𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

The consultation meeting organized by RSPN Bhutan aimed to discuss the development of community seed banks along the Mangdechhu and Punatshangchhu basins, one of the key habitats of the Critically endangered #Whitebelliedheron.

The meeting brought together representatives from various government bodies; Department of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan, Department of Livestock, Royal Government of Bhutan, National Seed Centre, National Biodiversity Centre Bhutan, ARDC, and Dzongkhag Agriculture Officers from six project districts (Dagana, Punakha, Trongsa, Zhemgang, Tsirang and Wangduephodrang).

The meeting’s objective was to share ideas and foster collaboration to ensure the sustainability of community seed banks initiatives ultimately supporting the conservation and use of native/ traditional species and high yielding varieties.

This initiative is part of the IKI Project, “Developing Ecosystem-based Solutions for Managing Biodiversity Landscapes in Bhutan,” funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), with co-funding from the MAVA Foundation, Switzerland, and the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN).