Search Climate Insights Directory

The ESMP for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) for 2026 outlines mitigation strategies for three primary activities: improving alpine meadows at Nakchungla, restoring degraded grazing land at Chabling, and improving waterholes across four sites. Categorized as a Category B project, the plan focuses on managing site-specific, reversible risks such as occupational health and safety, waste generation, and minor soil disturbance. It mandates the use of manual labor, personal protective equipment (PPE), and community engagement through local contractors and grievance redressal mechanisms to support the livelihoods of semi-nomadic herders while conserving biodiversity.

The document details the challenges faced by the semi-nomadic Brokpa community in Merak, Bhutan, following an unprecedented heavy snowfall in the winter of 2022. It focuses on Ms. Pema Wangmo, a shopkeeper and mother who experienced the destruction of her greenhouse and the threat of roof collapses. The case study emphasizes the role of community support in rebuilding and argues for the necessity of steel-based infrastructure and better communication networks to enhance resilience against worsening climate impacts in remote highland areas.