Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP)
The Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP) is a 6 year project that aims
to strengthen and institutionalize sustainable land management planning,
practice and policy in Bhutan, from community level through to national
level with a total budget of $7.6m as a grant from GEF. The project stems
from the concern of the Royal Government of Bhutan over emerging issues of
land degradation and is supported by grants form the Global Environment
Facility (GEF, through the World Bank (WB)) and from Danida, through its EUSPS
(Environment and Urban Sector Program Support). SLMP is co-ordinated by the
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), assisted by a multi-sectoral advisory team. It
contributes to achieving the aims of GEF Operational Program 15 Sustainable
Land Management.
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Project Development Objective
To strengthen institutional and community capacity for anticipating and managing
land degradation in Bhutan.
Global Environment Objectives
To protect trans-boundary watersheds in a manner that preserves the integrity of
ecosystems in Bhutan.
Achievement indicators of success
- 10% reduction in sediment flow in selected micro-watersheds in pilot geogs.
- Number of geogs effectively adopting land degraded prevention plans.
- 30% increase in number of farmers practicing sustainable land management.
Duration
February 2006-June2012
Guiding Principles
- Bottom-up planning approach - community priorities and community decisions.
- Phased implementation - initially in 3 pilot geogs, extending to other geogs as SLM capacity is built.
- Support to decentralization
- Ensuring an appropriate knowledge and information base to guide SLM decision making on practices, planning and policies.
- Integrated multi-sectoral approach - a strategy for improving the management of natural resources.
- Stakeholder consultation - throughout the project cycle.February 2006-June2012
Implementation pilot sites (Project Year 1-3)
- Phuentsholing Geog, Chukkha Dzongkhag
- Nangkhor Geog, Zhemgang Dzongkhag
- Radhi Geog, Trashigang Dzongkhag
Project Components
Component 1: Pilot projects to demonstrate effective application of land
degradation prevention approaches.
Component 2: Mainstreaming of practices for protection against land degradation.
Component 3: Policy support and guidance for mainstreaming land degradation
prevention practices.
Component 4: National level support for co-ordination of implementation of land
degradation prevention practices.
Implementation responsibilities
Chiog: The Tshogpa (chiog (village) head) leads the chiog level participatory planning,
implementing and monitoring of priority SLM activities, assisted by Geog (block) personnel.
Geog: Chiog SLM priorities are incorporated to the Geog 5-Year Plan, with the GYT
(Geog Yargye Tsogchung (Block Development Committee)) as the executing agency. The SLM Field Co-ordinator,
Geog RNR staff and Geog SLM Planning Team (GSPT, made of interest geog members) mobilize and assist GYT
and Chiog members to identify SLM issues and solutions, to plan and to implement these.
Dzongkhag: The DYT (Dzongkhag Yargye Tshogdu (District Development Committee))
co-ordinates cross-sectoral SLM planning through its Environment Committee, compiles (Geog plans
into the Dzongkhag plan, and address conflicts between users of geog land resources. The Planning
Officer is the link to the project, with Dzongkhag sectoral staff acting as technical resources
to the GSPT.
Central: The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) oversees field activities and
draws lessons to inform national policy. The Multi-sectoral Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC),
with members from key land-using Ministries, meets quarterly to advise and support the Project
Management Team (PMT). The inter-ministerial Project Steering Committee provides policy support
for SLMP implementation.
Project Management Team: The PMT, based at the National Soil Services Centre
(NSSC), manages the project, drawing on the soil specialist of the NSSC.
Monitoring
SLMP supplements the MoA M&E manual with simple customized formats to monitor the progress
and impact of the integrated SLM activities. These formats include the WB Social and Environmental
(impact) Assessments and formats to be developed with the Chiog and Geog.
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