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Joint Press Release: WWF-Bhutan and Department of Forests and Park Services launches Climate Crowd Initiative
The initiative aims to help communities living inside the parks adapt to climate change
Climate Crowd is a bottom-up community-driven initiative. Working with communities and local organizations in over 30 countries, the initiative collects data on climate impacts on communities, analyzes and presents the data back to the communities. Project partners then work with the communities to develop, fund and implement on-the-ground solutions that help people and nature adapt to climate change impacts.
In Bhutan, through the Climate Crowd Initiative key informant surveys were carried out in 2024. The surveys were carried out in two national parks – Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) and Jomotshangkha Wildlife Sanctuary (JWS). Over 100 people residing in the parks were interviewed to understand the impacts of climate change on lives, livelihood and nature.
Seventy-five community members were interviewed in JDNP during the key informant survey. Over 60 percent of the respondents reported that there is less wild food around their communities, especially cordyceps and medicinal herbs which are key sources of livelihood. With the decreased abundance of these plants and fungi, 19 percent of the respondents said their income was dwindling.
Over half of respondents reported a decrease in water availability because their water source has dried (57%). This has impacted availability of water for drinking and irrigation which further resulted in reduced pasture availability (35%) and crop yields (24%).
Interventions were co-developed with the community to address the challenges.
An incense processing unit will be established in Soe gewog (block) and Yaksa village as alternative means of livelihood. The project intervention is expected to help improve the income of the community members.
In Draagchukha, a 6.2-kilometer chain-link fencing will be built to promote human-wildlife coexistence. A project interventions worth Nu 3.05 million will be implemented in JDNP.
In JWS, 33 community members were interviewed to understand the impact of climate change. More than 80 percent of the respondents reported reduced availability of freshwater resulting in a reduction in crop yield. Respondents also reported an increase in wildlife raiding crops (36%) and pests (33%), further contributing to reduced crop outputs.
In collaboration with Samrang gewog, Langchenphu gewog and JWS, the project will support drinking water and irrigation restoration works. Over Nu 2.9 million will be spent to restore the water source, which would benefit over 1,173 people living in and around the park.
In a recorded message, Mr Nikhil Advani, Senior Director for Wildlife and Climate Resilience, WWF-US, said that the long-term goal of climate crowd is to replicate successful ideas from the Climate Crowd initiative elsewhere in Bhutan and other countries.
The interventions are aimed at securing drinking and irrigation water, providing alternative means of livelihood and reducing human-wildlife conflicts in the communities.
The implementation of on-the-ground Climate Crowd interventions were launched by Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Chief Operating Officer of WWF-US, Ms Loren Mayor, and Senior Vice President of WWF-US, Dr Roberto Troya today.
For more information, please contact:
Kinley Wangmo | WWF-Bhutan| +975- 17342610|kinleywangmo@wwfbhutan.org.bt
Nima | WWF-Bhutan | +975- 17965819|nima@wwfbhutan.org.bt
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.wwfbhutan.org.bt for the latest news and media resources and follow us on X @WWFBhutan.
About Climate Crowd Initiative
Climate Crowd is a bottom-up community-driven initiative aimed at co-creating solutions that help people and nature adapt to a changing climate. It is implemented with communities and local organizations in over 30 countries.