Himalayan News Service

Lalitpur, May 18:

The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) today organised an interaction on possibility of extending public-private partnership to manage national parks, conservation projects and the country’s only zoo at Jawalakhel.

Vijay Bahadur Shah, chief of finance and administration of the trust, said conservation efforts in the Annapurna Conservation Area, the Manaslu Conservation Area and the Royal Bardia National Park could be enhanced through rural transportation, marketing and production of horticulture crops including tea and coffee, animal products and handicraft with support from the private sector.

Rajesh Kaji Shrestha, member of the governing board of the trust, said taking part in the private-public initiative is an opportunity for the private sector to take part in community and human resource development.

Dr Siddhartha Bajra Bajracharya, programme manager at the trust, said the public-private partnership is the trust’s holistic approach to balance between the nature and the people, the economy and the environment and develop agriculture, support local economy and generate employment.