The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan’s Department of Forests and Park Services has launched a nationwide initiative to plant fire-resistant native trees will be planted in a minimum of two hectares each in 24 field divisions and protected areas.
Coinciding with Bhutan’s Social Forestry Day and the coronation anniversary of His Majesty The Fourth King or Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the project is aimed at promoting ecological restoration, raise public awareness, and encourage active community participation.
“Local governments, schools, institutions, and community-based organizations will join hands to plant native tree species, rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, and strengthen fire prevention efforts,” said WWF Bhutan in an announcement on Monday.
Bhutan is regularly ranked among the happiest countries in the world. With a population of just 777,000, according to government estimates for 2021, it is also one of the world’s smallest and least industrialized countries, yet it has significant experience in maintaining the delicate balance of managing economic growth in a sustainable manner, famously encapsulated in its conservative “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) approach to development. While not opposed to material development or economic progress, GNH rejects the pursuit of economic growth as the ultimate good, instead seeking to cultivate a more holistic approach to balanced development and societal well-being, translating cultural and social priorities into developmental goals to create a happier, more equitable society.
Trees are highly valued in Bhutan, where the government is very conscious of the need for environmental protection and sustainability. The national constitution includes a provision requiring the country to maintain at least 60 per cent of its area under forest cover.
In 2015, the tiny Himalayan kingdom broke a world record previously held by India by planting more than 49,000 trees in an hour. In 2016, tens of thousands of volunteers planted a total of 108,000 trees to commemorate the birth of the first child of the revered king and consort, Queen Jetsun Pema.* To mark the 40th birthday of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in 2022,
The kingdom’s high level of forest cover—above 72 per cent—means that not only has Bhutan met its pledge to remain carbon neutral, it has become one of the Earth’s rare but essential carbon sinks, with its forests absorbing more carbon dioxide than the country produces. Bhutan has also banned logging for export and has set a goal of becoming to be 100 per cent organic.
“In Thimphu, with support from WWF-Bhutan, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation and @Bhutan Ecological Society, a plantation drive was organized by the Department in collaboration with Desi High School, WWF Bhutan explained. “The Thimphu Forest Division signed a five-year agreement with the school, which will adopt a two-hectare forest fire degraded area above the school. Over 2,200 fire resistant native trees will be planted at Debsi.” (WWF BHUTAN)
“The restoration of fire-affected areas with fire-resistant plant species is expected to reduce the risk to life and property, enhance biodiversity, stabilize watersheds, and contribute to livelihood of local communities. These efforts also reinforce Bhutan’s longstanding commitment to remaining carbon neutral.”
Bhutan, nestled in the rarefied air of the Himalayan foothills, and sandwiched between the two political and economic heavy hitters India and China, is the world’s last remaining Vajrayana Buddhist country. The spiritual tradition is embedded in the very consciousness and culture of this remote land, where it has flourished with an unbroken history that dates back to its introduction by Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, in the eighth century. Almost 85 per cent of Bhutan’s population identify as Buddhists, with Hinduism accounting for the majority of the remainder. Most of Bhutan’s Buddhists follow either the Drukpa Kagyu or the Nyingma schools of Vajrayana Buddhism.
* Bhutan Plants 108,000 Trees to Celebrate Birth of Crown Prince (BDGl)
** Bhutan PM Urges Citizens to Plant a Tree, Adopt a Stray Dog to Mark the King’s 40th Birthday (BDG)
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