Exchange program under REDD+ for community forest members

Exchange program under REDD+ for community forest members

January 18-19: An exchange visit to community forest under Sarpang district was organized with an objective to understand management practices of different Community Forests (C.F). The visit provided an opportunity for the participants to learn about the best management practices of C.F and its potential benefits. The Community Forests under Sarpang district were chosen as the visit sites in consideration of the fact that the community forest groups here have been able to generate better income and improve their livelihoods through the adoption of good management practices.

During the two-day tour, members visited popular community forest management sites such as Singay gewog Yargay-thang C.F, Jemicholing C.F, and Tashiling C.F. These community forests mainly focuses on income generation through the management of Non-Wood Forest Product (NWFP). The exchange program was an eye-opener for the participants with several take-home lessons on better forest management and its potential benefits. A total of 18 members from project area participated in the exchange programs.

The exchange visit was part of REDD+ readiness program in Bhutan, which is implemented with the objective to improve knowledge base, to enhance institutional capacity, to improve forest governance and to ensure continued stakeholder engagement, and to support the effort of Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) towards mitigating climate change impacts through sustainable management of forest resources and improvement of livelihood of the communities.

The readiness program will also contribute to enhancing the existing sustainable management of forest resource in the country. At present, communities across the country are involved in sustainable forest management through the program called Community Forest (C.F) management. Similarly, for project area in Buli there exists two community forests.

RSPN extends our appreciation to the Sarpang Divisional Forest office for all the support rendered during the exchange program.