Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

The ESMP for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary outlines mitigation strategies for five key activities: restoring alpine meadows, improving lowland grasslands, implementing bioengineering for watershed management, restoring natural saltlicks, and maintaining the Joenkhar Range Office. It integrates Bhutanese national laws with WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), prioritizing the latter in cases of discrepancy, particularly regarding compensation for non-title land users and community consultation. The plan details specific environmental risks, such as the spread of invasive alien species and waste generation, and mandates strict occupational health and safety (OHS) standards for workers, including the provision of safety gear and standardized living facilities.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project aims to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing vegetative cover and enhancing the socio-economic wellbeing of local communities through climate-informed natural resources management.
• The ESMP identifies a conflict between Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's SIPP regarding land rights; while RGoB laws only recognize formal owners for compensation, WWF's SIPP extends eligibility to all users, including those without formal legal titles.
• Planned activities for 2023-2024 include the restoration of 30 hectares of degraded alpine meadows in Merak and Sakteng to support livestock productivity, as these areas are currently degraded by excessive grazing and climate change.
• Watershed management interventions in the Shetmey area, which serves as a water source for Radhi, Shongphu, and Phongmey Gewog, will involve bioengineering works such as constructing check dry dams and planting live cuttings to combat soil erosion and landslides.
• The plan identifies the risk of spreading invasive alien species during the restoration of alpine meadows and lowland grasslands, proposing biological control measures and the complete burning of collected debris as mitigation.
• A total budget of Nu. 2,014,000 is allocated for the five planned activities, with the highest expenditure of Nu. 850,000 dedicated to watershed management interventions.
• The ESMP mandates comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards, including the provision of specific personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets, gloves, and reflective vests, and the prohibition of underage labor.

APA

WWF International (2023). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/864ay6udpc_SWS_ESMP_2023.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. 2023. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/864ay6udpc_SWS_ESMP_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary |date=January 2023 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/864ay6udpc_SWS_ESMP_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2023environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/864ay6udpc_SWS_ESMP_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }