The Nepal-China Snow Leopard Knowledge Exchange and Capacity-Building Workshop officially commenced today at the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) central office.
The event, which is scheduled for the next three days, is being led by NTNC and Peking University’s Center for Nature and Society, in collaboration with China’s Tencent Foundation, The Amity Foundation, and Shanshui Conservation Center. Supporting partners of the event are the Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.
The workshop was inaugurated by the Minister for Forests and Environment and Chairperson of NTNC, Hon’ble Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri. In his address, the minister noted the importance of the exercise to transform snow leopard conservation capacities, expanding science, community, and transboundary partnership and cooperation for future mountain sustainability.
Other speakers addressing the opening session were Dr. Naresh Subedi, member-secretary of NTNC, Dr. Ram Chandra Kandel, director-general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Dr. Ghana Shyam Gurung, country representative of WWF Nepal, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, director general of ICIMOD, and Mr. Bed Kumar Dhakal, deputy director-general of DNPWC.
Speakers from the Chinese side at the opening included, a special session on ‘Snow Leopard Conservation in China’ by Dr. Lu Zhi, executive director of Peking University’s Center for Nature and Society and the co-founder of Shanshui Conservation Center. Follow-up addresses were made by representatives of Shanshui and Tencent Foundation.
Over the course of the workshop, snow leopard researchers from Nepal and China will share and learn from one another's science, practices, and policies. In the process the workshop will inform future engagements and transboundary measures required to support improved conservation of snow leopards, their habitats, and their relationship with the mountain ecosystems, peoples and cultures.
As part of the opening day, an MoU was also signed between NTNC and Shanshui Conservation Center committing to collaborative future transboundary snow leopard research and knowledge sharing. [END]
Photos from the opening day: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dn7sb6Dqz/
