As part of the common strategy, South Asian nations may jointly demand the need for afforestation and sustainable management of forests.

The environment ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) who met in Delhi on Tuesday also agreed to work on a Climate Change Action Plan for the region and publish a compendium before the climate conference in Copenhagen.

SAARC consists of eight nations - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu in Nepal.

Environment ministers from seven countries, except Pakistan participated in the ministerial meeting. Pakistan was represented by its environment secretary.

The SAARC nations also planned a series of events after the Copenhagen climate conference which includes hosting of the first meeting to review the Climate Change Action Plan in Delhi by March 2010 and finalisation of a regional environment treaty for discussion at SAARC Summit in Thimphu in Bhutan in April 2010.

The SAARC environment ministers appreciated and acknowledged the support of India in SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) and reaffirmed the decision of SMRC to set up a network of SAARC weather stations to monitor weather patterns, especially storms, across the member countries.

It was also agreed upon to identify transboundary biodiversity zones and develop a framework for its conservation, including exploration of potential biodiversity conservation corridors. SAARC technical committee on environment will examine the concept and develop a framework within six months.