Project

Enhancing Sustainability and Resilience of Forest Landscape and Community Livelihoods

Lead country

Bhutan

Participating countries

Bhutan

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From October 30, 2017 to October 30, 2023

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction
  2. 15.b Mobilize resources, incentives for sustainable forest management
  3. 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Project ID: 5713

*The boundaries shown and the designations used on the above map and included in lists, tables and documents on this website do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations or UNDP | References to Kosovo* shall be understood to be in the context of UN Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

Technical team

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Strengthening conservation areas
  • Ecosystem management and restoration

Sub-area(s)

  • Agrobiodiversity
  • Ecosystem-based mitigation
  • Ecosystem-based adaptation

Landscape(s)

  • Conserved areas
  • Forests

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Terrestrial protected areas
  • Protected areas network
  • General

Transformed sector(s)

  • Agriculture
  • Forestry and other land use
  • Livestock

UNDP role(s)

  • Capacity development / Technical assistance
  • Direct support / Service Delivery
  • Thought leadership

Strategy

  • Capacity building
  • Enabling

Sub-strategy

  • Institutional capacity building
  • Technical capacity building
  • Portfolio learning
  • Improved & diversified sustainable livelihoods (TP 5)
  • Ecosystem mitigation and adaptation
  • Knowledge/Data management
  • Sustainable land management
  • Adaptive governance

Social inclusion

  • Local community/CSOs

Gender equality

  • Women's access to and control over resources
  • Women decision making
  • Women farmers

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender transformational

Pathway(s)

  • People pathway
  • Systems pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Improve resilience
  • Hazard control/mitigation

SDG target(s)

  • 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction
  • 15.b Mobilize resources, incentives for sustainable forest management
  • 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Conventions and protocols

N/A

Private sector(s)

N/A

Hot topic

  • Poverty reduction
  • Nature-based solution
  • Food and agricultural commodities strategy

About this project

Description

The development challenge that this project seeks to address concerns the adverse impacts of climate change on rural livelihood security (SDG 13) and poverty (SDG 1), and the effects of sector-led development practices on the ecological integrity of biodiversity-rich forested landscapes (SDG 15). Bhutan's renewable natural resource (RNR) sector, which is made up of agriculture, livestock production and forestry forms a significant part of the national economy, as the largest employer with 58 percent of the working population, and with agriculture contributing 16.7 percent to the national economy in 2015. However, the RNR sector is very vulnerable to climate change impacts, which have been increasing as a result of heavy rainfall, drought, frost, hailstorms, windstorms and related land degradation. In addition to climate-related losses, damage to crops and livestock from wildlife causes major production losses. Bhutan's biodiversity resources are of regional and global significance and the preservation of intact, forested landscapes through the protected areas network and associated biological corridors is needed to sustain these values. However, climate change impacts and other anthropogenic threats such as land conversion, forest fires, infrastructure development and unsustainable agriculture are placing increasing pressure on biodiversity and the integrity of ecosystems in the country. The long-term solution envisaged by the project is to ensure the effective climate resilient management of forest areas including biological corridors and adjoining protected areas, securing ecosystem services that underpin livelihoods, local and national development and climate change adaptation (CCA). However, there are several barriers that need to be overcome: 1) Insufficient institutional capacity for integrated landscape management (ILM) and CCA; 2) Insufficient capacity to operationalize the biological corridor system; 3) Limited capacity, awareness and support for building livelihood resilience; and 4) Inadequate knowledge on natural resource status, ecosystem services and resilient livelihood options. These barriers will be removed through four project components that will lead to achievement of the Project Objective, which is to operationalize an integrated landscape approach through strengthening of biological corridors, sustainable forest and agricultural systems, and build climate resilience of community livelihoods.

Objectives

To operationalize an integrated landscape approach through strengthening of biological corridors, sustainable forest and agricultural systems, and build climate resilience of community livelihoods.

USD $14,417,124

Grant amount

USD $42,630,300

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Global Environment Facility Trust Fund & Least Developed Countries Fund ($14,417,124)

Implementing partner(s)

  • Government of Bhutan

Project metrics

Related resources

Geospatial information

Discover relevant spatial data related to this project/country/region, powered by UN BiodiversityLab

Project reports and documentation

 

FEATURED STORY

Enhancing Sustainability and Resilience of Forest Landscape and Community Livelihoods