"As part of collaborative efforts, currently on towards wildlife conservation, India and Nepal have agreed to link transborder protected areas through eco-corridors to help provide genetic continuity for animals across the border," Additional Inspector General of Forests (Wildlife) S C Sharma said.

According to a declaration signed after a two-day transborder meeting of wildlife experts from India and Nepal, which concluded here on Monday, it has been decided to set up and maintain linkages between Royal Bardia National Park in Nepal and Katarnia Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

A similar eco-corridor will also be built between Nepal's Chitvan National Park and Valmiki National Park in Bihar, the six page declaration said.

The two sides have agreed by consensus to promotebilateral cooperation on the issue of transboundary protected areas system and control of illegal trade in flora and fauna.

"We have also taken serious note of illegal trade in timber, flora and fauna across the border and resolved to curb and eradicate smuggling through close collaboration and vigorous implementation of laws in this regard," Sharma said.

During the bilateral transboundary consultative meeting on bio-diversity conservation, the second of its kind, experts explored methodology for strengthening transboundary cooperation including identification by both sides of specific requirements of the protected areas on each other's territory.

Dr Thirtha Man Maskey, Director General, department of National Park and Wildlife, who led the Nepali delegation, said the deliberations entailed follow-up action on decisions taken during the first meeting in Kathmandu in 1997.

"After two years we have discussed and reviewed the decisions taken during the Kathmandu meeting and realised that problems facedby both sides could be handled only through bilateral cooperation," Maskey said.

The meeting also agreed towards stringent implementation of respective legislation pertaining to conservation of flora and fauna in both countries and providing funds to the protected area managers of the two sides to counteract poaching and illegal trade.

Amending respective wildlife acts for an effective implementation of cites, synchronisation of periodic enumeration of wildlife in protected areas, monitoring trade routes and species in trade including seasons of trade, facilitating aquatic migration in transborder rivers and exchange of forensic training and mapping were some of the issues discussed during the meeting, sponsored by the WWF-Tiger Conservation Programme (TCP).

Management of eco-divisions and buffer zones with participation of the local people around the protected areas was also agreed upon and five new buffer zones have been created in the Nepali side, Maskey said.

The transborder cooperation hasalready helped in evicting encroachment in Lala Bagha and declare it as a protected area, Sharma said adding 12 sensitive spots along the protected areas on the Indian side have been identified for greater cooperation on transboundary poaching.

On funds for such a joint exercise of wildlife conservation, he said both governments would involve their own budgets without inflicting financial liability on either side.

It was also decided to hold regular annual consultative meetings between the two countries and to convene quarterly meetings between the transborder protected area managers.

Experts from both sides also decided to ask the irrespective governments to develop Koshi Tappu as a wildlife reserve to help attract migratory birds on the Koshi barrage.

According to Maskey, Nepal has leased out about 6,000 hectares around the Koshi barrage towards forming a transboundary bird sanctuary.

From the Indian side, Addn IG of Forests (Wildlife), representatives of Environment and Forest Ministry, directorof Project Tiger, park managers of Dudhwa, Katarniaghat (UP), Valmiki (Bihar) and Singhalila (West Bengal) and representatives of WWF-TCP participated in the meeting, while chief wardens of Shukla Phanta Wildlife Preserve, Royal Bardia National Park, Royal Chitvan National Park, and Parsa Wildlife Sanctuary were among those who represented the Nepali side.