Gewogs endangered by degradation
29 August 2008
All of Radhi, Phongmey and parts of Shongphu and Samkhar gewogs could be engulfed by flood, landslides and soil erosion in 15-20 years. Tempa Wangdi reports.
If grazing continues and degradation fails to be curbed, specialists fear the future could be bleak. It has been revealed that the regioncould soon run out of water and Radhi could become the most threatened, with more than 22 landslide hotspots falling within its area. “If we do not do anything now and if we continue grazing, in 15-20 years, the entire Radhi, Phongmey and Shongphu gewogs will be wiped out. And signs are already there,” said the SNV-east watershed management and soil and water conservation specialist Thinlay Wangchuk.
The floods and landslide in Shongphu, Radhi and Phongmey gewogs have been caused by degradation of forests and overgrazing in the upper catchments like Merak and Sakteng. Today, some of the threatening streams are: Thongdhiri, which flooded in 2004 at Lungtenzampa and washed away an entire settlement, a bridge and a road; Khehiri in Rangjung and Chongdhiri in Radhi are now a threat to five villages which is home to more than 2,000 households and would claim around 65 acres of wet and dry land; Yodhiri and Dungjuri in Phongmey are already troubling the people. “The main cause of floods is attributed to degradation of forests and overgrazing in the upper catchment of all these streams and these are all tributaries of the Gamri Chhu. Shetemay is used for grazing throughout the year and it falls in the upper catchment of these streams,” said Thinlay Wangchuk.
Though there are natural causes like unstable geological areas known as the Schumer Formation, according to Thinlay Wangchuk and RNR sector heads, gups and mangmis, overgrazing throughout the year and an increasing number of animals is the reason for increasing landslides in recent times. For instance, in Merak alone, there are three kinds of cattle excluding sheep. Radhi at least has horses and cattle grazing these tsamdros. Animals grazing here leave hoof marks on the ground and when there is rainfall these footprints are scoured and turn into rivulets. These rivulets become bigger and bigger during the downpour. Thus the land is washed away.
Increasing number of cattle in lower catchments like Radhi and upper catchments like Merak and Sakteng has left no time for the grass to grow in tsamdros- because in places like Shetemey, it’s used for grazing in summer by Radhipas and in winter by Merak and Sakteng herders. This has forced the people of Merak and Sakteng to lop trees to meet the need of fodder for their cattle in winter. The dzongkhag forest officers also pointed out that the people of Merak and Sakteng lack “environment awareness” and have always cleared forests indiscriminately but never realized the consequences. “Chorphu and Thongphu were once densely forested areas. Today, it has become barren,” said the Shonghu gup.
Mismanagement of irrigation, according to Thinlay, has also added to today’s deteriorating environment. The villagers, after diverting the stream into their paddy fields, do not cut off the water from the diversion when the last terrace of the paddy field is full. When this water overflows, it then scours the area and forms a rivulet. The creek, in rainy season, causes landslides in the area.
The dzongkhag, SNV and RC-Wengkhar last week decided to have a green belt zone in the upper catchment of these gewogs. However, the future of the people living in these affected areas seem uncertain. The Gamri Watershed Management is slated to begin in two years.
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It is disheartening to learn that these areas are been threatened by land slides mainly due to over grazing in upper catchments. And the future is bleak for those people who reside under these areas. I have also seen with my won eyes that landslides and erosions in these areas are increasing every year. It is not only creating vulnerability for the people in these regions but also for the people of whole Bhutan and of course for the entire people on this earth. This is pathetic yea? Of course it is.
So how do we solve this exigent problem? The article has, according to different sources, outlined two major causes, namely 1) degradation of forests and overgrazing in the upper catchments, 2) natural causes like unstable geological areas known as the Schumer Formation.
We have little control over the second cause of this situation. But we can certainly control, to a certain extent, the first cause “degradation of forests and overgrazing in the upper catchments”. People of Merak & Sakten are responsible for forest degradation and over grazing at upper catchments. Why this is forest degradation and overgrazing in this areas, the question on which the article has not really discussed.
As per my understanding, people of Merak and Sakten, for their survival, are solely dependent on the raring of cattle. Cattle are everything for them, like a wish fulfilling gem. People depend on cattle for food, clothing and shelter. Besides, cattle send their children to schools, to pilgrims, to tsechus, and so on….
What alternatives do people of these communities have so that they can shift their livelihood and rare no more cattle so that forests can be kept intact and over grazing is checked?
In other parts of Bhutan, especially those who dwell in high altitude, have enough choices for their livelihood such as, by their own fortune and by the grace of God, cordycept extraction which generates adequate income for their survival. Besides, these people earn pretty good income from tourism. Of course it is not expected to have cultivated cordycepts in the region. But people of Merak & Sakten have not seen tourists for unknown sake. Is the place not accurate destination for the tourists? Or is it that tourists are not willing to visit the place? I don’t know. Please correct me. This is my perception and is not a fact.