The Embassy of the United States has announced “Sister Park” relationship between Nepal’s Chitwan, Langtang, and Sagarmatha National Parks and Yosemite National Park in the United States.

This relationship between national parks is designed to promote bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of these parks by increasing information sharing and direct park-to-park contacts to address common problems such as pollution, invasive species, plant and animal disease and vanishing cultural heritage, said the US Embassy.

The “sister park” arrangement also provides a forum for collaboration on shared research and monitoring and enriches the experience and training of park personnel through international exchanges.  In conjunction with World Environment Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly on June 5, 1972, this is an especially important environmental milestone for our two countries, said the embassy in a statement.

 Through this agreement, Chitwan, Langtang, Sagarmatha and Yosemite parks will collaborate on the preservation and restoration of natural and cultural resources, visitor education and safety, development of strategies to adapt to climate change; partnership engagement strategies, and implement research, inventorying and monitoring programs necessary to preserve and protect the parks, added the embassy. “Yosemite, Langtang and Sagarmatha are rooted in dramatic mountain ranges that support diverse ecological communities, immense natural resources, and centuries of human history.

These parks in both nations are also strong economic engines for their surrounding communities, but similarly face increased challenges from development, illegal activities, population growth and climate change,” the statement quoted US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B Teplitz.