Bhutan Biological Corridors

Bhutan's biological corridors are a network of nine protected habitat linkages that connect the country's five national parks, four wildlife sanctuaries, and one strict nature reserve, forming one of the most extensive and interconnected protected area systems in the world. Together with the core protected areas, the corridors bring Bhutan's total conservation coverage to 51.44 per cent of its national territory — the highest proportion of any country in Asia and among the highest globally. The corridor system was first established in 1999, upgraded to full protected area status in 2017, and completed with the declaration of Biological Corridor 9 (BC-9) in November 2023.^[1]

The biological corridors serve a critical ecological function: they maintain animal and plant movement and gene flow between otherwise isolated protected areas, enabling wide-ranging species such as the Bengal tiger, snow leopard, and Asian elephant to access diverse habitats across altitudinal gradients. Bhutan has been recognised as a world leader in using corridors as a cost-effective strategy to conserve meta-populations, promote genetic diversity, and allow species to adapt to climate change.^[2]

Protected Area System Overview

The Nine Biological Corridors

Originally, 12 biological corridors were established in 1999 with a total coverage of 3,660 square kilometres. When the Wangchuck Centennial National Park was created in 2008, three corridors were subsumed into the new park. The current system comprises nine corridors, designated BC-1 through BC-9.^[1]

BC-4: The Largest Corridor

BC-4 is the largest of all the biological corridors, providing a critical three-way linkage between Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Royal Manas National Park, and Thrumshingla National Park in the central part of the country. This corridor is particularly important for Bengal tiger connectivity, as it allows tigers to move between the subtropical lowland habitats of Royal Manas and the temperate forests of central Bhutan, maintaining genetic exchange across a wide altitudinal range.^[1]

BC-9: The Newest Corridor (2023)

BC-9, the newest biological corridor, was declared in November 2023, connecting Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Bhutan. Covering 216 square kilometres across six gewogs in Trashigang and Trashiyangtse dzongkhags, BC-9 completed the Bhutan Biological Corridor Complex and increased the country's total protected area coverage to 52 per cent of its geographical area.^[3]

A rapid biodiversity assessment of the BC-9 area documented 124 species of birds, 25 species of mammals, and 227 species of plants. Globally important species recorded in the landscape include the clouded leopard, Royal Bengal tiger, Himalayan red panda, and musk deer. The corridor extends over 60.2 kilometres, passing through the gewogs of Toedtsho, Yalang, Khamdang, Bumdeling, and Yangtse in Trashiyangtse, and Phongmey in Trashigang.^[4]

Legal Status and Protection

In 2017, the revision of the Forest and Nature Conservation Rules and Regulations upgraded the biological corridors' protection status to the same level as other national protected areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and nature reserves. This was a significant development, as the corridors had previously operated under a lower protection classification despite their critical ecological function. The upgrade means that activities within biological corridors are now subject to the same strict regulations governing core protected areas.^[5]

The passage of the Biological Corridor Bill through the National Assembly further strengthened the legal framework for corridor protection, establishing clear guidelines for land use, community involvement, and enforcement within corridor boundaries.^[6]

Conservation Significance

Bhutan's biological corridor system is globally significant for several reasons. The corridors enable the movement of wide-ranging species across altitudinal gradients ranging from 150 metres in the subtropical lowlands to over 7,000 metres in the northern alpine zones. This altitudinal connectivity is particularly important for climate change adaptation, as species can shift their ranges upward or downward in response to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns.^[2]

The WWF has been a major partner in supporting Bhutan's conservation efforts, including the Bhutan for Life initiative — a landmark financing mechanism that secures US$43 million over 14 years to fund the entire protected area network in perpetuity. Bhutan's commitment to maintaining at least 60 per cent forest cover, enshrined in its Constitution, provides an additional layer of protection for the corridors and surrounding landscapes.^[7]

Practical Information for Researchers

References

1. Bhutan Biodiversity. "Protected Areas and Biological Corridors of Bhutan." https://bt.chm-cbd.net/protected-areas/protected-areas-and-biological-corridors-bhutan
2. Sangay, T. et al. "Maintaining Ecological Resilience by Linking Protected Areas through Biological Corridors in Bhutan." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228632730
3. WWF. "Biological Corridor 9: A Green Connecting Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary." https://mongolia.panda.org/?381915
4. Kuensel. "A New Biological Corridor to Connect Parks." https://kuenselonline.com/a-new-biological-corridor-to-connect-parks/
5. Conservation Corridor. "Connectivity in National Policies: Bhutan." July 2023. https://conservationcorridor.org/digests/2023/07/connectivity-in-national-policies-bhutan/
6. Kuensel. "NA Adopts NC's Recommendations, Passes Biological Corridor Bill." https://kuenselonline.com/na-adopts-ncs-recommendations-passes-biological-corridor-bill/
7. WWF. "Bhutan: Committed to Conservation." https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/bhutan-committed-to-conservation
8. Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation. "Bhutan's Gift to the Earth." https://bhutantrustfund.bt/public_page/post_details/18