Conserving parks and natural resources is becoming increasingly difficult given the depleting fund, according to forest officials. Conservation has been allocated the least budget of Nu 890 M of the Nu 5 B allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, for the 11th Five Year Plan.
The issue was highlighted during the National Park Conference which is underway in Lamperi under Punakha.
The officials say the government need to invest more in conservation.
“The department is not in a position to pursue many critical conservation programmes. In the 10th plan the ministry was allocated only 7 percent of the total outlay,” said the Manger of the Royal Manas National Park, Tenzin Wanchuk.
Between 1997-2011, conservation received more than Nu 121 M from donor agencies under integrated conservation development program. However, there has been a significant decrease in the fund from donor agencies.
The agriculture and forests minister, Yeshey Dorji said asked the stakeholders to come up with long-term solution which would also address human-wildlife conflict.
Coinciding with the conference a book titled, “Field manual for surveying and monitoring of snow leopards in Bhutan”, was also launched.
