Back to news
26 Feb 2016 | KSL

Access and Benefit Sharing Between Nepal and India

2 mins Read

70% Complete

As part of transboundary cooperation within Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiatives (KSLCDI), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) facilitated a seven-day learning exchange visit of Nepal officials to India on access and benefit sharing (ABS). The delegation included members of the task force at the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC) to formulate parliamentary legislative instruments on ABS and facilitate the ABS ratification process.

Nepal’s eleven-member delegation, headed by the joint secretary and chief of the environment and biodiversity division at the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC) visited Indian state Uttarakhand, and New Delhi to gather Indian experiences on implementing ABS under the Indian Biodiversity Act and Nagoya protocol.

Nepali delegation with Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttarakhand state of India, Shri Harish Rawat

A two-day formal workshop was organised in partnership with State Biodiversity Board, Uttarakhand, to share on Indian legislative ABS, its status, and the Nagoya ratification process. The Nepali delegation comprising twelve representatives from universities also participated the workshop. The workshop was inaugurated by M C Ghildiyal, an advisor to the Supreme Court of India. Dr Rakesh Shah, Chairperson, State Biodiversity Board highlighted on Indian experiences on ABS implementation.

The delegation also made a courtesy call to Chief Minister of Uttarakhand state of India, Shri Harish Rawat. During the meeting, Rawat welcomed the Nepali delegation and emphasised the need of bilateral and transboundary cooperation between neighbouring countries for the wellbeing of the environment and communities.

The Nepalese delegation observes biodiversity management committee (BMC), its activities on conserving genetic and biological resources in Dudhai area. A similar field visit program was organized to Dhanalti to get in hand knowledge on eco restoration, locally managed ecological management activities.

Nepali delegation in Dudhai BMC, field observation

In New Delhi, the Nepali delegation met and discussed on issues related on ABS and bilateral cooperation with senior officials at the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), including Mr Hem Pande, Special secretary and Dr Sujata Arora.  Mr Hem Pandey shared Indian experiences on ABS implementation under the provision of Nagoyo protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and India’s legislative instrument supporting access to genetic resources and benefit sharing. Mr Pandey highlighted the need of inter-provincial coordination on effective implementation of ABS.

This exchange learning visit helps Nepali officials to understand possible mechanism to be included in proposed ABS bill in Nepal and steps to be considered in ratification process for Nagoya protocol. In particular, this exchange visits provide in depth understanding on possible provision while Nepal’s preparation for the federal structure.

For details: Laxmi Dutt Bhatta

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

11 Jun 2018 REDD+
India’s first State REDD+ Action Plan in the making

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has tried to build capacity to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest ...

8 Mar 2015 News
The Unresolved Equation

As we were schooling and grooming ourselves to become career women, the issues of ...

Air pollution research into use

ICIMOD responds to key research questions at the local to regional level, generating highly technical air pollution-related data in a ...

4 Feb 2016 News
No Entitlement: Living on Borrowed Flood Lands

When our HIAWARE research team visited the small Bihari village in early February, we found Chharki’s streets lined with bamboo cottages ...

Festival Provides Platform to Discuss Future of Yak Herding in the Kangchenjunga Landscape

Kipchu, a yak herder from Haa, Bhutan, said that traditional products such as hard cheese from yak milk have limited ...

27 Jun 2017 News
ICIMOD Hosts a Borlaug – Ruan Intern Sponsored by the World Food Prize, USA for the Fourth Time in a Row

AN ALL-EXPENSE-PAID, EIGHT-WEEK HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, the prestigious Borlaug-Ruan International Internship provides exceptional high school students the opportunity to work with ...

28 Oct 2016 News
Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network Strategic Committee Meeting

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Strategic Committee Meeting of Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network was held  17 ...

30 Jul 2015 Water
Deepening spring hydrogeology knowledge

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with theAdvanced Centre on Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), ...