Kathmandu, February 9:

WWF-Nepal, the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) and the Social Welfare Council (SWC) today struck a deal on a $10 million project agreement, to be spent in five years beginning 2006.

Dr Ritu Prasad Gartaula, the member secretary of SWC, Dr Mohan Prasad Wagley, the chief of planning at MoFSC and Anil Manandhar, the country representative of WWF-Nepal signed the document.

“This sum is just a beginning to the realisation of important events in the next five years,” said Manandhar.

Wagle of MoFSC said, “WWF has been a valuable conservation partner for Nepal and we are happy to receive such a significant funding commitment to further our joint work in Nepal.”

Gartaula said that the agreement comes in a new climate of peace.

According to a WWF official, the fund will be a critical investment in the post-conflict scenario as partnerships are strengthened from the grassroots to the national level to conserve Nepal’s rich biodiversity in the Terai Arc Landscape, the Sacred Himalayan Landscape an the Northern Mountains Conservation Programme, while also improving the sustainable livelihood of rural communities.

The fund will support activities that include projects and programmes supporting wildlife and forest resources, landscape level conservation planning and management, protected area management, forest management, integrated conservation and development work on climate change and freshwater issues, promotion of eco-tourism, conservation education, public awareness, mobilisation of non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations, development of human resources and institutional capacities of the partner organisations, it is learnt.