28/03/2006 - KATHMANDU,
Nepal – WWF Nepal Program and the Ev-K²-CNR
Committee have joined hands to undertake wildlife
research and monitoring activities particularly
of the snow leopard and prey species in Sagarmatha
National Park. The Memorandum of Understanding was
signed by Dr Chandra Gurung, Country Representative
of WWF NP, and Agostino Da Polenza, President of
Ev-K²-CNR Committee, at WWF’s Baluwatar office
on 24 March 2006.
“WWF’s many years of experience
in Sagarmatha will be enhanced by this new partnership,”
said Dr Chandra Gurung. “By working together, both
our organizations can utilize our resources in a
synergistic manner.”
This partnership will help to
develop an effective mechanism to implement wildlife
research and monitoring activities that includes
collection, documentation and dissemination of the
relevant data. Research results will be published
in peer-reviewed scientific journals, management-related
journals, periodicals and other media to benefit
the scientific and conservation-related community.
Local scientists will receive the advantage of involvement
and training, awareness raising on conservation
and management issues and constant interaction with
local communities.
“This agreement is very important
not only to ensure a future for snow leopards but
also for the bigger picture of international cooperation
to help conserve the environment,” said Agostino
Da Polenza.
Background:
The Ev-K²-CNR Committee was created to further
knowledge of mountain environments and to improve
the quality of life of inhabitants of mountain regions.
It started in 1987, in collaboration with the Italian
National Research Council (CNR), its first aim being
the re-measurement of the world's two highest Peaks,
Mount Everest and Mount K2, thus the name: Everest-K2-CNR.
After these first expeditions (which established
the height of the two mountains) the Project became
a research and exploration program including other
fields of study, such as geophysics, geodesy, geology,
medicine, physiology and environmental monitoring.
WWF Nepal Program is part of a
global network of the world’s largest and most experienced
conservation organization, active in over 90 countries.
Begun in 1961, WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation
of the planet’s natural environment and to build
a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
WWF has worked in Nepal since 1967. Today, the organization
works in the Terai Arc Landscape and three mountain
projects: Kanchnejunga Conservation Area project,
Northern Mountains Conservation Project and Sagarmatha
Community Agro-Forestry Project.
