BTF received USD 100,000 as its first tranche of the project fund

YK Poudel

Bhutan has joined the “Mountains to Mangroves” initiative, an ambitious project launched in July this year, to raise USD 1 billion, plant 1 billion trees, and restore 1 billion acres of land by 2030.

Funded by the Conservation International, the project is taken up by four eastern Himalayan countries—Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTF) and Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) are spearheading the project’s implementation in Bhutan, collaborating with Green Bhutan Corporation Limited, the Department of Forest and Park Services, the Dratshang Land Office, and schools through the Youth Development Fund.

The chief programme officer at BTF, Kinley Tshering, said the project’s dual focus is on environmental restoration and community engagement. “We are planting trees in degraded government reserve land while also building the capacity of students and communities. A comprehensive restoration plan will soon be developed,” he said.

The initiative complements the government’s ongoing Million Fruit Trees programme.

The senior programme officer of BES, Namgyel Wangdi, said that ‘Mountains to Mangroves’ is one of the largest reforestation and conservation projects in the history of South Asia, designed as an urgent response to climate change and biodiversity loss.

BES will contribute by planting 10 million trees and protecting 10,000 hectares of land under threat of deforestation by 2030.

“It is important for Bhutan to be a part of the ‘Mountains to Mangroves’ initiative for several reasons, given the country’s unique geographical, environmental, and social context,” he said. “This initiative focuses on the conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems from the mountainous regions to coastal mangrove forests.”

By restoring ecosystems from mountain forests to coastal mangroves, Bhutan can strengthen its climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. “It will help sequester carbon, improve water regulation, and reduce the impact of climate change, such as floods, droughts, and extreme weather events,” Namgyel Wangdi said.

Additionally, he added that the initiative fosters collaboration across South Asia, enabling Bhutan to exchange knowledge and technical expertise with neighbouring countries. “Such collaboration enhances Bhutan’s ability to address shared environmental challenges, such as biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and natural disasters.”

Since the inception of the project, BES has already planted 196,171 trees across 11 dzongkhags, including 72,460 fruit trees and 123,711 high-value timber species.

BES requires USD 15 Million to achieve its targets until 2030.

The BTF has received USD 100,000 as its first tranche of the project fund.