Project Detail

Environmental Management and Conservation in Gasa Dzongkhag implemented by the Gasa Lobdra Phendey Tshogpa (GLPT) to build capacity of the Damji, Laya and Lunana Communty Primary Schools, which are in the remotest areas of Bhutan.

The project supported three (3) Community Primary Schools in Gasa. Since the establishment of these schools, they were taking active participation in conservation and management related to the environment. The Schools are also affiliated to the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) a renouned environmental conservation NGO of Bhutan. The schools are located within the Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP).

This Damji Community School has the capacity to conduct lots of activities in terms of creating awareness and sensitizing the local area about a healthy environment. The school has hosted the 'Red Panda Festival' annually about labeling of water on the trail, management of waste on the trail, environment campaigns and many other environmental conservation related activities. The school is also established in 1997 by the Jigme Dorji National Park. The School has WFP support and provide meals to the students, using traditional open oven which consume a lot of firewood.

Laya Community School is located at an altitude of 3,800 m where there is scarcity of firewood. Owing to the high altitude, the firewood needs to be transported from downhill, which is a tedious job and transportation is often a problem. The parents contribute firewood to the school on a monthly basis leading to deforestation.

The Lunana Community Primary School also established by JDNP in 1997 also faces similar situation as the Laya Community Primary School. All these schools have the WFP facilities.

The main objective of the project was to take up measures on how to live sustainably in a green world, so that the affected communities are benefitted as well as the biodiversity of the local forest is protected which would help in a little way on the conservation of the global environment.

The project completed the activities as the following:

1. Installed 3 numbers of improved stoves each in the schools' kitchens;
2. The Red Panda Festival - The Damji Community Primary School conducted the fourth Red Panda Festival in collaboration iwth the sister schools i.e. the Gasa Lower Secondary School and the Goenshari Community Primary School of Punakha. Although the outcome of the festival is immeasurable, there was a lot of sensitization and educating the illiterates on the overall environmental conservation benefits highlighting the importance of eco-system through exhibitions, inquiries, dramatization, deliveries, environmental campaigns to create awareness on the whole theme of biodiversity conservation and protection of biodiversity - its flora and fauna.

3. In order to create awareness on the waste management, reduction of open-air defecation, and to control the pollution along the trails, cleaning campaign was conducted.

4. The students were exposed through study tours and were taken to Nature Club Schools.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Gasa Lobdra Phendey Tshogpa

Country:

Bhutan

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 10,154.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 4,904.20

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 2,009.23

Project Number:

BHU/04/08

Start Date:

2/2005

End Date:

1/2006

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

Generally both genders (boys and girls as students) and local peopl (men and women) will be involved in the project.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Local people will be participating in the project.

Policy Impact

The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB) has decentralized power to the local level. The people have to decide and act for their own benefits and this is the "essance" of GEF/SGP - building capacity of the rural, marginalized common people where their participation in the project is a crucial one, not only in terms of getting the benefits out of the project but, also, to have their active involvement and ownership by an appropriate spectrum of people, including in particular, women.

Notable Community Participation

The community people have expressed the scarcity of firewood in the vicinity and the need of reducing firewood comsumption time and again. The involvement of the local people is vital for the success of this project. The people will have to understand their relationship with their environment so as to maintain the harmony. Hence one of the activities focuses on creating awareness amongst the local community especially in the community where Red Panda is supposed to be inhabiting.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The main idea is to take up measures on how to live sustainably in a green world, so that the affected communities are benefited as well as the biodiversity of the local forest is protected and help in a little way on the global environment.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The project has WFP co-financing element and the Communities have agreed to fund in-kind in terms of free labour.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

There are quite a few activities in the project in order to promote the public awareness of the Global Environment for example the i ) The Red Panda Festival where both the tourists and the local people from Bhutan would be participating; ii) Cleaning Campaigns would be carried out; and iii) In-country Study Tours.

Capacity - Building Component

This project would be a capacity building component. The Gasa Lobdra Phendey Tshogpa (GLPT) would be strengthened through this project by involving themselves in the project's implementation and would be aware of the environmental aspects, how it benefits the community if they are aware of living environmentally sustainable way.

Project Results

The Nature Club Study Tour: By Damji Commuinity Primary School:
Trial clean up campaigns, signage development, disposal pits maintenance etc. have been initiated in the School and the students have developed positive attitude towards the sanitation and the effects that has been produced in the school's environment. The students also gained knowledge on the flora and fauna existing around them.

The Red Panda Festival:
The local community, visitors from outside and the students themselves were informed about the overall environmental conservation of the place and how to protect them. Sensitivity on the sanitation issues were also inculcated amongst the public.

Installation of the Improved Stoves:
The forest play a vital role in maintaining the global biodiversity as most diverse set of habitats for plants, animals, micro-organisms, holding the vast majority of the world's terrestrial species. The forest of Damji happens to be a Red Panda habitat, and similarly the forests of Laya and Lunana happens to be a habitat for Blue Sheep, Snow Leopard and Takin.

With the installation of improved stoves which is fuel efficient, a number of trees have been saved by reducing the use of fuelwood and thereby, saving the local forest which habitats the above mentioned species and other biodiversity that homes it.

Secondly, with the installation of improved stoves, has led to the reduction of green house gas emission mitigating climate change effects globally.

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