Bhutan is well known today for its rich nature and culture. However, only a few people realize that Bhutan?s pristine environment, for the best part is the result of its spiritual and cultural heritage. Throughout centuries, Bhutan?s pre-Buddhist and Buddhist worldviews, beliefs, values and cultural practices have been the main factors driving the protection of natural sites such as mountains, forests, meadows, cliffs and water systems as sacred spaces with spiritual significance and necessary habitat of visible and invisible forms of life.

Apart from some elderly members of the community, most people do not have a clear knowledge of the natural sites with spiritual and cultural significance in their locality. Hence, awareness has helped against the irresponsible exploitation of nature through human greed, seen elsewhere in the world. Therefore, the project hopes to enhance better understanding of the spiritual forces of nature and the value of sacred sites through this documentation process, creating awareness and community-based action within the community and the nation.

Important natural and cultural sites in Bhutan are increasingly being exposed to risk of economic activities from excessive logging and stone extraction. In the past, some people abandoned their villages to avoid heavy taxation leading to the neglect of sacred natural sites. Today, however, it is the poor understanding of the significance of sacred natural sites, which is leading to their neglect. In one such case, the sacred lake (Tsho) in Tali, Zhemgang District, remains unattended and neglected leading to serious pollution of the lake through dumping animal carcasses, defecation and improper disposal of solid waste.

According to local legend, it is said that Tangsibi Tsho in Tali is the jewelry basket of famous Buli Tsho. It was left behind when Buli Tsho moved from Tali to Buli.

However, people of Tali paid no importance to the lake and carried out unsustainable farming practices around the lake. Although the government officially disallowed shifting cultivation practices, the area continues to suffer from extensive cutting down of trees for farming and firewood. In a year, at least 7 truckloads of firewood are collected from the area, while illegal timbering and firewood collections continue and go unaccounted. And people mostly prefer tree species like castonopisis, lithocarpus and quercus for firewood, which is found in this area. Such interference by people affects the Tsho and its surrounding water holes.

The increasing human interference like cutting down of trees within the lake and surrounding areas by the people is posing challenge to retain the level of the water at the lake and water holes. In order to address these issues, the project aims to enforce ?ladam and ridam? that restricts access or closures to lakes, forests and mountains for certain period. This initiative will help to protect the areas from human encroachment from spring to autumn every year for allowing undisturbed growth and regeneration of flora and fauna in the wild. It will also revive the age-old culture of restricted access to forests and mountains ?ladam and ridam? securing the serenity of the most regarded and significant natural sites of cultural importance, such as Tali lake.

Through field assessments it was found that the lake and water holes serve as a main drinking water for the wild animals such as tiger, deer, wild boar etc. However, when people disturb those areas, animals move to the water holes that are adjacent to the village thereby damaging the crops and attacking domestic animals escalating human wildlife conflict. Kuensel newspaper reported that the tiger reportedly killed 18 cows before a team from global tiger center has tranquilized in 2018. In addition, the concerned forest official involved in the project confirms that there is an increase in the population of deer and wild boar due to the migration of tiger to other areas because of the human encroachment.

As of now visitors are not aware of the existence of Tangsibi lake in Tali, and people who visit famous Buli Tsho directly pass through the village. However, after revival of the lake and opening it to the visitors, visitors (local and international) who come to visit Buli Tsho will visit this lake as well. Consequently, with such promotion, income and employment opportunities and promotion of local goods or services will be enhanced.

The community has never come to the decision to revive the lake until now. However, with rising awareness from both spiritual figures and the environmentalists, they have come forward and approached Loden and Forest Department for the support. As part of the project the entire watershed areas in and around the village, as people have not given any importance so far. There are already few cases where villagers have not protected the watershed area and resulted in drying up of water sources within the locality. And if these issues and not addressed now there is a risk of watershed areas drying up with such unsustainable practices. Therefore, in partnership with watershed management division (WMD), DoFPS water inventory and biodiversity assessment will be carried out for development of a watershed management strategy.

The project also aims to enhance the understanding of scientific, cultural and spiritual ecology for environmental conservation. At the Initial stage the community came to the decision to protect and revive the lake because of its spiritual significance but to sustain the lake scientific approach is more important. So, through this project both the approaches will be incorporated to look at the current situation; awareness on the short-term conservation of environment and for the long-term sustainability of the lake, water holes and habitat of the wild life.

1.5. Project Objectives
? To address immediate threats affecting lake and surrounding watershed
? To enhance the understanding of scientific, cultural and spiritual ecology for environmental conservation
? To initiate, implement and create awareness on the importance of sustainable source of water supply human and wildlife
? To enhance livelihood through the promotion of community-based ecotourism activities.

1.6. Expected Results
? Increased awareness to sustain watersheds and sources for irrigation and reduced human wildlife conflict through accessible drinking water for wildlife and reduced public interference at those areas.
? Increased numbers of local and international visitors through site development and promotion of the eco-cultural tourism trail in the area.
? Retained or increased water volume of the lake and surrounding water holes
? Continued transmission of local cultural knowledge and spiritual and scientific practices beneficial for environmental conservation

1.7. Description of Project Activities
? Co-ordination and planning of the project with the community and concerned multi-stakeholders.
? Extensive GIS based mapping and demarcation of lake from private and government land, areas around the lake, critical watershed and provide a map.
? Procurement of the materials required for the developmental activities within the site.
? Clearing of fallen trees, fencing in the designated areas (as recommended by DoFPS) within the site to avoid private encroachment into the lake area, developing footpaths, installation of waste bins, identifying plants and trees and installing nametag, signboards at the site and junctions.
? Carry out a water inventory and biodiversity assessment and develop a watershed management strategy for Tali.
? Conduct research on Human wild life conflict to keep the baseline data, identify problems and their causes to develop or recommend interventions for management in future.
? Audio-video recording and photography of the lake and related features.
? Professional editing and production of 5-7 minutes bi-lingual video documentary on spiritual or cultural ecology and environmental conservation and written notes on an account of the lake and other natural sites. Publicly, the information will be disseminating through national TV, Local channels, Loden?s digital culture library (www.bhutanlibrary.org) and Loden websites, newsletters, Loden annual reports and so forth.
? Observe and celebrate World Water Day of 2020 with the community
? Raise awareness within the community, schools, monasteries, villages located in the vicinity of the project sites and the nation on the significance of cultural and spiritual ecology, watershed and water holes and ecosystem management to enhance environmental conservation.