Training Workshop on “𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦”

November 17-18, 2022: The two-day Training Workshop on “𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦” was successfully completed to the stakeholders that are relevant to tourism and biodiversity at the Jigme Namgyel College of Engineering, Dewathang Samdrupjongkhar. Twenty two participants representing the Royal Bhutan Police (Samdrupjongkhar, Chazam-Trashigang, Samdrupcholing, Samrang, Jomotshangkha, and Nganglam), Department of Revenue and Customs (Samdrupjongkhar, Nganglam and Jomotshangkha), Department of Immigration (Samdrupjongkhar, Jomotshangkha and Nganglam), Department of Forests and Park Services (Samdrupjongkhar Forest Division and Jomotshangkha Wildlife Sanctuary), Jigme Namgyel College of Engineering (JNEC), Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (Samdrupjongkhar and Nganglam) and Department of Tourism Regional Office Samdrupjongkhar) took part in the training workshop.

The training workshop was conducted to enhance understanding and awareness on the importance of biodiversity conservation in Bhutan, issues of biopiracy and the policy and legal framework related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the country. In addition to the above, the workshop also aims to garner support from the relevant stakeholders for biodiversity conservation, and mitigation of biopiracy and misappropriation in the country.

During the workshop, participants were familiarized on the dynamics of biodiversity, importance of biodiversity, status of Bhutan’s biodiversity, issues of misappropriation and biopiracy, Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Nagoya Protocol, policy and legal framework on Access and Benefit Sharing, Plant taxonomy, Invasive and Alien species, citizen-based biodiversity information platforms, and the role of citizens in documentation and curation of biodiversity. Further, participants were given hands-on training on BioBlitz, Bhutan Biodiversity Portal usage and herbarium techniques. The participants were also taken for a field visit to learn about the agrobiodiversity conservation and community seed bank programs of the Samdrupjongkhar Initiatives and the Model Biogas Plant at JNEC. The program ended with a recorded presentation on Bhutan Believe and Brand Bhutan by the Director General, Department of Tourism and the award of certificates to the participants.

This training is organized by the National Biodiversity Centre through the support of the Ecotourism Project “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into the Tourism Sector in Bhutan” funded by GEF-UNDPBhutan through the Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan. In the following weeks, similar workshops will be conducted in Gelephu, Phuntsholing and Paro.