𝗘𝗣𝗶𝗖 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) in collaboration with the Department of Forests and Park Services of Bhutan, the Natural History Museum and BOKU University of Austria, and Max Planck Institute of Germany hosted a joint symposium on the project,’𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝟭𝟱 (𝗘𝗣𝗶𝗖)’.

The 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺 was aimed mainly in sharing some of the key achievements and experiences from the ongoing project. This project investigates the complex relationship between forest management, avian biodiversity, and wildlife health in Bhutan, with a particular focus on the prevalence of avian malaria in the bird community of the habitat of the critically endangered White-bellied Heron. The initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 15, aiming to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, combat deforestation, and halt land degradation and biodiversity loss.

The symposium was held in Vienna, Austria and attended by officials from Friends of Bhutan in Austria, Natural History Museum of Vienna, BOKU University, and interested participants.