Bhutan For Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for e-vehicle Project

The ESMP outlines the environmental and social safeguards for the installation of two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Bhutan. It identifies potential risks such as construction waste, noise pollution, and worker safety, and provides specific mitigation measures and monitoring arrangements to ensure compliance with both Bhutanese law and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP).

• The project involves the installation of two electric vehicle charging stations, one at Tshenden Pokto in Sephu Gewog (Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag) and another at Pangoyum in Saling Gewog (Mongar Dzongkhag), each with a budget of Nu. 2,000,000.
• The primary goal of the charging infrastructure is to provide accessible quick charging to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and reduce the use of fossil fuel-driven vehicles in Bhutan.
• Potential environmental impacts identified for both sites include noise pollution, dust generation, and the creation of general and construction wastes.
• Potential social risks include threats to worker health and safety, as well as the risk of damaging roads or causing inconvenience to highway users.
• Mitigation measures include sprinkling water to reduce dust, restricting site operations to between 8am and 6pm to avoid disturbing nearby settlements, and providing workers with safety gear such as helmets, goggles, and ear muffs.
• In cases where Bhutanese national laws and WWF’s Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP) differ, the WWF SIPP will prevail, particularly regarding the eligibility of non-title holders for compensation and the requirement for extensive community consultations.
• Implementation and monitoring will be managed by the Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) and the e-vehicle Project Management Unit (PMU), with fund disbursement to contractors contingent upon full compliance with safeguard requirements.

APA

WWF International (2023). Bhutan For Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for e-vehicle Project. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/2c5r80bo3t_ev_Project_ESMP_2023.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan For Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for e-vehicle Project. 2023. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/2c5r80bo3t_ev_Project_ESMP_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan For Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for e-vehicle Project |date=January 2023 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/2c5r80bo3t_ev_Project_ESMP_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2023bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan For Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for e-vehicle Project}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/2c5r80bo3t_ev_Project_ESMP_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }