The Chairperson of the Environment and Climate Change Committee(ECCC) Hon’ble  Gyem Dorji  presented the review report of the Committee on the Declaration of Biological Corridor. 

The Chairperson reported that the proposed  Biological Corridor (BC) will connect  Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS)  and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) and cover an area of 216 Km2  stretched over 60.2 km horizontally to valleys and mountains in the Trashigang Dzongkhag and Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag. The proposed BC is the only BC in the extreme east of Bhutan.  Five Gewogs of Trashiyangtse (Toetsho, Yalang, Bumdeling, Khamdang, and Yangtse) and only one Gewog (Phongmey) of Trashigang will fall under the proposed BC.

The declaration of the BC will contribute to realizing the constitutional mandate to maintain 60% forest cover,help in animal movement and genetic dispersion in BWS and SWS, benefit in securing conservation funds which will benefit communities, wildlife, and natural environment, promote ecotourism, Communities benefit from adoption of appropriate policies, technologies, and systems used in curbing Human Wildlife Conflict, uplift socio economic status of the communities through Implementation of Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) initiatives and others.

It was also reported that the declaration of the BC restricts construction of infrastructure, clearing corridor for transmission line, recording documentary or commercial film or any sound recording,  collection of any specimen, construction of cable car and ropeways and other activities that are restricted in State Reserve Forest Land.

During the deliberation, the members expressed the importance of the  provision of support  for community livelihood of communities falling under the BC. In addition, concerns were also raised  on the restrictions and prohibitions provisioned in the Bill, aggravated human wildlife conflict, restrictions on development activities, restrictions on land use and harmonization of the Bill  with existing  relevant Acts such as Forest and Nature Conservation Act and Biodiversity Act of Bhutan 2021. 

The House directed the Committee to re-deliberate and rephrase Section 12  of Chapter 2 on Biological Corridor, regarding  the facilitation of community livelihood and conservation activities to comprehensively cover the concerns raised by the members. Additionally, the Committee was directed  to re-discuss  Section 14 concerning Restrictions  to align it  with Section 12 and  include the Definitions as part of the Bill.  The committee has also been advised to insert a section on the definition of the terminologies.

The House also decided to compile a list of concerns raised and  send it to the concerned Ministry for follow up and directed the concerned Ministry to develop the Rules and Regulations for the Act and circulate to the Members before the tenure of the present government.  

The  Biological Corridor Nine Bill of Bhutan 2023  is scheduled to be put to vote tomorrow after the presentation of the committee report.