To further conserve biodiversity and protect the environment, the National Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS) launched the new National Environment Strategy 2020, the middle path, coinciding with the Birthday of the Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen and World Environment Day in Bhutan.
First documented in 1998, the National Environment Strategy is the mother strategy for environmental conservation and protection.
Speaking at the launch of the National Environment Strategy 2020, the Chairperson of the NECS Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji said the strategy will guide all the sectors in prioritising their plans and programmes within the ambit of environmental concerns.
“The environmental strategy is the most important strategy which will guide environmental conservation giving equal importance to social, cultural and economic development,” said Dr Tandi Dorji, the NECS Chairperson.
Unlike the previous National Environment Strategy, the new strategy will provide a framework for monitoring progress and is intended to be used to guide actions by the government at the national, Dzongkhag and Gewog level.
“The best part of the National Environment Strategy 2020 is that we have a review framework every five years. So now, we will be able to monitor the progress for every sector. For every sector, there will be a monitoring framework and this will, in fact, be able to tell us about the progress in all the areas where we are focusing on, whether it is air, water, land or biodiversity,” said Sonam Phuntsho Wangdi, the Secretary of the NECS.
Moreover, the new strategy will balance conservation with development and enhance implementation and operationalisation of the existing legislation from the government to the local level.
The strategy is structured around four core chapters of water, air, life and land. The National Environment Strategy 2020 was prepared after a series of consultation with all the stakeholders both at the central and government levels. It was finally endorsed by the National Environment Commission at its 52nd commission meeting held on 27th of March this year.
Passang Dorji
