Author: NBC

Availability and easy access to comprehensive biodiversity data and information are fundamental for decision-making, policy advice and monitoring conservation of biodiversity and the effectiveness of conservation measures. In an effort to take this idea of making biodiversity information easily accessible forward, through a web-based portal, the National Biodiversity Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Serbithang organized consultation workshop with key biodiversity data generators and managers of the country.

The workshop held on 19^th and 21^stof March in Thimphu was inaugurated by Hon’ble Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests and attended by more than forty participants from the following agencies, both within and outside the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests:Wildlife Conservation Division, Forests Resource Management Division, Watershed Management Division, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment, RDC-Yusipang from the Department of Forests and Park Service.

• RDC- Bajo, National Plant Protection Center, National Soil Service Center and National Mushroom Centre from the Department of Agriculture.
• National Dairy Development Centre, Department of Livestock
• Council of RNR-Research of Bhutan
• Policy Planning Division
• Information Communication Services
• National Environment Commission
• College of Natural Resource, Lobeysa and Royal Thimphu College, RUB.
• Natural Resource Development Corporation Ltd.
• Royal Society for Protection of Nature
• SAARC Forestry Centre
• Menjong Sorij Pharmaceutical, Ministry of Health
• Department of Information, Technology and Telecom, MoIC
• Private IT Firm

A team of experts from the partner organizations of the consortium involved in the development and management of India Biodiversity Portal, an initiative similar to the one Bhutan envisages developing, also participated in the workshop to share their experience in developing the India Biodiversity Portal and to provide technical inputs for the workshop.

The agenda for the two day workshop encompassed sharing concept on Bhutan Biodiversity portal, current initiatives of different agencies in managing biodiversity data and information, discussions on issues of open access and licensing, data ownership and citation, data standards, common sharing platform and technology options, participation through citizen science module, and formation of consortium of key biodiversity data generators to develop and manage the National Biodiversity portal.

The workshop concluded with general agreement from the entire stakeholders on the need to developing a common web-based national biodiversity portal, managed through a consortium, rather than by a single agency. Based on the availability of expertise and data, the following agencies were proposed to be the core consortium partners:

• UWICE, WCD, RNR-RDC from DoFPS
• CNR from RUB
• NBC as member secretariat to the consortium.
• ICS (ICT technical partner)

It was agreed that other agencies with biodiversity data and technical expertise would be consulted and engaged as additional partners of the consortium once the basic portal is built and deployed. The workshop also endorsed India Biodiversity Portal as the technical partner of the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal. The workshop outputs will be presented to the higher authorities for final endorsement and subsequent implementation.

A three day workshop on the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Bhutan was held from 8th to 10th January 2013 in Phuentsholing with working group members from the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), Department of Livestock (DoL), Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Services (BAFRA), Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), United Nations Development Program’s Small Grant Program (UNDP/SGP), National Environment Commission (NEC) and the National Biodiversity Centre.

The workshop was organized in order to build capacity in setting national targets and indicators as well as to identify the key themes for incorporation in the revised NSBAP and the relevant inputs required from different stakeholders. The three day workshop saw intense deliberations on the 20 global biodiversity targets and their relevance in the national context, key issues surrounding biodiversity of Bhutan, strengths and weaknesses of the existing implementation and coordination mechanism, availability of data for setting targets and choosing indicators etc. The workshop ended with the distribution of the 20 biodiversity targets to different working group members for further review and analysis in order to identify targets and indicators which are of the greatest national relevance and significance. Each member will present their findings in the upcoming meeting scheduled in the first week of March, 2013. Once the working group formulates the draft BAP/NBSAP, along with tentative targets and indicators, the document will be thoroughly discussed with all the stakeholders.

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), commonly referred to as the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in Bhutan is a strategic document outlining the programs and action plans for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the country. Till date, Bhutan has formulated and revised three Biodiversity Action Plans with the first Biodiversity Action Plan in 1998 followed by two revisions in 2002 and 2009. However with the adoption of the revised Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010 at Nagoya, Japan, Bhutan needs to realign its National action Plan in line with the global strategic framework and the 20 time-bound biodiversity targets (referred to as Aichi biodiversity targets).

