Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park

The ESMP for Wangchuck Centennial National Park outlines safeguards for two primary activities: the maintenance of staff quarters at Sephu Park Range and the construction of a river bank protection wall at Tandingang. It integrates Bhutanese national laws with WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), specifying that WWF standards prevail in cases of discrepancy, particularly regarding compensation for non-title holders and community consultation. The plan details mitigation measures for worker health, safety, and waste management, and establishes a monitoring framework involving field focal persons and ESS officers to ensure compliance.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project aims to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing vegetative and forest cover within the Protected Area System, while enhancing the socio-economic wellbeing of local communities through climate-informed natural resources management.
• Wangchuck Centennial National Park is the largest protected area in Bhutan, covering 4,914 sq.km across five Dzongkhags (Gasa, Wangduephodrang, Trongsa, Bumthang, and Lhuentse) and supporting 693 species of vascular plants and 43 mammal species, including the Tiger and Snow leopard.
• Where discrepancies exist between Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF’s Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), the WWF standards prevail. Key differences include the SIPP's requirement for extensive community consultations and the eligibility of non-title holders or informal land users for assistance or compensation if their livelihoods are adversely affected.
• Planned activities for 2022-2023 include the maintenance of staff quarters at Sephu Park Range (budgeted at Nu. 435,342.97) to provide wooden paneling and civil works, and the construction of a river bank protection wall at Tandingang (budgeted at Nu. 220,000) to secure a traditional bridge used by 20 households and tourists on the Phabila trek.
• The ESMP identifies minimal environmental and social risks for the planned activities, primarily focusing on short-term minor impacts such as solid waste generation, noise production, and worker health hazards. No separate fund for mitigation is proposed as costs will be met from the activity budgets.
• A comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) framework is mandated, requiring contractors to provide personal protective equipment (helmets, gloves, boots, reflective vests), maintain first aid kits within 200m of any working place, and ensure workers are not exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dB(A) for more than 8 hours per day without protection.

APA

WWF International (2022). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/18940m1281_WCNP_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park. 2022. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/18940m1281_WCNP_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park |date=2022 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/18940m1281_WCNP_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/18940m1281_WCNP_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }