Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC 05, Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office

The 2021 ESMP for the Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office focuses on the construction of the BC 5 office at Pelzomthang. It identifies minimal environmental and social risks, such as noise, dust, and waste generation, and outlines specific mitigation measures and monitoring protocols. The plan ensures compliance with both Royal Government of Bhutan laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures, with the latter prevailing in cases of discrepancy regarding land use and community consultation.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project aims to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing forest and vegetative cover within the Protected Area System (PAS) and enhancing the socio-economic well-being of local communities through climate-informed natural resources management.
• Biological Corridor 5 (BC 5) covers 203.58 km2 and is characterized by tropical broad-leaved forest, which accounts for over 95% of the land cover. The area is a significant habitat for wildlife, with records including 25 mammal species, 89 bird species, 18 herpetofauna, and 31 butterflies.
• The planned construction of the BC 5 office at Pelzomthang, with a proposed budget of Nu.5 million, is expected to have minimal environmental and social impacts. Identified risks include noise disturbance, dust/air pollution, and the generation of construction waste.
• To mitigate construction impacts, the ESMP mandates specific measures: restricting work hours to 7am–7pm to limit noise, water-spraying sites on dry days to reduce dust, and prohibiting the burning of construction debris.
• The project adopts a hierarchy of safeguards where WWF’s Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP) prevail over Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) legislation in cases of discrepancy, particularly regarding the eligibility of non-title holders for compensation and the requirement for extensive community consultations.
• The ESMP includes detailed Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards, requiring contractors to provide safety gear (helmets, gloves, boots, reflective vests), maintain a first aid box within 200m of any working place, and ensure workers are not exposed to noise levels greater than 85 dB(A) for more than 8 hours per day without protection.

APA

WWF International (2021). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC 05, Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/4tb9f7il5t_BC05_PG_ESMP_2021.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC 05, Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office. 2021. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/4tb9f7il5t_BC05_PG_ESMP_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC 05, Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office |date=2021 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/4tb9f7il5t_BC05_PG_ESMP_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC 05, Pema Gatshel Divisional Forest Office}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/4tb9f7il5t_BC05_PG_ESMP_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }