The Bhutanese Leading the way.
International Biodiversity Day (IBD) is a United Nations sanctioned international day on 22nd May to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This year the theme is “We are part of the solution”.
On this day the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), Ministry of Agriculture and Forests will be inaugurating the Biodiversity Interpretation Centre at the Royal Botanical Garden Serbithang, which is a one-stop hub that provides an overview of Bhutan’s biodiversity. The term “interpretation” broadly refers to educational activities used in places like zoos, museums, heritage sites and national parks, to tell visitors about the significance or meaning of what they are experiencing.
The Biodiversity Interpretation Centre will support the achievement of national biodiversity goal of “Increasing awareness on values of biodiversity” as it is the only facility in the country. The improved interpretation facilities and education programs is expected to increase visits from the schools, which in turn will lead to increased awareness and care for biodiversity, nurturing the youth into environmentally conscious citizen.
In addition, Bhutan Biodiversity Portal User Manual will also be launched to mark the day. The User Manual will provide step-by-step guidance to the registered users of the Portal. Currently, the portal has more than 65,000 observations uploaded by 1,700 registered users. Bhutan Biodiversity Portal is an online one-stop platform for Bhutan’s biodiversity information.
