WWF joins hands with Nepal Agricultural Research Council, making strides towards agrobiodiversity conservation
8th December 2023: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Nepal Agricultural
Research Council (NARC) and WWF Nepal to establish a working mechanism where both
institutions come together by sharing expertise, knowledge, and resources in achieving
common goals and objectives for the promotion of agrobiodiversity conservation and utilization
in Nepal and joint implementation of the “deep regenerative agriculture project” supported by
The Rockefeller Foundation in Nepal.
“Through this collaboration, we are hoping to create a synergy to protect the local biodiversity
and create a hub within the Himalayan range. NARC is extremely happy to partner with an
organization like WWF which does great work in the field of conservation. We look forward to
make collective efforts towards the development of agrobiodiversity conservation in
partnership with local Indigenous People.” said Dr. Dhurba Raj Bhattarai, Executive Director,
NARC. “Signing this MOU is a beginning. More importantly, we need to produce results and
impact on the ground”, he added.
Through this MOU, NARC and WWF Nepal seeks to work together to develop new concepts and
build capacity in the development and implementation of agrobiodiversity conservation and
utilization alongside the conventional conservation approach implemented in Nepal.
“WWF Nepal is extremely happy to enter into this partnership and we are excited to work
together with NARC and Lumbini University to create solutions to environmental and
conservation issues with agrobiodiversity at the centre. Utilizing the strengths of both
organizations, we will bring global knowledge and contextualize it to local needs to create
positive impact” said Dr. Ghana Shyam Gurung, Country Representative, WWF Nepal.
