Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park

The Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Wangchuck Centennial National Park (WCNP) outlines the mitigation of environmental and social risks associated with six planned activities for 2020. These activities include constructing a guard post, river bank protection, zonation and pillar fixing, improving waterholes and salt licks, installing waste infrastructure, and restoring lowland grasslands. The plan ensures compliance with both the Royal Government of Bhutan's laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), particularly where WWF standards are more extensive regarding community consultation and compensation for non-title land users. Implementation is led by BFL focal persons and contractors, with monitoring conducted through field visits and reports submitted to ESS consultants and the Project Coordination Unit (PCU).

• The Wangchuck Centennial National Park is the largest protected area in Bhutan, covering 4,914 sq.km across five Dzongkhags (Gasa, Wangduephodrang, Trongsa, Bumthang, and Lhuentse) and supporting 693 species of vascular plants and 43 mammal species, including the Tiger and Snow leopard.
• The project identifies six primary activities for 2020 with a total budget exceeding US$ 130,000, including the construction of a guard post (US$ 50,000), zonation and pillar fixing (US$ 72,300), and restoration of lowland grasslands (US$ 3,000).
• A significant discrepancy exists between the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's SIPP regarding social impacts; WWF's policies provide assistance or compensation to all land and natural resource users, including those without formal legal titles, whereas RGoB laws only recognize formal owners or users.
• Zonation and pillar fixing is identified as having a 'Major' long-term impact due to potential community conflicts regarding the access and usage rights of natural resources, which the project intends to mitigate through participatory community management plans.
• Environmental risks associated with construction activities include noise disturbance, air quality degradation from dust and vehicle emissions, and the potential for water contamination or soil erosion, particularly near water bodies like the Tangchu river.
• The ESMP mandates a rigorous monitoring framework involving weekly field visits by implementing entities, quarterly visits by ESS consultants, and bi-annual reporting to the Secretariat and WWF US.

APA

WWF International (2020). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8ch8awtyfa_WCNP_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park. 2020. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8ch8awtyfa_WCNP_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park |date=2020 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8ch8awtyfa_WCNP_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for Wangchuck Centennial National Park}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8ch8awtyfa_WCNP_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }