WWF Bhutan Key Activities

WWF Bhutan supports the government to build a team of efficient conservation professionals (park managers, forest officers, rangers and field workers) by equipping them with the latest scientific knowledge and skills required for achieving the overall conservation goals of the country. For instance, introduction of SMART (spatial monitoring and reporting tools) system has enabled park offices to curb poaching and allocate scarce resources effectively by identifying most-at-risk areas. The easy to use software application has also improved coordination between rangers and park managers.
 

To ensure that conservation professionals are well equipped and supported with appropriate infrastructure and systems, WWF Bhutan provides equipment such as field gears, vehicles, camera traps, communication equipment and weather stations. WWF also promotes innovative and green technologies such as biogas, solar and other energy efficient technologies in addition to provision of zinc roofing materials to rural households.

Through awareness and advocacy on key conservation challenges and opportunities, WWF Bhutan engages and motivates partners and communities to take ownership of conservation efforts in the park by training and forming community based resource management groups. WWF is working towards building a network of young people and nurture them as ‘Green Citizens’ imbued with the knowledge and understanding of the interconnectedness of human beings to their natural surroundings and as custodians of Bhutan’s rich natural resources and biodiversity.

WWF Bhutan promotes community-based ecotourism products such as home stays as alternate economic incentives for local communities. WWF has supported the government to develop an inventory of cultural diversity and sites to promote cultural tourism. WWF also trains and equip impoverished communities with livelihood skills such as weaving traditional bamboo products and textiles and help them develop these into niche products and market them. These initiatives have contributed to creating more income generating opportunities and employment for rural communities thus, not only educating them on the importance to protect forest habitat, wildlife and biodiversity but also curbing rural-urban migration.