Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

The ESMP for the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) outlines mitigation strategies for four primary activities planned for 2020: the construction of a Takin Translocation Facility, staff quarters, river bank protection walls, and waterhole improvements. It integrates Bhutanese national law with WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), specifying that WWF standards prevail in cases of discrepancy, particularly regarding compensation for non-title land holders and community consultation. The plan details specific environmental risks—such as noise, air pollution, and waste—and social risks, including impacts on transhumant grazing and potential increases in poaching. Implementation is managed by BFL focal persons and contractors, with a monitoring framework involving weekly field visits and quarterly reports to ensure compliance.

• The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) covers 740.60 sq. km and is a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site harboring endangered species such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, Red Panda, and Musk Deer.
• The project identifies four main activities for 2020 with a combined budget exceeding USD 97,000: a Takin Translocation Facility (USD 25,223), staff quarters (USD 65,000), river bank protection (USD 3,000), and waterhole improvement (USD 4,765.95).
• To resolve discrepancies between national law and WWF's SIPP, the project mandates that WWF's more extensive requirements prevail, specifically regarding the eligibility of non-title holders for compensation and the necessity of extensive community consultations.
• The construction of the Takin Translocation Facility required the allocation of alternative grazing land for approximately 20 households in the Merak community to mitigate the loss of access to traditional grazing areas.
• Environmental risks associated with the 2020 activities include noise and air pollution from machinery during staff quarter construction, and an increased risk of poaching at restored waterholes because they become hotspots for gathering animals.
• The ESMP establishes a rigorous monitoring hierarchy where BFL focal persons conduct weekly field visits, ESS consultants perform quarterly visits, and the PCU provides semi-annual reports to the Secretariat.

APA

WWF International (2020). Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/9sr8slqzke_SWS_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. 2020. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/9sr8slqzke_SWS_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary |date=2020 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/9sr8slqzke_SWS_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020environmental, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Environmental and Social Management Plan for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/9sr8slqzke_SWS_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }