Brief description of grants program, January 2005 through December 2009

26 grants were awarded during July 2005 through December 2009, of which 11 grants are ongoing. A brief description of individual grants is provided below.

1. Grant SC0079-09: Sound & light fencing for human-wildlife conflict management

In the summer of 2009, a grant of $6,112 was awarded to the Department of Forest’s Nature Conservation Division, to procure a simple ‘sound & light’ alarm, triggered whenever an animal pushes against a fence, to discourage crop loss to wildlife species. Several villages prone to crop loss by wild animals will have this sound and light fencing installed, on an experimental basis.

2. Grant MB0078-09: Capacity building of Bhutan Trust Fund secretariat

In the Fall of 2009, the secretariat’s administrative officer, Sonam Wangmo, commenced her Master’s degree in public administration at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She received a grant of $80,000 to specialize in human resources management. UTEP is widely acknowledged as the home of Bhutanese architecture in North America.

3. Grat MB0077-09: Final year BSc in wildlife management

In the summer of 2009, a grant of $28,094 was awarded to a female ranger from the Department of Forests to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife management in the Netherlands. She will graduate in June 2010.

4. Grant MB0076-09: Graduate study in place-based education

In the summer of 2009, a co-funding grant of $10,080 was awarded to two teachers in the government to complete their graduate study at the Teton Science School in Wyoming, USA. The grant covers tuition, travel and purchase of books.

5. Grant MB0075-09: Management planning for Wangchuck Centennial Park

In Spring 2009, a grant of $300,000 was awarded to plan and establish Wangchuck Centennial Park, the country’s second largest protected area. The park was inaugurated on 13 December 2008, as Bhutan’s tenth protected area, to commemorate the Centenary of the Monarchy. Park headquarters will be located at Nasiphel village under Choekhor geog in Bumthang. The park has an area of 3763 square kilometers, encompassing Lhuentse, Punakha, Trongsa, Wangduephodrang and Bumthang.

6. Grant MB0074-09: Co-funding for PhD on tourism in protected areas

Karma Tshering, a senior conservationist from the Department of Forests, was awarded $14,000 to investigate the significance of tourism for conservation and explore the type, intensity and structure of a sustainable tourism model based on participatory planning in remote areas within the parks. Karma recently completed his PhD on the above topic in Australia.

7. Grant MB0073-09: Initiation of Wangchuck Centennial Park

After the park’s inauguration in December 2008, Wangchuck Centennial Park was declared a tribute by the people of Bhutan to the Wangchuck Dynasty for the monarchs’ selfless, visionary leadership that has benefited the people, and secured the country’s sovereignty, stability and peace. A grant of $13,550 was used to create broad public awareness of the park’s function and importance.

8. Grant SC0072-09: Publicity of Bhutan Trust Fund

The Fund spent $4,358 during January to June 2009, to create public awareness of its programs and grant making in the local print and broadcast media.

9. Grant SC0071-08: Inauguration of Wangchuck Centennial Park

In December 2008, a grant of $8,143 financed logistics and publicity for the formal inauguration of Wangchuck Centennial Park. The park was inaugurated by the prime minister.

10. Grant MB0070-08: Citizens’ initiative for Coronation & Centenary celebrations

In Fall 2009, a grant of $20,404 was awarded to a local media group, Citizens’ Initiative for Coronation & Centenary Celebrations, under an umbrella initiative with the National Environment Commission and Royal Society for Protection of Nature, to finance a “Keep Bhutan Green” campaign during 13-19 November 2008. The event was launched in Thimphu by Her Royal Highness Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck during the week of the Coronation and Centenary celebrations in Bhutan.

11. Grant SC0069-08: Installation of fuel-efficient stoves and electrical cookers

Under a discretionary grant from the Fund’s secretariat during Fall 2008, a grant of $9,209 was awarded to the government’s Department of School Education, to co-finance (with World Food Program) the installation of fuel-efficient stoves and electric cookers for remote schools in Pema Gatshel and Thimphu. Fuel-efficient stoves were installed in Khangma Community Primary School, Dagor Community Primary School, and Wongchillo Community Primary School in Pema Gatshel district. Electric cookers were supplied to Chamgang Lower Secondary School, in Thimphu and Thongsa Community Primary School, Khangma Community Primary School in Pema Gatshel.

12. Grant SC0068-08: Human-wildlife conflict prevention strategy

Throughout 2008, a planning grant of $10,013 co-financed the Department of Forests’ formulation of a strategy to prevent human-wildlife conflicts. More than 80 local and international professionals met over several days to collaboratively develop a realistic strategy, which eventually resulted in a five-year strategic plan that was adopted by the government.

13. Grant MB0067-08: Pilot energy efficiency project

In the Fall of 2007, a grant of $6,123 supported pilot energy efficiency in the Royal Offices in Tashichho Dzong, and Lingkana Palace. By installing energy-efficient retro-fittings, luminaries and heating appliances, energy consumption was significantly reduced over a one-year period as monitored by the government’s renewable energy division. Under the project, all incandescent lamps were replaced with fluorescent lamps and older light-tubes were re-fitted with more efficient T-5 tubes. Outdated rod-heating appliances were removed and replaced with halogen and 12-fin electric radiators.

