For centuries Bhutanese people have preserved their resources and lived in balance with nature leading a good protection towards environment. The relationship between the Bhutanese people and the environment has been forged over centuries with in moral and ecological boundaries. Because of its unique setting and relatively un-exploited environment, Bhutan probably possesses the greatest biological diversity.
Even though there are some major environmental issues still arising. Ignored to developed long term planning on environment, the world commission on environment was introduce in 1987, which introduce sustainable development and other issues are briefly described as follows;
Environmental issue in Bhutan
Major environmental issues are still arising in Bhutan such as water disposal (which often fall to local governments), industrial pollution, wildlife conservation and so on..
In many cases, the least financially and politically empowered find themselves the most affected by environmental issues.
With addressing environmental issues NEC (National Environmental Commission), Department of forest services and also non-governmental agencies like Royal society for the protection of nature
(RSPN), the domestic environmental NGO, and the world wildlife fund (WWF) are tasked.
Brief explanation of environmental issues as follow:
1. Deforestation and Afforestation.
As an Bhutan is a mountainous country, deforestation is done to the destruction or vast areas of the forest like unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as fuel without planting new growth. Converting a bare or agriculture space by planting trees and plants.
2. Biodiversity.
The relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level. Loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem. The parks and sanctuaries are all connected either directly or by biological corridors.
3. Agriculture.
Including higher temperature, prolonged seasons and increasederosisn due to retreating glaciers in Bhutan agricultural fluctuations was experienced by the Bhutanese farmers due to climatic changes.
Due to some changes in autumn and summer prevent production of single mature crop and raise the specter of reduced yields which lead to changed crops as a result of these environmental changes.
4. Overgrazing.
As we know that Bhutan is mainly depended on agriculture, overgrazing had become a part of environmental issue due to the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant cover.
5. Slash and burn agriculture.
Some time slash and burn agriculture is also done leading environmental issues as a rotating cultivation technique in which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land temporary agriculture: the land is used until its productivity decline at which point a new plot is selected and the process repeat.
6. Noise pollution.
With the advent of loudspeakers, headphones, and rumbling engines, noise pollution has been identified in Bhutanese media as an environmental concern, citing negative potentials ranging from distraction to deafness.
7. Air pollution.
Through 2011, many smaller villages in Bhutan had areas burning refuse due to lack of designated landfills. The practice increase ambient air pollution as air and ground toxicity. Some stations were set up by NEC to monitor air quality in Thimphu, Kanglung and Rinchending.
8. Urban waste.
In Bhutan, in urban region like Thimphu 51 tonnes (8000 st) of waste has been produced daily. Thimphu valley authorities estimated 49% of Thimphu's total refuse was biodegradable organic waste in different forms: papers, plastics and glass.
Thimphu began a subsidized pilot project for sorting between biodegradable and non biodegradable refuse inorder to address different varieties of waste.
General principles behind the National Environmental Strategy.
As affirmed at Paro declaration, NEC ultimate objectives would be drafting a National Environmental Strategy (NES), a long term planning to achieve sustainable development through improved environmental planning. The main goal is to provide a long term perspective of management and spiritual benefit of both present and future Bhutanese citizens. The main purpose was to recognize their environmental implications and reduce their adverse effects on Bhutan's fragile ecosystem.
In order to ensure environmental concern NES task force was established in December 1993 which was first to investigate the environment implications of the three avenues of development. An then thirteen sector reports were written by the NES task force to identify current issues and priorities on a sector by sector basis.
In recognition of the need for overarching structural approach to natural resources management, three cross sectoral principles were identified based on NES.
Sustainable economies development depends upon effective natural resources management.
Urban growth requires integrated urban or rural planning: and
All developmental planning and management should be sensitive to traditional Bhutanese culture and values.
These principles provide a way to address the fundamental two sided issues of "upstream" enabling conditions of pursuing development and the "downstream" implications of that development.
Not only that the Task Force also identified a number of issues of special importance that the NES would have to address in order to balance environment concern and economic development, which includes:
Tourism and its effect on culture and environment; road and the environment; resources based mechanisms for financing sustainability and so on..
