinoceros, Asian elephant, snow leopard, Gangetic dolphin, and vulture species.

Conservation agencies, frontline forest staff, and protected-area administrators in both countries are directly engaged, alongside local communities living near protected areas and conservation-linked industries. The agreement provides for restoring critical wildlife corridors to maintain genetic diversity and create transboundary conservation landscapes defined by ecology rather than political boundaries. Joint training programs will deploy advanced technology for monitoring wildlife populations and habitat quality, while a proactive mechanism targets forest and wildlife crimes, poaching, and illegal timber harvesting in border regions.

Both governments committed to sharing best practices in forest management and protected-area administration, aligning efforts with multilateral environmental agreements and international conventions, and supporting livelihoods of communities near protected areas. Businesses and investors should monitor the transboundary-corridor focus, which reduces operational risks for conservation-linked industries and enhances local bio-economy resilience. The MoU formalises ecological diplomacy, setting a precedent for neighbouring nations leveraging shared natural capital to meet climate and nature goals.

Key figure — Agreement date: India-Nepal biodiversity MoU signed February 25, 2026