Sustainable Livelihoods Projects:

Introduction:The fulfillment of human and environmental rights is the responsibility of all who have it within their means to act. While we all share these responsibilities, they fall heavily on government and non-government agencies that have the political mandate, and the economic resources, to deliver. Unfortunately, basic human and environmental rights - including the right to work, food, adequate living standards, education and a safe, healthy and sustainable environment - have not been extended to a major portion of humanity. Bhutan faces tremendous challenges in striving to ensure that its rich natural heritage is preserved and sustained over time. Species and habitats continue to be lost, and the ecosystem services vital to their survival and that of humankind are increasingly disturbed. Many of the people living in areas of high biodiversity value are economically impoverished and politically marginalized, and their livelihoods are negatively impacted with the introduction of new protected areas. Considering the above facts, the government of Bhutan has recognized the need to invest in the development of alternative, environmentally sustainable rural livelihoods to complement traditional ones that tend to rely on natural resources. As a result, the rights and needs of the communities residing in and around the protected areas are respected and translated into alternative livelihoods programs. In order to complement the government’s efforts and regional WWF priorities, the WWF Bhutan programme has also prioritized sustainable livelihoods as one of its core programmes. Due to this, the Integrated Conservation and Development Project (ICDP) is given due importance in all the three protected areas that WWF Bhutan supports. ICDP activities are identified and prioritized based on participatory socio-economic studies . In addition, the findings from wildlife biodiversity research are also amalgamated in the process. The ICDP are holistic in nature and include subject such as improving education and health, capacity building for local governance, clean energy, communication and accessibility (telephones and feeder roads), income generation (agriculture and livestock intensifications and sustainable use of NTFPs). The ultimate aim of the programme is to improve the livelihoods of the resident communities and simultaneously reduce pressure on natural resources. As WWF is only in its third year of implementing such projects, the real impacts of ICDPs are yet to be studied.

Overall Goal: To provide sustainable rural livelihood opportunities to resident communities in B2C2 landscape and reduce pressure on natural resources.

Strategies:
1. Support model pilot initiatives for local communities living either in Protected Areas or critical Biological Corridors.
2. Support the Royal Government in the development of a national strategy for non-wood forest products.

ICDP sites:Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDPs) are carried out in the three national parks that WWF supports; RMNP, SWS and TNP. WWF is also implementing pilot ICDPs in three sites; Shingneer under Bumthang Dzongkhag; Yangneer under Trashigang Dzongkhag; and, Kungarabten under Trongsa Dzongkhag. These sites fall in the biological corridors and programs are implemented in collaboration with district administrations. This brings WWF a step closer to the people on the ground. It is an excellent opportunity for WWF to demonstrate to communities that conservation can bring them direct benefits. The pilot project at the three sites was funded by DGIS/WWF International while the second phase of the project was supported by WWF US. The activities in the second phase resulted from the evaluation carried out at the end of the first phase. Due to late arrival of funds, the livelihoods activities at the three sites could be just started and the actual impact of the project could be known only in December 2006 after the evaluation.

Contact person : mwangdi@wwfbhutan.org.bt