Her Majesty the Gyalyum Tshering Pem Wangchuck, the Co-Chair of the Bhutan Foundation handed over a cheque worth USD 520,000 to the Chairman of Bhutan For Life and agriculture secretary Rinzin Dorji in a simple ceremony on December 11.

To ensure that Bhutan remains economically and environmentally sustainable, the government and the World Wildlife Fund committed to create an innovative funding approach called ‘Bhutan for Life’.

Funding generated through this initiative will be used to maintain and manage the country’s protected area system for all time.

The initiative will provide the government with a USD 40 million transition fund until 2030 to build up and effectively manage a robust network of protected areas and wildlife corridors, covering 51 percent of the country.

This network will protect and restore wildlife—including endangered elephants, tigers, elusive snow leopards, and critically endangered white-bellied herons; contribute to rural economic development and the wellbeing of Bhutan’s people; and support robust climate mitigation and adaptation measures.

“The impacts will extend far beyond the country’s borders to the millions of people who rely on the region’s rivers and will elevate Bhutan across the world as an example of permanent forest protection and climate resilience,” a press release from Bhutan Foundation stated.

The Bhutan Foundation works in five core areas – conservation of the environment, preservation of culture, equitable development, good governance, and creating greater awareness and understanding of Bhutan around the world.

Staff Reporter

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