Royal Government of Bhutan, Conservation International, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation & Bhutan Ecological Society Formalize Partnership to Scale Up Forest Restoration & Protection Efforts

Thimphu, Bhutan (August 8, 2025) — The Royal Government of Bhutan has confirmed a partnership with Conservation International, the Bhutan Ecological Society and the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, marking a significant new chapter in Bhutan’s efforts to protect and restore its natural landscapes. 

This four-party agreement, under the Mountains to Mangroves initiative, signals a deepening partnership to scale up forest restoration and advance long-term conservation goals in Bhutan. Together, the partners aim to restore up to 50,000 hectares of degraded land over the next decade, contributing to national priorities for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development.

“Bhutan’s future depends on the health of its natural ecosystems,” said Karma Tenzin, Director, Department of Forest & Park Services, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan. "This partnership honors our legacy of environmental leadership and strengthens our capacity to restore and protect the lands that sustain us.”

Dr. Richard Jeo, Chief Field Officer for Asia at Conservation International, emphasized the broader significance of the partnership: “Mountains to Mangroves is an urgent response to the shared challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss in the Eastern Himalayas—a region of global ecological and cultural significance. This agreement positions Bhutan at the forefront of an ambitious regional partnership, demonstrating how a nation with a bold vision can scale restoration from its mountains to its rivers, setting a powerful example for the world."

Despite Bhutan’s extraordinary environmental track record—maintaining at least 60% forest cover and protecting over half its land—pressures from climate change and land degradation are intensifying. The partnership provides a foundation to meet these challenges by aligning science, policy, and community action.

“This agreement reflects the power of urgent collective action,” said Karma Tshering, Managing Director of the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation. “It will help align national ambition with global support for nature-based solutions.”

The agreement will also empower Bhutanese organizations and communities to lead implementation of restoration plans. “This partnership sets in motion a shared vision for landscape restoration across Bhutan,” said Nawang Norbu, Executive Director of the Bhutan Ecological Society. “We look forward to working hand in hand with communities to bring degraded forests back to life.”

A comprehensive financing package and national restoration roadmap will be announced later this year. This will build on the foundation established by this partnership, followed by signing of an MoU shortly and chart a course toward Bhutan’s long-term conservation and restoration priorities. 

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ABOUT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT MOUNTAINS TO MANGROVES: Mountains to Mangroves is an ambitious partnership, led by the people of the Eastern Himalayas and catalyzed by Conservation International, to protect and restore the connected ecosystems of Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal in response to the shared challenges to climate change and biodiversity loss. The initiative seeks to mobilize transformative capital from public, private, and philanthropic funding to scale forest restoration through nature-based solutions and innovative finance. Together, the partners aim to plant one billion trees and restore one million hectares of land—from the mountains to mangroves. This living corridor supports 12% of the planet’s biodiversity and sustains the lives and livelihoods of more than one billion people. Visit Conservation.org/MTM to learn more.

ABOUT THE BHUTAN ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Bhutan Ecological Society is a nonprofit organization that connects science, business and policy, with the goal of building and sustaining resilient communities and functional landscapes. BES aims to create and sustain functional physical environments (built and natural) that provide for human needs and foster prosperity, while ensuring the integrity of ecosystems. 

ABOUT THE BHUTAN TRUST FUND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation is the world’s first environmental trust fund, established in 1991 as a collaborative venture between the Royal Government of Bhutan, United Nations Development Program, and World Wildlife Fund. The growth of the original trust fund capital increased from US$20.3 million in 1992-97 to over US$75 million by 2023, with donors including WWF, Global Environment Facility, the governments of Bhutan, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. BTF is the only accredited entity in the country to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund.