SAARC: Dhaka declaration on South Asia's environmental challenges and natural disasters, 2005

This declaration establishes the involved states' further consideration of  the modalities for having a Regional Environment Treaty in furthering environmental cooperation among the SAARC Member States. The declaration touches on the following topics: regional cooperation, poverty alleviation, funding mechanisms, advancing economic cooperation, South Asia's social challenges, South Asia's environmental challenges and natural disasters, combating terrorism, security of small states, people-to-people contact and cultural cooperation, international political and economic environment, enhancing political cooperation, external profiles and linkages of SAARC, strengthening institutional mechanisms of SAARC, and SSARC's vision.

In terms of environmental concerns, the Declaration iterates the following:

• member states' welcoming of the Declaration of the Special Session of the SAARC Environment Ministers in Male;
• member states' endorsement of the decision of the Special Session of the SAARC Environment Ministers to further enhance the capacity of the existing SAARC Institutions;
• the urgency to put in place a permanent regional response mechanism dedicated to disaster preparedness, emergency relief and rehabilitation to ensure immediate response;
• the need for collaborative action in the area of environment, including water conservation, to promote sustainable development.