Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary

The ESMP for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) categorizes BFL activities as Category B, meaning impacts are site-specific and reversible. It details mitigation strategies for invasive species management, riverbank protection, staff quarter construction, and office maintenance, while outlining strict occupational health and safety standards and grievance mechanisms.

• The BFL project in Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary is classified as a Category B project because potential adverse environmental and social impacts are "site-specific, reversible and can be readily mitigated".
• Four specific activities are identified as requiring ESMPs for the 2025-2026 period: invasive species management at Nichula, river bank protection at Longa River, construction of 16 units of outpost staff quarters at Phibsoo, and maintenance of the Nichula Range Office.
• The project identifies several environmental risks associated with the planned works, including soil erosion from uprooting Lantana camara, air pollution from controlled burning, and the disruption of wildlife behavior due to construction noise and increased human presence.
• To mitigate social and health risks, the ESMP mandates the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), regular health screenings, and the adherence to a grievance mechanism for workers to raise workplace concerns.
• The ESMP establishes that in cases of discrepancy between Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), the WWF SIPP shall prevail, particularly regarding compensation for non-title holders and community consultation requirements.
• The total budget for the four primary activities is Nu. 6,915,000, with the construction of staff quarters being the most expensive at Nu. 4,415,000; separate funds for mitigation are not proposed as the activities are considered small scale.

APA

WWF International (2025). Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3815uerh2w_18.PWS_ESMP_2025.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. 2025. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3815uerh2w_18.PWS_ESMP_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary |date=2025 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3815uerh2w_18.PWS_ESMP_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2025environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3815uerh2w_18.PWS_ESMP_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }