Environmental and Social Management Plan for National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology

The ESMP outlines the environmental and social safeguards for the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) to install two Automated Weather Stations (AWS) in Bhutan's protected areas. With a budget of USD 120,000, the project targets Singye Dzong in the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Gangju La in Jigme Dorji National Park. The plan identifies minor risks including construction waste, dust pollution, and occupational health and safety (OHS) concerns. Mitigation measures include strict waste management, site watering, and adherence to detailed OHS and worker accommodation standards. Implementation is managed by NCHM focal persons with monitoring by ESS officers and the BFL Fund Secretariat.

• The project involves setting up Automated Weather Stations (AWS) at two specific sites: Singye Dzong within the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Gangju La within the Jigme Dorji National Park, with a total allocated budget of USD 120,000.
• The installation process requires minor civil works, including site clearing, excavation, and fencing, employing 3-6 temporary workers for 10-15 days per site. Construction will require approximately 500 litres of water per day from nearby streams and 3-4 metric tonnes of stone and aggregate.
• Potential environmental and social impacts are classified as short-term and minor, specifically noise disturbance, dust pollution, waste management during construction, and occupational health and safety of workers.
• Mitigation for dust pollution involves watering the site twice daily, while waste management requires the separate collection of biodegradable and non-degradable waste and a total ban on burning construction waste or dumping in streams.
• The ESMP mandates strict occupational health and safety (OHS) standards, including the provision of personal safety equipment (helmets, gloves, boots, and reflective vests) and the requirement for contractors to hold OHS information sessions for all workers.
• Due to the remote locations of the sites, no formal community consultations were conducted as there are no communities in the immediate area; however, local people (approximately 4-5 individuals) will be engaged for transporting materials from the road point.
• 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 prevails, particularly regarding the eligibility of non-title holders for compensation and the requirement for community consultations.

APA

WWF International (2021). Environmental and Social Management Plan for National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tfncfz3hg_NCHM_ESMP_2021.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology. 2021. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tfncfz3hg_NCHM_ESMP_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology |date=2021 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tfncfz3hg_NCHM_ESMP_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tfncfz3hg_NCHM_ESMP_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }