Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC-02

The ESMP for Biological Corridor 2 (BC-02) outlines the environmental and social safeguards required for six planned activities in 2022, including road maintenance, bridge construction, and wildlife shelter expansion. It identifies potential risks such as noise pollution, waste generation, and occupational health and safety hazards, providing specific mitigation measures and monitoring frameworks. 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 to ensure broader protection for non-title land users and community consultation.

• 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 socio-economic wellbeing of communities through climate-informed natural resources management.
• Biological Corridor 2 (BC-02) covers 2769.32 hectares and serves as a link between Jigme Dorji National Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, providing habitat for focal species including tigers, red pandas, clouded leopards, and Rufous-necked hornbills.
• The ESMP identifies six specific activities for 2022: maintenance of the Eusa to Peljorling access road, construction of wooden bridges (Bazam) in Gangtey and Phobji, creation of a natural barrier in the Gangtey-Phobji RAMSAR area, development of parking and access roads at a campsite, construction of a kitchen and terracing at the campsite, and expansion of a wildlife rescue shelter in Euwakha.
• A primary discrepancy between Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP) is that WWF's SIPP provides assistance or compensation to all land users, including those without formal legal titles, whereas RGoB laws only recognize formal owners.
• The total budget for the six planned activities is Nu. 4,793,000, with a dedicated Nu. 50,000 allocated specifically for Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) mitigation.
• Potential environmental impacts across the planned activities are categorized as short-term and minor, including noise and air pollution, waste generation, and soil disturbance.
• Mitigation measures for construction activities include restricting work hours to 7am7pm, using water-spraying to reduce dust, prohibiting the burning of debris, and providing workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets, gloves, and reflective vests.
• The ESMP mandates a strict occupational health and safety (OHS) framework, including the requirement for contractors to hold information sessions for workers and the provision of first aid boxes within 200m of any working place.
• Monitoring of the 2022 activities will involve weekly field visits by implementing entities, monthly reports to ESS consultants, and quarterly reports to the Project Coordination Unit (PCU).

APA

WWF International (2022). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC-02. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5sgozo8s1_BC2_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC-02. 2022. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5sgozo8s1_BC2_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC-02 |date=2022 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5sgozo8s1_BC2_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for BC-02}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/5sgozo8s1_BC2_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }