Stakeholder consultation workshop for the eastern region on the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

6th March 2014: The last leg of the stakeholder consultation workshop for the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is underway at Mongar for the eastern region. The consultation workshop brings together relevant biodiversity stakeholders in the region to gather and incorporate ground issues and challenges into the national document so that the NBSAP becomes practical, realistic and implementable by all concerned agencies.
More than 40 participants representing livestock, agriculture, forestry and environment sectors from Bumthang and the eastern Dzongkhags of Mongar, Trashigang, Lhuntse, Pema Gatsel, Trashi Yangtse and Samdrup Jongkhar, officials from the Divisional Forest Office of Trashigang, Mongar, Samdrup Jongkhar, Bumthang and Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries (Wangchuck Centennial Park, Thrumsingla National Park, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary) are participating in the workshop.
The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action plan (NBSAP), commonly known as Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in Bhutan is a strategic document which provides a framework of action to enhance and ensure the productivity, diversity and integrity of biodiversity and natural systems. It is also one of the instruments to implement the objectives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which Bhutan became a party in 1995.
The first Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP I) was formulated in 1998 and since then, in order to address the changing needs and priorities, as well as to monitor the progress made, the BAP was revised twice, in 2002 (BAP II) and 2009 (BAP III).
The current revision of NBSAP/BAP is undertaken to address the gaps in conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of biodiversity, bearing in mind the emerging needs and challenges that the country faces. It is also in line with the global effort to achieve the Global Biodiversity Targets 2020, which were adopted in 2010 by the 10th Conference of the Parties, after the world at large failed to meet the Targets of 2010.
In addition to the consultation on the NBSAP, the forum is also being used to create awareness on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing and the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal (www.biodiversity.bt) The three- day workshop which began on 6th March 2014 is organized by the National Biodiversity Centre and facilitated by members of the core working group for the revision of the NBSAP.