The Bhutanese Leading the way.
On addressing the gaps in conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of biodiversity and create awareness on biodiversity related issues, the last leg of stakeholder consultation meeting for the revision of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for eastern region concludes today at Mongar.
The meeting is a platform for relevant biodiversity stakeholders, in the region, to come together and share ground challenges and issues and frame it into the national document, NBSAP, and
make it practical, realistic and implementable by all concerned agencies.
The meeting also aims to create awareness on the international treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, convention on biological diversity, Nagoya Protocal on access and benefit sharing and the Bhutan Biodiversity portal.
In addition, it will address the emerging needs and challenges to biodiversity and global efforts, in order to meet the Global Biodiversity Targets 2020. The pre-targets of 2010, which the world had failed to meet, addresses the overall conservation efforts needed to combat the decline
ofbiodiversity.
The Global Biodiversity Targets 2020 follow five strategies that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across governments and societies. To reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use, to improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding eco-systems, species and genetic diversity, to enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and eco-system services, and to enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.
The NBSAP, known as Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in Bhutan, is a strategic document that provides a framework of action to enhance and ensure the productivity, diversity and integrity of biodiversity and natural systems. It is also one of the instruments to implement the objectives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which Bhutan became a member in 1995.
Three-day workshop, starting on March 6, is organized by the National Biodiversity Centre and facilitated by members of the core-working group for the revision of the NBSAP.
Over 40 participants from livestock, agriculture, forestry and environment sectors from Bumthang and eastern dzongkhags of Mongar, Trashigang, Lhuntse, Pema Gatshel, Trashi Yangtse and Samdrup Jhongkhar, Bumthang and parks and wildlife sanctuaries, Wangchuck Centennial Park, Thrumsingla, National Park, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary attended the meeting.
The first biodiversity action plan (BAP I) started in 1998, and to address the changing needs and priorities, to monitor the progress made, the BAP was revised twice, in 2002 (BAP II) and 2009 (BAP III).
