The Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Forestry Research and Training (UWIFoRT) is conducting a five-day Training on Forest Pest Management in Bhutan from 17–21 August 2026 at Meri Puensum, Punakha.

The training brings together forestry officials to strengthen their knowledge and practical skills in forest pest identification, detection, reporting, monitoring, prevention and control.

The training combines classroom and hands-on field sessions, covering forest entomology, insect classification, pest and disease collection and preservation, pest detection through signs and symptoms, and digital reporting using SMART, EpiCollect5 and KoboCollect. Participants are also gaining practical experience in bark beetle management, trap-log and pheromone-trap setup, insect identification, preservation and macro photography.
A special session on GALS – Giant African Land Snail, Adelgids & Aphids and emerging pests of concern is also included in the training, further broadening participants’ understanding of invasive and potentially damaging pest species.

The training is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI)-WWF Bhutan and delivered by resource persons from UWIFoRT and the DFO, Paro. The training is attended by 24 forestry officials (21 males and 3 females) from various field divisions and protected areas.