CMS VATAVARAN-Bhutan to hold film festival and forum on climate action and biodiversity conservation

New Delhi: Asia’s biggest Environmental Film Festival and Forum CMS VATAVARAN in collaboration with the Canadian High Commission of India and Bhutan, is organising first-ever film festival and forum on Climate Action and Biodiversity conservation in Bhutan.

 The event will begin from 2^nd November to 7^th November with an aim to facilitate youth participation in planning, policy and action in conserving the rich natural resources and environmental heritage of this nation.

On this occasion, two prominent Bhutanese environmentalists Dr Nawang Norbu, Executive Director (Vice-President) of Bhutan Ecological Society and Dr Rebecca Pradhan, senior ecologist and botanist at the Royal Society for Protection of Nature Bhutan will be conferred upon the “Bhutan CMS VATAVARAN Green Ambassador Awards” for their contribution in the field of Biodiversity Conservation in Bhutan.

In an official statement, the organization said that, the event will have a series of several interesting programs which will cover film screenings, seminars, workshops, Panel discussions, etc. focusing on the environmental, social and economic aspects of Climate-Change and Biodiversity Conservation in the Greater Himalayan Region.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Cameron MacKay, Canada’s Ambassador said “I am delighted that Canada and Bhutan are further strengthening their relations and working together on the critical
issues related to combatting climate change, preserving biodiversity, and protecting the environment. I encourage everyone to fully engage in the festival activities and take action to build a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet for future generations.”

Speaking on this occasion, RTC President Tshewang Tandin said, “It is a privilege for RTC to be hosting the Bhutan CMSVATARAN Film festival and Forum on Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Action 2022.

“It blends well with our setting of pristine environment and learnings that happen here in our Environment management and Mass communication programmes.  Such an engagement will inspire our students to align their lives to GNH and enable them to champion for biodiversity conservation and climate action to communities around the world’’ he said.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr Vasanti Rao, DG CMS said “A beautiful carbon-neutral country in the Himalayas, Bhutan, climate change is not just an environmental problem but a serious challenge to sustainable development. Communities are facing a range of climate-related dangers i.e. melting glaciers

The inaugural ceremony will be followed by a series of panel discussions, seminars, green filmmaking workshops and master classes and short film competitions.

Several eminent speakers Sean Southey ,Chair for the Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN-CEC) at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Colin Shonk, Counsellor and Head, Advocacy Programme: Public Diplomacy, Media, Academic & Cultural Relations at the High Commission of Canada in India and Bhutan,  Chimi Rinzin, Country Director, WWF Bhutan, P N Vasanti (DG CMS),  Dorji Dorji ,Acting Chief Program Officer, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, Dr Shiva Raj Bhattarai, Dean (Academics), Royal Thimphu College and Rakesh Rao, Sr. Environmental, Science and Conservation Filmmaker from India will be participating in it.

The film festival will also screen a total of 25 international awarded winning films from different parts of the world on various relevant environmental issues like climate change and adaptation and mitigation, wildlife conservation, water conservation, forest conservation and sustainable livelihood.