BFL has been categorized as a Category B project, as the potential adverse environmental and social impacts on population within the Protected Areas or those living around who depend on the PA for their livelihoods or environmentally important areas are site-specific, reversible and can be readily mitigated.
Therefore, to ensure that all BFL funded projects and programs are environmentally and socially sustainable as well as in line with BFL’s policies and guidelines, an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) involving stakeholder participation and timely public disclosure is required.
An Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Biological Corridor (BC) 4, describes mitigation measures/good practices at activity level which are required as per the screening protocol. All the screened activities which has potential risks to environment and social management have to prepare ESMP which include environment management and mitigation plans during pre-activity, activity implementation and closing phases. Hence, it contains description of the detailed actions including communities, roles, communication and reporting and monitoring processes required as part of the implementation. In order to ensure that the issues of all stakeholders are taken into account, it includes a stakeholder engagement plan. The plan includes identification of stakeholders, method of engagement, timing and logistics. It is a requirement for all parks and biological corridors to keep record, reporting, review, auditing and update ESMP yearly as per the planned activities. The activities that required ESMPs for the year 2022 under BC4 are:
➢ Ecotourism development at Zarkabla
-BFL
