Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary

The 2022 ESMP for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) outlines mitigation strategies for three primary activities: lowland grassland improvement, installation of a hybrid solar system at Phibsoo Outpost, and maintenance of the PWS headquarters. The plan ensures compliance with both Royal Government of Bhutan laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures, prioritizing the latter in cases of discrepancy. PWS is noted for its high conservation value, serving as a habitat for globally threatened species like the golden langur and Asian elephant. The ESMP includes detailed occupational health and safety standards, monitoring frameworks, and stakeholder engagement records to minimize environmental degradation and social conflict.

• Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is the smallest protected area in Bhutan, covering 286.68sq.km, and is critical for protecting the southernmost sub-tropical Himalayan Forest ecosystem and several threatened species, including the golden langur, Asian elephant, and Bengal tiger.
• Planned activities for 2022 include the management of 92 hectares of lowland grassland at Phibsoo Outpost to control invasive species like Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha and establish Themedia grasses.
• A hybrid solar system will be installed at Phibsoo Outpost to replace an unreliable generator and provide sustainable energy for rangers, as the site is located 25 km from the nearest community, making grid electricity connection unfeasible.
• The ESMP identifies potential negative impacts for the 2022 activities, including air pollution from prescribed burning, risk of exposure to solar battery acids, and noise disturbance from headquarters maintenance.
• 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 mandates strict occupational health and safety (OHS) standards, including the provision of personal protective equipment (helmets, gloves, boots, and reflective vests) and the requirement for a grievance mechanism for workers.

APA

WWF International (2022). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rwr2gxv6g_PWS_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. 2022. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rwr2gxv6g_PWS_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary |date=2022 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rwr2gxv6g_PWS_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rwr2gxv6g_PWS_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }