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

The Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for the Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary (JWS) outlines the safeguards and mitigation strategies for the 2022 implementation of the Bhutan for Life (BFL) project. The primary activity for 2022 is the establishment of a community nursery for the medicinal plant Paris polyphylla in Deptsang, budgeted at Nu. 700,000. The plan identifies potential minor impacts, such as waste generation and site digging, and mandates mitigation measures including proper waste disposal and landscaping. The ESMP integrates both Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), with the latter prevailing in cases of discrepancy, particularly regarding non-title land users and community consultation. Implementation is managed by the BFL focal person in JWS, with monitoring conducted through weekly field visits and semi-annual reports. The document also includes comprehensive occupational health and safety (OHS) standards and worker accommodation guidelines.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project is a 14-year initiative designed to secure biodiversity conservation, human well-being, and climate resilience in Bhutan by maintaining a network of protected areas and biological corridors.
• The Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary (JWS), formerly known as Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary, covers 362.49 sq.km in the Samdrup Jongkhar district and serves as a habitat for keystone species including tigers, elephants, and the critically endangered Chinese Pangolin and Lady Slipper.
• The planned activity for 2022 is the establishment of a community nursery for Paris polyphylla (locally known as Thogsampa) in Deptsang, with a total budget of Nu. 700,000 and a specific ESS mitigation budget of Nu. 10,000.
• The nursery project aims to reduce illegal harvesting and pressure on wild non-wood forest products (NWFP) by motivating the Deptsang NWFP group to domesticate high-value medicinal plants.
• The ESMP identifies minor short-term and long-term risks for the nursery establishment, specifically waste generation from construction materials and the need for landscaping on slopes to prevent vegetation damage.
• In cases of discrepancy between 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 land users for compensation and the requirement for extensive community consultations.

APA

WWF International (2022). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/37e79azf97_JWS_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary. 2022. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/37e79azf97_JWS_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary |date=2022 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/37e79azf97_JWS_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/37e79azf97_JWS_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }