Author: NBC

National Biodiversity Centre conducted the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal Awareness campaign at various schools in the eastern region of the country. The campaign is supported by GEF-LDCF (NAPA III) Project coordinated by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) through the support of UNDP – Bhutan.

The Centre commenced its first Bhutan Biodiversity Portal awareness campaign in Autsho Central School, located at Lhuentse Dzongkhag on 28th April 2023 followed by an awareness campaign at Tashitse Higher Secondary School, Trashigang on 1st May 2023 and at Baylling Central School and Trashiyangtse Primary School in Trashiyangtse District on 4th and 5th May 2023 respectively.

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal awareness campaign at Autsho Central School, Lhuentse

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal is a unique repository of information on Bhutan’s biodiversity enhancing citizen science or participation in Biodiversity Conservation and information generation. The Portal provides open and free access to biodiversity information. Over the years, the Portal has undergone a series of upgrades in addition to some of the user-friendly features. However, there is a lack of awareness of the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal, let alone its upgrades and the new features additions.

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal awareness campaign at Tashitse Higher Secondary School, Trashigang

The awareness campaigns were attended by students of various grades ranging from primary-grade students to higher-grade students including Nature Club members and Scouts. Students were advocated on the paramount importance the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal plays in biodiversity conservation. The students were also quizzed on the Bhutan Biodiversity to instill valuable knowledge in their young minds.

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal awareness campaign at Baylling Central School, Trashiyangtse

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal awareness campaign at Trashiyangtse Primary School, Trashiyangtse

27th – 28th April 2023, Currently Ongoing:

The sensitization workshop on Biodiversity Rules and Regulations 2023 of the Biodiversity Act of Bhutan 2022 is being carried in Paro for relevant stakeholders for the enforcement agencies and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Checkpost.

The sensitization workshop is held jointly by the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) and the Legal Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) to the enforcement agencies mainly to explain roles and responsibilities in terms of implementation of the Act and its Rules and Regulations. The Act designated the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), the Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), the Bhutan Food and Drug Regulatory Authority (BFDA) and the National Biodiversity Centre as the enforcement agencies. Further, the Department of Media, Creative Industry & Intellectual Property and the Department of Revenue and Customs along with the enforcement agencies are identified as an ABS checkpoint to help the enforcement agencies in the implementation of the Act and its Rules and Regulations.

Along with the Act, the participants were sensitized on the different mechanisms of conservation and utilization of biological resources under Access and Benefit Sharing Regime and explained the tools for plant variety protection and farmer’s rights under the Sui Generis system. The participants were also explained conservation of sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture through different approaches like evolutionary plant breeding approaches.

The sensitization workshop is attended by the representatives from Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan Food and Drug Authority, Department of Revenue Customs, Department of Immigration, Bhutan Post and Druk Air.

The Biodiversity Act of Bhutan 2022 was adopted by the 7th Session of the 3rd Parliament of Bhutan and subsequently received Royal Assent on 15th July 2022 and as mandated by the Act, the Competent National Authority approved the Rules and Regulations in 13th February, 2023 and subsequently the the rules and regulation came into force from 16th February, 2023.

Similar sensitization will be conducted at Phuntsholing, Samtse, Nganglam, Gelephu, Samdrupjongkhar in the coming days for the enforcement officers and ABS checkpoints.

The workshop is financially supported by the Evolutionary Plant Breeding Project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD) through Bioversity International which is implemented by the National Biodiversity Centre.

21st April 2023: The first-ever sensitization workshop on Biodiversity Rules and Regulations 2023 of the Biodiversity Act of Bhutan 2022 was held in Thimphu for relevant stakeholders with a special focus on the roles and responsibilities of enforcement agencies and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Checkpoints. The sensitization workshop is held jointly by the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) and the Legal Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) to the enforcement agencies and ABS checkpoints mainly to explain roles and responsibilities in terms of implementation of the Act and its Rules and Regulations. The Biodiversity Act of Bhutan and its Rules and Regulations designated the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), the Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), the Bhutan Food and Drug Regulatory Authority (BFDA) and the National Biodiversity Centre as the enforcement agencies. Further, the Department of Media, Creative Industry & Intellectual Property and the Department of Revenue and Customs along with the enforcement agencies are identified as a ABS checkpoint to help the enforcement agencies in the implementation of the Act and its Rules and Regulations.

The sensitization workshop was attended by the representatives from Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA), Department of Revenue Customs, Department of Immigration, the Department of Media, Creative and Industry and Intellectual Property and Bhutan Airlines.

The Biodiversity Act of Bhutan 2022 was adopted by the 7th Session of the 3rd Parliament of Bhutan and subsequently received Royal Assent on 15th July 2022 and as mandated by the Act, the Competent National Authority approved the Rules and Regulations in 13th February, 2023 and subsequently the Rules and Regulations came into force from 16th February, 2023.

Similar workshops will be conducted in Paro, Phuntsholing, Samtse, Nganglam,Gelephu, Samdrupjongkhar and Paro in the coming days for the enforcement officers and ABS checkpoints.

The workshop is financially supported by the Evolutionary Plant Breeding Project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD) through Bioversity International which is implemented by the National Biodiversity Centre.