The lead role in drafting the NES was taken by NES Task Force member. Their working principle was that no NES can be effectively implemented unless it expresses the views of local-level resources users (the very one who are responsible for managing most of the country's resources on a daily basis). As a result, the NES has to take into consideration their needs and their perceptions of environmental preservation.
Environment protection in Bhutan.
As we know that Bhutan is the only country in the world to recognize Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the country ranks environmental protection as one of the four pillars of happiness.
Nowhere in the Himalayas is the nature heritage more rich and varied than Bhutan. In historical records, the kingdom was called the 'valley of medical Herbs', a name that still applies to this day.
The Eastern Himalayas, which run through Bhutan, have been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot, with 770 species of bird and 5,500 species of plant residing in Bhutan. The country is home to some increasingly rare mammal species including the Bengal tiger, cloud leopard, greater one-horned rhinoceros, the Indian leopard and the golden langur.
The National Environment commission is pleased to release Bhutan's National Environment Strategy to commemorate the golden region of His Majesty KING Jigme Singye Wangchuk. The state of Bhutan's environment reflects the commitment of His Majesty's enlightened leadership, which has result in the successful stewardship of the environment and the conservation of Bhutan's rich nature resources base. It has political commitment and personal courage to protect the Nature environment that has ensured that future Bhutanese will inherit a country that will be an oasis, the last remaining area of biological diversity and a pristine environment in Eastern Himalayan.
When it comes to electricity, Bhutan utilizes clean energy by supplying all of the countries electricity demands through hydroelectric power sources, which relies on rives for power. In fact, the country produces so much hydroelectricity that over 60% of the countries GDP comes from selling hydroelectric power, according to the countries prime minister who was interviewed by CNN back in November.
As future of Bhutan will depend on how our nature resources base is managed and utilized in next decades, Bhutan's government now looks to the future and is working to ensure that natural heritage areas stay intact and that these areas are not threatened by urbanization, agricultural expansion, mineral extraction, hydroelectric power development and infrastructure development. In a country so committed to environmental protection and so focused on happiness, Bhutan can be seen as a model nation to others.
Example of Environmental protection in Bhutan and short comings.
16 May 2012, Thimphu: Bhutan celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol with global partners in Thimphu. Her Majesty Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck graced the occasion. During the event, the Gyaltsuen was awarded the Ambassadorship on Ozone by the representative of the Montreal Protocol Secretariat.
Bhutan signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Depletes the Ozone Layer in 2004. Since then the country has achieved milestones in environment protection activities. Through its Hydro-Chloro-Fluoro Carbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), Bhutan made a historic commitment to phase out HCFCs, which are both ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs), ten years ahead of the Montreal Protocol schedule.
In addition, the Government has committed to achieving the following action plan to accelerate the HCFC phase-out. The action plans seek to support the commitment of Carbon Neutrality that has already been announced, through:
(a) Ensuring that the implementation of HPMP would result in additional GHG mitigation of 9.5% of the annual emissions of 1.5 million tons of CO2.
(b) Being the first step as a part of the comprehensive strategy being unveiled for preserving the unique status of our country in terms of being a large sink of GHG emissions.
The HPMP project of Bhutan, supported by the Multilateral Fund with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as lead implementing agency and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as cooperating agency, aims to enable the country to meet its HCFC phase-out obligations towards the Montreal Protocol.
The event also featured a cultural programme where, among others, students presented the Bhutan Ozone Theme Song which carried important messages on the protection of the ozone layer:
"Ozone is fast depleting, so let's stop waiting. Opt for Ozone friendly alternatives, Unite to heal the ailing Ozone layer. Let's not risk the future, let's act while we can, for we have only one world, one World"
The event was hosted by the National Environment Commission (NEC). The NEC is high-level autonomous agency of the Royal Government and is mandated to look after all issues related to environment in Bhutan.(http://www.undp.org.bt/Bhutan-The-worlds-shining-example-in-environmental-protection.htm)
Conclusion.
The environment issues in Bhutan plays a vital role in the preservation and conservation of environment. It leads to many different kinds of disastors (flash floods, forest fire , waste disposal and etc). while studying about the environmental issues we could think about the solutions to the issues.
