Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary

The document outlines a management plan for the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) as part of the Bhutan for Life (BFL) project. It identifies two primary activities for 2024-2025: the improvement of alpine meadows and the restoration of the Tsadi Latsho lake. The plan assesses potential risks—including habitat disruption, worker safety, and wildfire risks—and prescribes specific mitigation measures, monitoring arrangements, and occupational health and safety standards to ensure compliance with national laws and WWF safeguards.

• The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary covers 1534.24 square kilometers across Trashiyangtse, Lhuntse, and Mongar, featuring a diverse ecosystem that includes a Ramsar-recognized wetland in the Bumdeling floodplain.
• Planned activities for 2024-2025 include the improvement of alpine meadows at Shingphel-Shodung, Lao, and Thangchenmo to benefit species such as snow leopards and musk deer, with a budget of Nu. 1,000,000.
• The project includes the restoration of Tsadi Latsho lake in Drakteng village, Khoma Gewog, to address declining water volumes and protect a critical water source for the community and wildlife, with a budget of Nu. 700,000.
• Environmental and social risks associated with alpine meadow work include the disruption of the ecosystem balance, worker health hazards on steep terrain, and the risk of unintentional wildfires during prescribed burning.
• Restoration of Tsadi Latsho lake presents risks of habitat disturbance through dredging, waste generation, and water contamination from construction materials.
• The ESMP establishes a strict monitoring framework involving BFL focal persons, ESS consultants, and the PCU, with a dedicated budget of Nu 30,000 for mitigation measures.
• Comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards are mandated for contractors, including requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE), first aid availability within 200m of work areas, and specific guidelines for working at heights and in extreme temperatures.

APA

WWF International (2024). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tl7ql8y2h_BWS_ESMP_2024.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary. 2024. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tl7ql8y2h_BWS_ESMP_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary |date=2024 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tl7ql8y2h_BWS_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 Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/1tl7ql8y2h_BWS_ESMP_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }