Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh has expressed India's commitment to help small countries in South Asia like Nepal and Bhutan to adapt to the climate change. He said the setting up of the SAARC coastal zone management centre with India's initial grant of one million dollars is an effort in this direction.Addressing a press conference in Kathmandu this afternoon, the Minster said, the Himalayan glacier is a cause of great concern for both Nepal and India and the establishment of a world class National Institute of Glaciology in Dehradun will help in measuring, monitoring and modelling the health of the Himalayas. Describing the behaviour of the Himalayan glacier as extremely complex, Mr Ramesh said polar glaciers in Europe cannot be compared with those in the Himalayas. Even in Himalayas, glacial in Karakoram and Siachin are actually advancing, while they are receding in Gangotri. Referring to the controversy on the issue, the Minister said there has been too much politics and too little science on the issue.The union Minister said Mount Kailash landscape initiative covering 31,000 sq. Kms between India, Nepal and China is a unique trans-boundary initiative to bring together eco-system management and livelihoods, which he hoped would be expanded to other areas.AIR Kathmandu Correspondent reports that the visiting Indian Environment and Forest and Minister handed over a cheque of One Lac, sixty thousand US dollars to the Director General of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Dr Andreas Schild on the occasion. Mr. Ramesh offered two fellowships two young Nepalese scholars to be associated with India's institutions in the field of climate change.AIR corresponent C.K. Dorjee reports from Kathmandu that during his stay in Nepal Mr. Jairam Ramesh will hold talks with Nepal's Environment and Forest ministers to reiterate India's commitment to working closely with the Himalayan country on issues relating to environment and climate change. He is scheduled to visit Royal Chitwan national park tomorrow. Earlier in the day, the visiting Union Minister attended the inaugural session of the symposium on – Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region. Some 250 participants from 24 countries are attending the international symposium aimed at promoting regional and international cooperation to improve the access and use of Earth observation for improved scientific knowledge and understanding to support adaptation to climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.