Category: Biodiversity News

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28th February 2014: After little over two months of the launch of the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal on 17th December 2013, by Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji, Minister for Agriculture and Forests, the observations in the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal (www.biodiversity.bt ) has raced to 1000!

The observations were contributed by biodiversity enthusiasts from all walks of life and showcase the country’s rich biodiversity as well as the enthusiasm and interest amongst Bhutanese and others in studying, cherishing and conserving it. Currently, there are more than 140 registered users from Bhutan as well as from outside the country, who share their passion, expertise and love for biodiversity on this portal.

The Bhutan Biodiversity Portal- an online repository of information on Bhutan’s Biodiversity, is built through the collective effort of data generators and users. It is currently managed by a consortium of biodiversity agencies within the country and administered by the National Biodiversity Centre, Serbithang

For further details please visit www.biodiversity.bt

The Stakeholder consultation workshop for the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the south-central region is underway at Gelephu. The two day workshop which began on 28^th January, 2014 is second in the series of stakeholder consultation workshops planned for the revision of NBSAP. The workshop is organized by the National Biodiversity Centre and facilitated by members of the core working group for the revision of the NBSAP.

About 30 participants representing livestock, agriculture and forestry sectors from the South-Central Dzongkhags of Sarpang, Samtse, Tsirang, Dagana, Zhemgang, Trongsa including officials from the Divisional Forest Office of Tsirang, Sarpang, Samtse, Royal Manas National Park, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and Phibsoo 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 10^th Conference of the Parties, after the world at large failed to meet the Targets of 2010.

In order to ensure ownership of the guiding document by all relevant biodiversity stakeholders in the country, and more importantly to gather and incorporate ground issues and challenges into the national document, a series of stakeholder consultation on the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) will be undertaken throughout the country so that the NBSAP becomes practical, realistic and implementable by all concerned agencies.

The National Biodiversity Centre in collaboration with the Dzongkhag Agriculture Sector Dagana and RNR-RDC Bajo organized a one-day Biodiversity Fair at Dagapela Middle Secondary School on 30^th December 2013.  The Fair was participated by 119 farmer representatives from various gewogs of Dagana Dzongkhag. The Sector heads, extension agents and gups from nearby gewogs also participated in the Fair. The Chief Guest, Dagana Dzongdhag inaugurated the Fair and briefed the farmers and participants on the importance of agro-biodiversity and food security. The Fair was organized to stimulate farmers to maintain crop diversity in their fields and provide them with opportunity to exchange seeds and knowledge and obtain more information about crops and the diversity in the Dzongkhag.

During the Fair, farmers displayed their seeds and exchanged among farmer groups from different gewogs. The organizers recorded and evaluated the diversity to find out the farmers maintaining the highest diversity. In recognition

of maintaining the highest diversity and to encourage farmers to maintain diversity, agricultural tools and implements were awarded as prizes. Mr. Krishna Bahadur Katwal from Kana Gewog received the first prize for crop diversity with 50 varieties grown on his farm, while Mr. Krishna Prasad Gurung from Gesarling gewog received the second prize for maintaining forty four varieties of different crops. Ms. Som Maya Bhawal of Tsendagang Gewog took the third prize with 42 varieties. All the participating farmers were also awarded agricultural tools and implements as incentives for their efforts as custodians of agro-biodiversity.

The Fair was supported through the on-farm conservation projects funded by International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), and South East Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE).

Such events are regularly organized by the National Biodiversity Centre and its partners as part of the on-farm conservation program. It provides a platform for exchanging seeds and knowledge amongst different farming communities and creates awareness on the importance of maintaining crop diversity and conservation efforts in the country.