Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 6

The ESMP for Biological Corridor 6 (BC6) categorizes planned activities as 'Category B', meaning impacts are site-specific and reversible. The plan covers the construction of the Yangtse Range Office, maintenance of the Tsoneyma and Koala Puensum waterholes, and railing/signage installation at Omba Nye. It details mitigation measures for waste, noise, and air pollution, alongside strict occupational health and safety standards and a multi-tiered grievance redressal mechanism involving the Royal Government of Bhutan, WWF, and the Green Climate Fund.

• The project 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 planned for 2025-2026: the construction of the Yangtse Range Office (budget Nu. 10,000,000), improvement of Tsoneyma lake (Nu. 150,000), railing maintenance and signage at Omba Nye (Nu. 1,000,000), and improvement of Koala Puensum lake (Nu. 150,000).
• Biological Corridor 6 covers 232.76 km2, with 73.3% in Samdrup Jongkhar and 26.7% in Trashigang Dzongkhag; it contains no permanent settlements, only seasonal herding.
• The corridor is home to 24 mammalian species, 50% of which are globally threatened, including strictly protected species such as the Red panda, Musk deer, and Clouded leopard.
• Environmental mitigation for construction includes prohibiting the burning of waste, restricting work hours to 7am7pm to limit noise, and using water-spraying on dry days to reduce dust.
• To prevent animal poaching during waterhole construction at Tsoneyma and Koala Puensum, park authorities will increase patrolling and install camera traps.
• The ESMP mandates strict labor standards, including the prohibition of underage workers and the requirement for a grievance mechanism for workers to raise workplace concerns.
• In cases of discrepancy between national laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), the WWF SIPP will prevail, particularly regarding compensation for non-title land users and community consultation.
• A three-tiered grievance redressal mechanism is established: a BFL-specific mechanism for local reports, a WWF Grievance Mechanism via a Project Complaints Officer, and the GCF Independent Review Mechanism.

APA

WWF International (2025). Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 6. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/56rmnrli3l_7.BC6_ESMP_2025_Trashigang_.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 6. 2025. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/56rmnrli3l_7.BC6_ESMP_2025_Trashigang_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 6 |date=2025 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/56rmnrli3l_7.BC6_ESMP_2025_Trashigang_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2025environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 6}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/56rmnrli3l_7.BC6_ESMP_2025_Trashigang_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }