AIMF Launches Initiative to Support Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation
Traditional village life in Bhutan reflects the close connection between community, culture and the natural environment.
Paro Taktsang, known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is one of Bhutan’s most iconic cultural and spiritual landmarks, perched high above the Paro Valley.
The Aspen International Mountain Foundation has launched a new initiative to raise funds in support of the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, one of the world’s leading models for long-term conservation finance.
Based in Bhutan, the Trust Fund supports projects that protect forests, wildlife, biodiversity, ecosystems and natural resources while also advancing the well-being of Bhutanese communities. Its work reflects a deeply held national commitment to balancing environmental stewardship with sustainable development. The Bhutan Trust Fund is recognized as the world’s first environmental trust fund, established in 1991.
Terraced fields and forested mountain slopes reflect Bhutan’s deep connection between land, community and conservation.
For AIMF, the initiative is a natural extension of its mission to advance sustainable mountain development around the world. Mountain regions are among the planet’s most fragile and important ecosystems, providing water, habitat, cultural identity and livelihoods for millions of people. They are also increasingly vulnerable to climate change, biodiversity loss and development pressure.
By supporting the Bhutan Trust Fund, AIMF aims to help strengthen conservation efforts in one of the world’s most ecologically significant mountain nations. The Trust Fund finances work across a wide range of areas, including environmental and natural resource management, land management, renewable energy, sustainable rural livelihoods, community development and eco-tourism.
“Bhutan has long been a global leader in environmental stewardship,” said Managing Director Dr. Karma Tshering. “This initiative gives AIMF and our supporters an opportunity to invest in a conservation model rooted in long-term thinking, biodiversity protection and respect for mountain communities.”
The initiative also reflects AIMF’s broader work with mountain communities and organizations worldwide, including its role in the Mountain Partnership, a United Nations voluntary alliance dedicated to improving the lives of mountain peoples and protecting mountain environments.
Donations to support the initiative may be made at aimf.org/support-btf.