Biodiversity Action Plan for Bhutan 2002.

This Biodiversity Action Plan for Bhutan 2002 is a strategic document that 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).
In the field of wild biodiversity, long-term objectives have been set up, including: 1. To protect a large, contiguous natural area containing the range of ecosystems in each Protected Area in a way that will allow natural processes of succession and evolution to continue with only minimal human influence. Minimal management interventions will target the protection of valuable biodiversity and important river catchments, but only if and when necessary; 2. To maintain the current diversity of habitats in the Protected Areas so that the full range of biodiversity can be maintained. In the event of local extinctions reintroductions may be undertaken but no exotic species will be introduced; 3. To encourage sustainable development of local communities in order to alleviate pressure on the Protected Areas as well as to ensure the survival of the local community’s way of life; 4. To promote conservation of genetic resources of wild crop relatives and wild plants for food production in Protected Areas and on other lands not explicitly listed as Protected Areas; 5. To protect the conservation values of conservation areas ; To strengthen the ex situ conservation efforts towards representing the different ecological zones and their representative floristic diversity; etc. Actions proposed include: 1.Improve all aspects of management of Protected Areas, Buffer Zones and Biological Corridors; 2. Develop and implement a common strategy for Integrated Conservation Development Programmes (ICDPs); 3. Develop further environmental education; and 4. Develop standardized biodiversity survey methodologies for all protected areas (PAs); maintain an information database on species found in Protected Areas, update GIS database and develop working maps for all Protected Areas, conduct studies on priority species and initiate surveys on herpeto-fauna and other lesser known species; etc.
Long-term objectives for domestic biodiversity include: To identify, locate, inventory and, as feasible, assess any threats to those species, ecotypes, cultivars and populations of plants relevant to food and agriculture, especially those that are of anticipated use; To better understand and improve the effectiveness of existing on-farm conservation, management, improvement, and use of plant genetic resources in arable agriculture systems; To achieve a better balance between ex situ and in situ conservation; To realize Farmers’ Rights at the international, regional, and national levels; etc. Actions proposed for the utilization of plant genetic resources include: Expanding the Characterization, Evaluation and Number of Core Collections to Facilitate Use; Increasing Genetic Enhancement and Base-Broadening Efforts; Promoting Sustainable Agriculture through Diversification of Crop Production and Broader Diversity in Crops; Promoting Development and Commercialization of Under-utilized Crops and Species; Supporting Seed Production and Distribution; Developing New Markets for Local Varieties and “Diversity-Rich” Products; Promoting Development and Commercialization of Under-utilized Crops and Species; etc. The action for crop genetic resources research and information is to Constructing a Comprehensive Information System. Actions under livestock resources have also been proposed. For instance, the actions under Research Programmes on Yaks include: Use rangeland management for increasing the productivity of alpine pasture; Study yak crosses (Dzos and Dzoms); Find suitable alternatives to discourage migration; Study dairy production and processing techniques; and Conduct studies on yak diseases.