BES team met with the grant recipients of the Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP)

The Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) team met with the grant recipients of the Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) as a part of the consultation process for mainstreaming community-based landscape management approach in Bhutan. The team met with over 90 individuals including the local government officials from Trashigang and Zhemgang in April-May 2021, and discussed the impacts and lessons from the projects implemented through the GEF-SGP.

Implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan, the GEF-SGP implemented “Restoring and managing Landscapes in Gamri Watershed”, Trashigang from 2013-2015 using the socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLs) conservation approach. The landscape and SEPLs approach were also used in the development of SGP’s country programmes strategy (CPS) for Operational Phase 6 (2016-2019) in Zhemgang and Operational Phase 7 (2020-2023) in Pemagatshel.

BES is now conducting consultations, leading dialogue and raising awareness among key stakeholders on the community-based landscape management and participatory governance model to restore and sustain the resilience of ecosystems with the aim to promote sustainable use of biodiversity and its integration into the management of land, forest, and water resources and as well as explore ways for attaining institutional and financial sustainability of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) approach.