Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Biological Corridor 7

The Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor 7 (BC 7) outlines the safeguards and mitigation strategies for two primary activities in 2020: the improvement of waterholes and combined zonation. The plan ensures compliance with both Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws and WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP), with the latter prevailing in cases of discrepancy regarding community consultation and compensation for non-title land users. BC 7, covering 79 square kilometres, connects the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Phrumsengla National Park and supports species such as the Tiger, Red Panda, and Musk Deer. The ESMP details specific risks, such as increased poaching and human-wildlife conflict, and assigns responsibility for monitoring and implementation to the BFL focal person and external contractors.

• The Bhutan for Life (BFL) project is a 14-year initiative designed to maintain Bhutan's carbon neutrality by increasing forest cover and enhancing climate resilience through the management of protected areas and biological corridors.
• Biological Corridor 7 (BC 7) covers an area of 79 square kilometres and serves as a link between the Phrumsengla National Park and the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, specifically supporting focal species including the Musk Deer, Red Panda, and Tiger.
• A recent biodiversity survey in BC 7 identified 162 bird species and 21 mammal species, while plant data is still being compiled.
• The 2020 plan for BC 7 includes the improvement of waterholes in Tsengkhar Geog with a budget of USD 4,761.90, and a combined zonation activity for the entire corridor with a budget of USD 10,000.
• The improvement of waterholes presents risks of increased poaching due to animals gathering at a single site, as well as human-wildlife conflict; mitigation includes increased patrolling and restricting work to daylight hours.
• The combined zonation activity involves physical demarcation via boundary pegs and a two-phase process including community consultation to ensure local access to resources like sand, fodder, firewood, and timber is not restricted.
• WWF's Social Safeguards Integrated Policies and Procedures (SIPP) take precedence over Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) laws when discrepancies occur, particularly regarding the eligibility of non-title land users for compensation and the requirement for extensive community consultations.

APA

WWF International (2020). Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Biological Corridor 7. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/z47orq0l4_BC7_ESMP.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Biological Corridor 7. 2020. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/z47orq0l4_BC7_ESMP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Biological Corridor 7 |date=2020 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/z47orq0l4_BC7_ESMP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020bhutan, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Bhutan for Life Environmental and Social Management Plan for Biological Corridor 7}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/z47orq0l4_BC7_ESMP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }