COUNTRY BACKGROUND - Gross National Happiness Commission

Environment and Sustainable Development
IV. Environmental Policies and ProgrammesIV. Environmental Policies and Programmes
4.9 Because of the lack of baseline information and detailed research data, it is not possible to draw up detailed
programmes to address environmental problems. It will thus be necessary to make these types of studies a priority.
4.10 While detailed programmes will be based on the above information, the RGOB is the process of developing
the following broad measures:
General PoliciesGeneral Policies
- Formation of a National Environment Secretariat with responsibility for the formulation of a National
Environment Strategy, coordination of all environmental activities and monitoring of the environmental impact
of development.
- Establishment of an Environmental Trust Fund: an endowment fund from which the benefits will be used for
environment related activities. Several donors have pledged funds and the Fund will become operational once
the total funds pledged reach $10 million.
- Increasing community and non government involvement in the planning and implementation of environmental
activities. The process of decentralisation will enable greater participation of the population in developing
appropriate responses to environmental problems.
- Improving existing and introducing new legislation and policies to ensure sustainable utilisation. Forestry
legislation has been continually updated since the first Bhutan Forest Act was introduced in 1969. The
proposed 1991 Forest Act will build on the reorientation of forest policy towards conservation and will include
new provisions to encourage community forestry. The Act will be implemented on the completion of the
cadastral survey of the country. A draft National Pasture Policy has been prepared and is under consideration
by the RGOB. A draft of the Mining Regulations will be finalised during the 7FYP and will include
regulations to prevent negative environmental impacts.
- Preparation of Master Plans for many sectors of the economy: e.g. Forestry, Power, Roads. These plans will
ensure the development of the sectors in a carefully planned manner which will minimise environmental
impact and ensure utilisation of natural resources on a sustainable basis.
- Use of economic incentives to encourage sustainable utilisation, for example the introduction of a progressive
cattle tax to reduce incentives to hold cattle.
Policies in the Natural Resource SectorPolicies in the Natural Resource Sector
- Developing an integrated land-use planning capability to provide the necessary information for planning of
sustainable development in the agricultural sector. The activities of the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry
and Animal Husbandry will be integrated in recognition of the interdependence of these sub sectors at the farm
level. This will be achieved through the Renewable Natural Resource Development approach, which will be
the main strategy for land based development. The benefits and constraints of traditional practices will also be
examined and developed for further productivity increases, in close cooperation with farmers. Thus it will be
possible to make use of the accumulated wisdom in agricultural production, rather than depending on the
introduction of new farming systems.
- Building on existing resource management practices, rather than adoption of new control mechanisms. There
are well established institutions for the management of common property in Bhutan, including forestry,
irrigation water, and grazing resources. These should be relied upon and adapted to changing circumstances to
ensure the development of responses which are socially acceptable and ecologically viable. The introduction of
new resource management practices and controls have often been the cause of environmental degradation in
themselves.
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