In order to build national competence and confidence in formulating national strategies and action plans, this revision of the BAP will be written by the working group with coordination and guidance by the National Biodiversity Centre. It will also be a holistic plan with strong participation, consultation and ownership by all relevant biodiversity stakeholders in the country.

This workshop is second in a series of meetings and workshops scheduled for the working group till December 2013, which is the expected timeline to complete the task of revising the NBSAP. The first meeting was held on 6th December 2012 in Thimphu, where the terms of reference for the working group and the work plan were discussed and endorsed.

The revision of the NBSAP is funded through the GEF trust fund through the project “GEF Expedited Enabling Activity Support to Bhutan for the Revision of the NBSAPs and Development of Fifth National Report to the CBD” and is implemented jointly by the National Environment Commission Secretariat and National Biodiversity Centre.

Crop Genetic Diversity is the part of nation’s heritage which has been conserved and sustainably used for generations and passed down from one generation to the next. It is also the fundamental raw material for crop improvement through farmers’ selection, classical plant breeding or modern biotechnology. Further, it is the potential source of genetic raw materials for adapting to unpredictable environment changes and future human needs. It is thus the collective responsibility of the current generation too to follow same suit of conservation, sustainable utilization and handing over this rich crop diversity maintained over generations by our fore fathers to the coming generations. Recognizing the importance of conservation and sustainable utilization of the crop genetic diversity, National Biodiversity Centre collaborates with RNR-RDCs and Dzongkhags to organize Biodiversity Fair. It provides opportunity to encourage farmers to maintain crop diversity in their fields, as well as recognize their efforts in maintaining diversity in the field. Biodiversity Fair also provides platform for exchanging seeds and knowledge amongst different farming communities in the country and in creating awareness on the importance of maintaining crop diversity in the field and other biodiversity conservation efforts in the country.

On 10th of December 2012, Biodiversity Fair was held in Mongar Public ground with funding support from International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) project, Biodiversity Use and Conservation in Asia Program (BUCAP) Project and Bioversity International. It was a collaborative effort between National Biodiversity Centre, RNR-RDC, Wengkhar, and the Agriculture Sector of Mongar Dzongkhag. The fair was inaugurated by Mongar Dzongda  and attended by farmer representatives from the 15 gewogs of Mongar Dzongkhag, Maize Farmers’ group representatives of Khaling and Drametse geowogs, Buckwheat and barley farmers’ group representatives of Bumthang and representatives from Shongphu soya bean cheese group from Tashigang Dzongkhag. Representatives from the international partners (SEARICE and Bioversity International), sectors heads and Gups of Mongar Dzongkhag, and officials of RNR-RDC, Wengkhar and NBC also participated in the fair. It was also attended by on-farm conservation project partners from different RDC’s and Dzongkhags.

Farmers participating in the fair were recognized for their efforts in maintaining the crop diversity in the field by awarding the prizes in two categories: One for the diversity and another one for the unique crop cultivated. A farmer Ms Tshewang Lhamo, from Sershong under Sherimung gewog bagged the first prize for maintaining and showcasing eighty crop varieties, while second prize went to farmer Mr. Sangay Tashi from Narang gewog for sixty two varieties of crops cultivated and maintained. A farmer Ms Pema Zangmo from Dramitse Gewog took the third prize with 59 varieties. In the second category of uniqueness of the crop maintained and showcased, famer Ms Karma Choying Dema, from Soenakhar village under Sherimung gewog took away the award with her unique “tiny” chilly (Solo Daza). Although only four farmers won the prizes, none of the farmers participating in the event went empty handed as each one of them were given a spade in recognition of their effort to maintaining crop diversity in the field. More importantly, the farmers awarded themselves more than the formal prizes as they busied themselves acquainting amongst each other and exchanging seeds and sharing experiences, from growing more crops to diversifying and value adding to their farm produces, which in turn left the organizers grinning with happiness and satisfaction of objective well-achieved!