Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phrumsengla National Park

The 2021 Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phrumsengla National Park (PNP) outlines mitigation strategies for four primary activities: maintaining the Thrumshingla Rhododendron Garden, repairing park infrastructure (HQ, range offices, and guard posts), fixing a retaining wall at the Ura head office, and improving alpine meadows. The plan identifies potential risks including wildlife disturbance, construction waste, and occupational health and safety hazards. It mandates compliance with 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 regarding land use and community consultation. Implementation is managed by BFL focal persons and contractors, with monitoring conducted through weekly field visits and monthly reports.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project is a 14-year initiative designed to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing forest cover and enhancing the climate resilience of its protected area system.
• Phrumsengla National Park (PNP) covers 906 km2 and serves as a critical watershed for the Kuri chu and chamkhar chu river systems, with elevations ranging from 900 to 4500 masl.
• PNP is a high-biodiversity area hosting over 1,000 plant species and several endangered animals, including the Tiger (Panthera tigris), Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), and Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster).
• The 2021 planned activities include the maintenance of the 22-hectare in-situ Rhododendron Garden at Thrumshingla top, budgeted at USD 8,694.97.
• Infrastructure maintenance is planned for the HQ, range office (Phawan), staff quarters, guard posts (Sengor, Zankhar, and Tsamang), and the visitor information center, with a budget of USD 23,738.65.
• A damaged retaining wall (22M x 4.15M) at the Ura head office requires immediate repair to protect staff quarters and a motor road, with a budget of USD 3,450.39.
• Alpine meadow improvement activities, budgeted at USD 9,799.09, involve removing encroaching vegetation in areas like Wangthangla and Bribdungla to protect the habitat of the endemic Lobelia nubigena and the Tiger.
• In cases of discrepancy between national law and project safeguards, the WWF’s Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP) prevail, particularly regarding the eligibility of non-title holders for compensation and the requirement for community consultations.
• The ESMP identifies minor short-term risks for all activities, including noise disturbance from chainsaws, construction waste, and occupational health and safety hazards, which must be mitigated through specific measures such as restricting work hours to 7am—7pm.
• Monitoring of the ESMP involves weekly field visits by focal persons and a final monitoring report by the ESS officer in the third week of November 2021.

APA

WWF International (2021). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phrumsengla National Park. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rz6pp2de3_PNP_ESMP_2021.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phrumsengla National Park. 2021. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rz6pp2de3_PNP_ESMP_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phrumsengla National Park |date=2021 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rz6pp2de3_PNP_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 Phrumsengla National Park}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5rz6pp2de3_PNP_ESMP_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }