The National Trust for Nature Conservation has signed an agreement with the Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee to carry out a study on status of wildlife and their diversity in the Chure region.

 Govind Gajurel, member secretary of the NTNC and Annapurna Nand Das, a member of the Chure Conservation Committee, signed the agreement on Monday. Forest Minister Agni Sapkota, who is also the chairperson of the NTNC, and Rameshowor Khanal, chief of the committee, were present during the signing ceremony.

The Chure region that covers around 13 percent of the country’s total area and spans over 36 districts - stretching from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west - is considered to be a critical biodiversity hot spot with rich wildlife and forest resources.

The government had declared Chure as an ecological conservation area in 2014, considering the sensitivity of its ecological importance after the region started facing one of the worst environmental degradations due to increased deforestation, illegal logging, excessive extraction of natural resources and natural disasters.

 According to Das, as per the agreement, experts and scientists from both the institutions would work to monitor the status of the wildlife and their distribution, along with the habitat management along Chure, using the latest technology.

The study would focus on basic data on the distribution of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles among others and identify the conservation challenges in the Chure region. After the study, the experts will recommend strategies and measures to tackle the problems in conservation of various wildlife species and other natural resources in the region and work towards improving the vegetation in the region.

The study would also help in identifying appropriate habitats for a particular species of wildlife and concentrate conservation efforts for the same species, and at the same time encourage eco-tourism, said Das.

To carry out the study, the Chure region will be divided into four sectors -East, Central, West and Far-West.  Apart from the NTNC and

the Chure Conservation Committee, various governmental and local community groups, along with conservation partners working on wildlife conservation, will be engaged for the implementation of the programme which is worth Rs 20.91 million.