Importance Of Environmental Conservation In Bhutan

One of the Nation priority is environmental conservation which is also one of the Pillar of Gross National Happiness. After recognizing conservation of the Environment by His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk made an ideal environment provision for 60% of Bhutanese land to have forest coverage got implemented in the Forest Act of 1969. The other three regular actions like forest fires, grazing animals in catchment areas and hunting of wild animals were prohibited. The Environmental conservation policy was also passed in 1972. This policy is implemented to enhance nature conservation based on forest utilization by the citizens. Some of the rules, especially cutting trees for the extraction of fire wood and construction were

The United Nations Environment Programme formally declared Bhutan’s environmental policies exemplary and sustainable to development is step in a big way. Bhutan’s effort in its global environmental issue continues to set a great example for rest of the world”.(BBS) The Environmental Policies and Laws passed were revised by the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and have been functioning effectively till date. Therefore environmental conservation is given the highest priority in Bhutan as enshrined in the Constitution.

The following Environmental Laws, Policies and Institutions were approved during the reign of Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk. The Forest and Nature Conservation Act of 1995; replaced the 1960’s Bhutan’s first Forest Act; which was mandated 60% land of Bhutan needs to be kept under forest cover. The other added environmental policies were the 1970 Act of Land Law; Act of 1995 for the Minerals and Mining; Act of 1919 for the Improvement of Pasture; Environmental Assessment Act of 2000 and The Biodiversity Act of Bhutan, 2003. During his reign the Monarch confirmed many wild life sanctuaries. Some of them are Jigme Dorji Wildlife Sanctuary, Gasa Wildlife Sanctuary, Mochu Forest Reserve, Doga National Park in 1974. By the year 2006 at the time of resignation more than 26 percent of the forestland had been declared as the protected areas. (L.Dorji,

During the time of the Third Monarch, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk foreign relations exposed the value of Natural Resources. At the ruling time of third Monarch, Jawaharlal Nehru visited in 1958 for the first time. He instilled the rich bio diversity i:e flora and fauna utilization of Bhutan. Beside this some important foreign policies like economic, education, transportation etc were also introduced. Since then the country started developments but in rapid ways which was harmful to the environment as expected ration of population was less comparing to nature conservation. When the isolation exposed into perceptive knowledge by the Bhutanese people, everything was growing in numbers. Ultimately lots of disturbances and harm externalities was the environment because everything increased. Yes, one fact since the era of the first Monarch era Bhutanese being mostly Buddhist followers use to worship nature known as Bonism. For eg: Nature and its elements in the form of Sun God, Caves God, Snake God, Trees Demon God (singdey in Bhutanese) etc. eventually the environment was respected and remained safe. At fourth King ruling times, Bhutanese people with advance knowledge started competing business and the affect was likely to borne by natural resources. Hence, the immediate solution with full of wisdom by the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuk‘s policies and laws played tremendous role which made the outcome an effective one.