Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Nature Conservation Division

The document outlines a site-specific management plan for the Nature Conservation Division (NCD) in Bhutan to ensure that infrastructure improvements and wildlife facility upgrades are conducted with minimal environmental and social harm. It specifies four primary activities: securing a wildlife taxidermy store, remodeling a wildlife rescue center and office floors, installing shipment containers for seized items, and expanding the Takin Interpretation Center gallery. The plan establishes mitigation measures for construction waste, noise, dust, and occupational health and safety, while aligning project safeguards with both Royal Government of Bhutan laws and WWF International's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures. It also details a comprehensive grievance redressal mechanism and strict occupational health and safety standards for workers.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project is a 14-year initiative designed to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing forest and vegetative cover, enhancing community socio-economic wellbeing through climate-informed resource management, and strengthening the management of Protected Areas (PAs) and Biological Corridors (BCs).
• The ESMP identifies four specific activities for the period of January 2024 to June 2025 with a total budget of Nu. 13,146,450.58: remodeling the wildlife taxidermy store (Nu. 2,546,450.58), maintenance of the wildlife rescue center and NCD office floor (Nu. 2,600,000.00), procurement of shipment containers for seized items (Nu. 1,000,000.00), and expansion of the Takin Interpretation Center gallery (Nu. 7,000,000.00).
• In cases of discrepancy between the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), the WWF SIPP will prevail. Key differences include the SIPP's broader eligibility for compensation for non-title holders and its requirement for more extensive community consultations.
• Potential environmental and social impacts for the planned activities are categorized as short-term and minor, including the generation of construction waste, dust and noise pollution, soil disturbance from excavation, and risks to occupational health and safety.
• Mitigation measures include prohibiting the dumping of waste on non-designated land, restricting construction hours to 7am-7pm to limit noise, providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets and reflective vests, and ensuring the availability of first aid kits on site.
• The project implements a multi-tiered Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) allowing stakeholders to report issues via the BFL-specific mechanism (through gewog or forest offices), the WWF Grievance Mechanism (via a Project Complaints Officer), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Independent Review Mechanism.

APA

WWF International (2024). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Nature Conservation Division. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1ryolakie_NCD_ESMP_2024.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Nature Conservation Division. 2024. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1ryolakie_NCD_ESMP_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Nature Conservation Division |date=January 2024 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1ryolakie_NCD_ESMP_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2024bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Nature Conservation Division}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1ryolakie_NCD_ESMP_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }