Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary

The Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) outlines a series of conservation and infrastructure activities scheduled for 2023-2024. Key initiatives include the restoration of 70 hectares of lowland grasslands through invasive species removal and prescribed burning, the maintenance of a 25 km patrol route, the construction of four water reservoir tanks in Nichula Gewog, and the installation of solar pumps to support wildlife water access. The plan identifies potential risks such as forest fires, waste generation, and occupational health and safety hazards, providing specific mitigation measures and monitoring arrangements to ensure compliance with both Royal Government of Bhutan laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project is a 14-year initiative designed to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing forest and vegetative cover and enhancing the socio-economic wellbeing of communities through climate-informed natural resource management.
• Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is the smallest protected area in Bhutan, covering 286.68 sq.km, and serves as a critical habitat for globally threatened species including the Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, and the White-bellied Heron.
• Planned grassland management for 2023 involves the restoration of 70 hectares at the Phibsoo Outpost, utilizing tractor-based removal of invasive species like Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha and implementing prescribed burning in compartments with 15-meter fire lines.
• The project will maintain a 25 km patrol route connecting Singye gewog to Phibsoo outpost, which involves filling potholes with gravel and clearing bushes within a 50-meter radius to prevent poachers from ambushing rangers.
• To address water scarcity and the issue of multiple tapping from sources in Nichula Gewog, the plan includes the construction of four water reserve tanks at Yarphelling, Dramseykesa-Damchuna, Dangreybug, and Gangtokha.
• Solar pumps will be installed in Phibsoo to draw underground water, aiming to provide water for wildlife during winter and reduce human-wildlife conflict by ensuring basic needs are met within the forest.
• The total budget for the four primary activities is Nu. 4,300,000, with the construction of water reservoir tanks being the most expensive component at Nu. 2,000,000.
• Where discrepancies exist between Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF’s Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), the WWF SIPP will prevail, particularly regarding compensation for non-title land users and community consultation requirements.

APA

WWF International (2023). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8prd3zf6ra_Updated_PWS_ESMP_2023.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary. 2023. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8prd3zf6ra_Updated_PWS_ESMP_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary |date=January 2023 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8prd3zf6ra_Updated_PWS_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 Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/8prd3zf6ra_Updated_PWS_ESMP_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }