Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen launched the Jigme Khesar Environmental Research Fund (JKERF), an initiative of Her Majesty as the Royal Patron of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) today. The JKERF will encourage and support local environmental research in the country.
Her Majesty, in a statement as the Royal Patron, said, “the Kingdom of Bhutan has inherited pristine ecosystems and natural resources. We must, as individuals, personally strive to preserve this endowment through our own sustainable actions. It is our responsibility to ensure that this rich biodiversity abounds for generations to come. I join the RSPN in its efforts of environmental conservation, which remains a pressing concern for our time, and encourage every citizen to embrace the path to a greener future.”
With the launch of the fund, the RSPN announces the immediate availability of fund for four research project proposals from educational institutions across the country. A total sum of Nu. 500,000 is currently allocated for the fund from which a sum of Nu. 100,000 will be maintained as the seed money.
Over the next few years, the RSPN said that it hopes to secure one million US Dollars as the research capital fund.
According to RSPN it will be announced on an annual basis for competitive individual and institutional research proposals. “A team of qualified technical team will review project proposals. Beside research projects, it will also support research related conferences and publications of research works.”
The fund’s ultimate goal is to build a consortium of professional national researchers and establish a technical research review panel.