14. Grant SC0066-08: Reptilian diversity in Bumdelling Wildlife Sanctuary

The park manager of Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary spent $7,150 to research and inventory reptilian diversity in his park during 2008. 38 species of snakes and seven species of lizards were recorded and identified. At project conclusion, a field guide was published under the grant.

15. Grant SC0065-07: Solid waste management

A grant of $9,625 was awarded to the Royal Society for Protection of Nature in December 2007, to implement a “Clean Bhutan” solid waste management campaign. The campaign was launched on 17 December 2007, during the kickoff of the national Centenary celebrations. $4,254 was spent under this grant.

16. Grant MB0064-07: Training workshop on Environmental Toxicology

For the first time in Bhutan, an intensive week-long training workshop was conducted in Bhutan in June 2007 in collaboration with global experts and Thailand’s prestigious Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI). A grant of $27,717 financed the successful training workshop, which was attended by over 150 officials and scientists from government agencies (including all 19 Dzongdas or district governors), industries, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and the private sector. The workshop was organised during the visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand, and participants were honored to receive special lectures by Her Royal Highness. During the Royal visit, a five-year memorandum of understanding was signed between CRI and the Fund, represented by Their Royal Highnesses Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol and Princess Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck, respectively, to support graduate and PhD training of Bhutanese scientists in related toxicology fields.

17. Grant SC0063-08: Afforestation Program

Under a $8,122 grant executed by the National Environment Commission, a tree planting event was held in Thimphu among students, teachers and government officials, to commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June 2007.

18. Grant MB0062-07: Second Trongsa Penlop Conservation Award

Under the Second Trongsa Penlop Conservation Award, Tenzin, a park guard from Jigme Dorji National Park, was honored with the $1,477 (Nu.100,000) award for outstanding contributions in the conservation of Bhutan’s natural ecosystems, wildlife and biodiversity. The award was personally granted by Her Royal Highness Princess Chhimi Yangzom Wangchuck on 8 June 2007.

19. Grant MB0061-07: Second Trongsa Penlop Conservation Fellowship

A four-year under-graduate scholarship was awarded to Tandin Wangmo of Thimphu in 2007. The recipient was competitively selected from a pool of 20 candidates. She is now in her second year of a Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. To date, $72,882 has been spent on the scholarship.

20. MB0060-07: Capacity building of Trust Fund secretariat

The Fund’s finance officer, Singye Dorji, received a training grant of $51,839 during 2006-07 to earn a Masters degree in business administration from the Escuela de Alta Direccion y Administracion (EADA) Business School in Barcelona, Spain.

21. Grant SC0059-07: Land use assessment in Mongar and Trashigang

Two lecturers from Sherubtse College received a grant of $7,050 during August 2006 to September 2007, to research the relation between land erosion and unsustainable land use practices in four Gewogs in Mongar and Trashigang in eastern Bhutan.

22. Grant SC0058-06: Energy-efficient Althus stoves in Pema Choling nunnery

In 2006, a grant of $2,844 enabled Pema Choling nunnery in Bumthang, to purchase and install a set of fuel-efficient wood stoves, thereby reducing fuelwood consumption and promoting safer and cleaner cooking options.

23. Grant MB0057-06: First Trongsa Penlop Conservation Fellowship

The Trongsa Penlop Conservation Awards were instituted in 2004 by the Bhutan Trust Fund, to recognize and honour professional excellence and individual contributions to environmental conservation, and to train qualified individuals to promote social welfare through environmental conservation in Bhutan. The recipient of the First Trongsa Penlop Fellowship, Tshering Tempa, from Ugyen Wangchuck Environmental and Forestry Institute at Lameygonpa, completed an MSc degree in Forest Ecology with specialization in wildlife biology during 2006 to 2008 at the University of Montana, within a grant of $64,607. Tshering is now a teacher at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute.

24. Grant MB0055-09: Ugyen Wangchuck Environment and Forestry Institute

In 2005, an unrestricted establishment grant of $300,000 was awarded to the Department of Forests to develop infrastructure for the newly-created Ugyen Wangchuck Environment and Forestry Institute at the historic Lameygonpa Palace in Bumthang. The new institution was planned as a tribute to the Wangchuck dynasty’s conservation leadership during national Centenary celebrations. Additional funding of more than $2 million was secured from the MacArthur Foundation of Chicago and the government of Denmark. As of June 2009, $200,000 of the Fund’s grant was disbursed to the grantee.

In 2008, as per the decision of the 19^th Lhengye Zhungtshog meeting, the government accorded a new mandate to the institution, converting it into the Ugyen Wangchuck Center for Conservation and Environment, and transferring its planned degree-awarding mandate to the College of Natural Resources in Lobesa.

25. Grant MB0054-06: Environmental education for sustainability

The Royal Society for Protection of Nature executed a grant of $9,388 in financial 2005-06, to create environmental awareness among the monastic body through various workshops and training programs.

26. Grant MB0053-07: Strengthening forest fire management

The government’s social forestry division of the Department of Forests received and spent $300,613 during 2005 through 2008, in enhancing its wild-fire management capacity, standard fire-fighting and safety equipment, creation of public awareness and advocacy, and researching prescribed burning as a management tool.