༄༅། ། རྒྱལ་འཛིན་རང་བཞིན་སྲུང་སྐྱོབ་ཚོགས་སྡེ།
Royal Society For Protection of Nature
Inspiring personal responsibility for environmental conservation since 1987
༄༅། ། རྒྱལ་འཛིན་རང་བཞིན་སྲུང་སྐྱོབ་ཚོགས་སྡེ།
Inspiring personal responsibility for environmental conservation since 1987
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The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) is one of the rarest bird species in the world, with fewer than 60 individuals left in the world. Found only in parts of Bhutan, Northeast India, and Myanmar, this species has become a key ecosystem indicator and ecosystem health. By protecting the White-bellied Heron, we are protecting freshwater ecosystems and securing resilient future for both people and wildlife.
Its survival reflects the health of riverine and wetland ecosystems that support countless other species.
Conserving WBH habitats safeguards freshwater resources vital for both wildlife and people.
With Bhutan hosting one of the last viable populations, the country plays a critical role in preventing global extinction.
The WBH is part of Bhutan’s natural heritage, aligned with the national philosophy of living in harmony with nature.
Present key findings, outcomes, and lessons from the ongoing project “Developing Ecosystem-based Solutions for Managing Biodiversity Landscapes in Bhutan” supported by BMUV-IKI, Germany.
Exchange the latest research, monitoring data, and innovative practices in conserving the Critically Endangered White-bellied Heron.
Create a platform for researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners to share experiences, challenges, and solutions from across the WBH range countries and beyond.
Foster stronger regional and international partnerships to scale up collective action for WBH conservation and freshwater ecosystem protection.
| Time | Session | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30-09:00 AM | Registration | |
| 09:00-09:15 AM | Opening Ceremony with Marchang | Mr. Namgyal Wangchuk, Chief, Administration & Finance Division, RSPN |
| 09:15-09:30 AM | Welcome Address | Dr. Kinley Tenzin, Executive Director, RSPN |
| 09:30-09:45 AM | Keynote Address by Chief Guest | Hon’ble Minister Gem Tshering, Ministry of Engery and Natural Resources (MoENR) |
| 09:45-09:55 AM | Remarks from BMUKN Representative | Ms. Taina Dyckhoff, Head of Division for Climate and Environment, German Embassy, New Delhi |
| 09:55-10:10 AM | Remarks from Dasho Paljor Jigme Dorji | Dasho Paljor Jigme Dorji (Benji), Special Advisor to National Environment Commission of Bhutan |
| 10:10-10:30 AM | Launch of White-bellied Heron Annual Population Survey 2026 Report | Brief on the report by MC |
| 10:30-10:45 AM | Memoirs of White-bellied Heron in Bhutan | Mr. Hishey Tshering, Former RSPN Official |
| 10:45-11:00 AM | Memoirs of White-bellied Heron in Bhutan | Mr. Yeshey Dorji, Professional Photographer and Blogger in Bhutan |
| 11:30-11:45 AM | Updates from First International White-bellied Heron Conference held in (2015) |
Mr. Jigme Tshering, Chief, Species Conservation Division, RSPN |
| 11:45-12:00 PM | Overview of BMUKN-IKI Project and its results | Ms. Sonam Peldon, Project Coordinator, RSPN |
| 12:00-12:15 PM | White-bellied Heron Conservation in Bhutan | Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Research Officer, RSPN |
| 12:15-12:30 PM | Ex-situ Conservation of White-bellied Heron | Ms. Samten Leki, Center In-charge, White-bellied Heron Conservation Center, RSPN |
| 12:30-12:45 PM | Livelihood Programs within White-bellied Heron landscape in Bhutan | Mr. Tsheten Dorji, Chief, Sustainable Livelihood Division, RSPN |
| 12:45-01:00 PM | Question & Answer Session |
| 02:00-02:30 PM | White-bellied Heron status, conservation efforts and Challenges in India |
Mr. Yumlam Benjamin Bida, Representative from India 30 Minutes (20 minutes session /10 minutes Q &A) |
| 02:30-03:00 PM | White-bellied Heron status, conservation efforts and challenges in Myanmar |
Mr Thiri Da Wei Aung, Representatives from Myanmar, 30 Minutes (20 minutes session/10 minutes Q & A) |
| 03:30-04:00 PM | White-bellied Heron status, conservation efforts and challenges in China |
Professor Wu Heqi, Representatives from China |
| 04:00-04:15 PM | Vote of Thanks & Summary of Day 1 | Mr. Wangchuk Namgay, Director, RSPN |
| 09:30-09:40 AM | Program Introduction |
| 09:40-09:50 AM | White-bellied Heron conservation & way forward plan of Bhutan | Mr. Jigme Tshering, Chief, Species Conservation Division, RSPN |
| 10:20-01:00 PM | 1. Ideation on joint partnership on White-bellied Heron Conservation 2. Discussion on Long-term White-bellied Heron Conservation plan 2026-2036 |
Group Work / Moderator |
| 02:00-03:30 PM | Group Work Continued | Group Work / Moderator |
| 04:00-05:00 PM | Consolidation & Presentation | Species Conservation Division, RSPN |
| 05:00-05:15 PM | Summary of Day 2 & Closing Remarks | Mr. Wangchuk Namgay, Director, RSPN |
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