dufus Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Bhutan: Committed to Conservation © James Morgan / WWF-US Bhutan is one of the smallest countries in the world. But its commitment to conservation is bigger than most. Conservation of the environment is one of the four pillars of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness philosophy. As mandated in its constitution, Bhutan preserves (at all times) 60 percent of its land under forest cover. Bhutan has succeeded in doing so. This country is home to the highest percentage – more than 51 percent – of protected land in Asia. Most of it is intact forests interwoven with free-flowing rivers. Evidence of this commitment to conservation is everywhere in Bhutan. Native wildlife—including endangered royal Bengal tigers, elusive snow leopards, elegant black cranes and elephants—all roam free in the country’s 5 million acre network of protected areas. The people of this Buddhist kingdom can hold on to a fundamental birthright: living out life in a healthy environment. And one of the country’s top industries—ecotourism—is thriving and growing. The world benefits, too. Bhutan is in a region that provides water for one-fifth of the world’s population. Bhutan also is at the heart of the Eastern Himalayas, which is one of the world's 10-most biodiverse © James Morgan / WWF-US Sigay, a farmer from Phobjikha Valley, enters a tent he has set up so he can look out for boars and other wildlife that try to come onto his farm at night and attack his livestock. WWF helps rural communities develop solutions to the types of human-wildlife conflicts Sigay and other farmers face. © James Morgan / WWF-US Tshering Pemo admires a butterfly at the nunnery in Paro where she lives and studies Buddhism. One of the most important things she said she is learning is that nature is a gift that we should respect and cherish. © James Morgan / WWF-US Farmers from rural Bhutan sell their produce at the Centenary Farmer’s Market in Thimpu, the country’s largest city. Providing avenues for farmers to continue to work in rural areas is an approach Bhutan uses to ensure that its best stewards of the land can help protect Bhutan’s natural areas. © James Morgan / WWF-US A group of women and children crush cans that they will recycle. Recycling is a growing industry in Bhutan, as it is a way to address the country’s trash problems and for its residents to generate income Bhutan at a crossroads But Bhutan’s natural resources are on the brink of being more threatened now than ever before, despite the government’s political will and conservation milestones. Why? The country has changed more in the last 50 years than the past 500 years combined. Rapid modernization, the adoption of democracy, and a dramatic shift in demographics have all contributed to a country in transition. Today, 60 percent of the country’s population is below the age of 34. With change comes new challenges, particularly for the environment. Natural resources are exploited as new industries are created and existing ones grow to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. There are fewer “stewards of the land” in rural areas, as people move to cities and larger towns in search of the perceived and real comforts of modernity. And, as in many Asian countries, the impact of climate change and the poaching of wildlife are on the rise. If the country does not address the challenges now, it risks losing everything it has worked so hard to protect. Balance is the solution “We need to balance the need for economic development – like hydropower and tourism – with the need to protect natural resources,” said WWF Bhutan Country Representative Dechen Dorji. “We need to balance jobs in the cities with jobs in rural villages. And we need to balance tradition and age-old religious beliefs with the desires for modern amenities.” Since the 1970s, WWF has worked with the Government of Bhutan, Bhutan-based nonprofit organizations and local communities to achieve this balance. For example, we help conduct extensive wildlife surveys, create conservation management plans for national parks, and educate rural communities in how to minimize human wildlife conflicts. But more is needed to keep pace with the speed and scale of change now impacting Bhutan. Bhutan for Life To ensure that Bhutan remains economically and environmentally sustainable during these changing times, WWF and the Government of Bhutan committed in July to create an innovative funding approach called “Bhutan for Life.” Funding generated through this initiative will be used to maintain and manage the country’s parks and wildlife corridors in perpetuity. Sustainable economic development, such as eco-tourism and organic farming, will be allowed in the protected areas, making this initiative a true example of how the Bhutanese seek balance. This approach is modeled after a fund closed by WWF and other partners in May 2014 to ensure the long-term protection of the world’s largest tropical rain forest, located in the Brazilian Amazon. “I am hopeful that, if this funding mechanism is created, then what has been bestowed upon us by our visionary monarchs—this sacred environment—can be maintained for generations to come,” Dorji said. “And Bhutan can serve as a model for our neighbors in Asia and the rest of the world.” https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/bhutan-committed-to-conservation https://thewire.in/156180/bhutan-doklam-border-china/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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