REDD+ readiness capacity building project awareness and introductory program successfully completed

REDD+ readiness capacity building project awareness and introductory program successfully completed

As a part of community capacity building project for Buli community on REDD+ readiness program, the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) with assistance from Zhemgang Forest Divisional office successfully conducted introductory meeting with stakeholder and sensitization on REDD+ with community and stakeholders of Nangkhor Gewog under Zhemgang District.

Project introductory meeting was attended by officials from local government, District Forest Divisional office and gewog extension office. Total of 12 participants attended the day long program which included discussion on project and more importantly the concept on REDD+ readiness programs in Bhutan. The overall Objective of the introductory program was to:

1. To inform stakeholders on Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ sub grant on community capacity building project which will be implemented by RSPN.
2. To build awareness on REDD+ and climate change and their components under UNFCCC.
3. REDD+ Readiness program in Bhutan

Participants were introduced on climate change topics which included what climate change is, how climate change is caused its impact, climate change in Bhutan and its effect to people’s livelihood and climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and hydropower. And importantly the role of forest in climate change mitigation and REDD+ readiness program in Bhutan were also presented during the meeting. The presentations were facilitated by RSPN and Dzongkhag Forest Divisional Office.

For another two days Buli community and stakeholders participated in sensitization program on REDD+. More than 60 participated which mostly comprising of women participants. Besides climate change and REDD+ topics, Focus Group Discussion were also carried out to discuss traditional knowledge and its importance in nature conservation, activity to identify climate change impacts in community, mapping on environment degradation/depletion in Buli, identify cause of forest degradation and deforestation, challenges and opportunity involved in Natural Resource Management, and essentially project also discussed on how current project will empower Buli community those registered as member to Community Forest (CF) in effective decision making and capacity building on sustainable natural resource management.

At the end of the two days program evaluation and feedback forms were also collected to assess participants understanding on sensitization program. The project in collaboration with WMD and District Forest Divisional Office will conduct more such program in future.

Reported by: Narayan Ghalley & Sonam Rinzin