Initiatives are underway to ensure that the country’s rich environment remains intact for all times to come. To strengthen conservation efforts, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) will be engaging more Civil Society Organisations and government agencies hereafter. The environmental trust fund has funded over 200 environmental projects since its inception in 1991.
As a country rich in biodiversity, Bhutan is home to a number of plant and animal species, some of which are considered endangered and require continued and extensive conservation efforts.
The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation is facilitating CSOs and government agencies to do just that by providing funds.
The environmental trust fund has funded numerous projects including those that focus on waste management, water source protection and conservation of threatened wildlife species including the endangered White-bellied Heron and Black-necked Crane among others.
The BTFEC has partnered with five CSOs in the past and is currently funding 11 such projects.
To strengthen conservation by fostering partnership, the environmental trust fund held a networking session. Participants from diverse backgrounds including environmentalists came together to discuss how the environmental trust fund can provide more in the coming days.
“Bhutan stands for environment; the world knows us for our environment. Our image, our brand, our pride, our hope, and our future are in fact the environment. So, the only way to ensure that we fulfil the legacies made by our Kings who have been very supportive of the environment, the royal charter that we have, and the vision that we have to take the environment forward is all that we can do at the Bhutan Trust Fund. We need to spread our wings and ensure that all the CSOs and government entities can come together,” said Dr Karma Tshering (PhD), the Director of the BTFEC.
The session based on three themes of strengthening environmental programmes, financing, and partnerships, reiterated how the true wealth of Bhutan lies in its biodiversity and that different organisations must join hands to work towards the common goal.
The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation is the world’s first environmental trust fund. It was established as a collaborative venture between the Royal Government of Bhutan, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Phub Gyem
