Coinciding with the 69th birthday of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation launched its ‘Roadmap 2040’ yesterday. The roadmap targets four priority thematic areas to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience for Bhutan’s environment, economy, and people.
According to officials, BTFEC ‘Roadmap 2040’ will ensure a sustainable future for environmental conservation.
Dr Karma Tshering (PhD), Managing Director of BTFEC said “The roadmap is important and it is till 2040. We have made a roadmap for the next 15 years. It is very important for us right now, because the whole global shift to environmental concerns is very high. Bhutan is like the hope. We create hope for many nations. So while we engage more with the environmental organizations, it is important to tell our story, give them hope, and inspire them.
The four target areas were chosen based on the Royal Charter issued in 2021.
According to officials, it will shape the country’s conservation and climate action efforts for the next 15 years.
The first area of focus includes the conservation of biological diversity, enabling human-wildlife co-existence, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and addressing adverse impacts of development on the environment.
According to officials, Bhutan’s rich ecosystems face serious threats such as habitat loss and climate change. The organisation will prioritise the conservation of threatened species, restoration of degraded land, and sustainable utilisation of natural resources, among others.
Kinley Tshering, the Chief Programme Officer of BTFEC said “Since our people in rural areas mostly live in forested areas, there is a lot of conflict arising between wildlife and our population. And so we are targeting our funds in a way that mitigates such conflicts.”
The roadmap intends to boost climate resilience through targeted investments in mitigation and adaptation strategies, including contributions to the Bhutan Climate Fund.
Kinley Tshering said “As an offshoot of heightened development in the country, we are seeing lots of negative impacts, including if you think about waste management. So waste management now is increasingly becoming a very difficult issue, especially in our cities and more populated areas. Likewise, there’s also a lot of pressure on surrounding forests and wildlife. So these are all issues arising out of development. And under our fourth thematic area, we are going to look at making investments in these areas to again mitigate these issues.”
According to the BTFEC, the roadmap has the potential to secure Bhutan’s environment for future generations.
Deki Lhazom
Edited by Phub Gyem
