The 16th SAARC summit got underway at Thimphu in Bhutan with heads of eight South Asian countries seeking a joint initiative to tackle climate change threats. <br/><br/>Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in his address said that there is perhaps no region more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than the South Asian Region. <br/><br/>Welcoming the conclusion of the SAARC Convention on cooperation on environment, Dr. Singh announced the setting up of an India Endowment for climate change in South Asia to help member states in meeting urgent adaptation and capacity building needs. He also announced the setting up of Climate Innovation Centres in South Asia to develop sustainable energy technologies based on indigenous resource endowments. India has recently launched a National Mission on sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystems. <br/><br/>Two important SAARC agreements on Environment and Trade in Services will also be signed during the two-day summit.<br/><br/>Earlier, the conference began in the serene and pollution-free environment of Bhutan with the key theme- Towards a Green and Happy South Asia. <br/><br/>Leaders from Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also pitched for collective approach in dealing with the effects of climate change. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that the SAARC leaders will pitch for observer status to the bloc at the Mexico conference on global warming later this year. <br/><br/>This would enable the eight South Asian nations – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan besides India – to expressive their concerns collectively and effectively.