The Trashi Yangtse Dzongkhag is charged with the dual function of maintaining law and order and also planning and implementation of the rural development activities within its jurisdiction. Since the 9th Five Year Plan has been fully bottom up approach with the devolution of planning and implementation authority to the Geog (block of a district) to be managed by the Geog Yargey Tshogchung (Geog Development Program) involving community organizations.

74 households had been affected by the two rivers Kholongchu and Nagpolachu, had joined together to propose for a project proposal inorder to save their paddyfields.

Bumdeling valley, about 10 km away from the main town of Trashi Yangtse, used to be a fertile paddy fields of Bumdeling geogs. However, starting from 1984 flash floods have washed away about 30 acres of agricultural land and have created a wasteland about 100 acres of paddy fields. This had been increasing every monsoon. The flood also brings materials and deposits in

+ View more

the flat riverbed in the valley and the river water spreads into the paddy fields. The destruction of the paddy fields have not only reduced the rice cultivation but, also have decimated the feeding grounds of the rare black-necked crans (Grus Nigricollis) which migrates from Tibet to Bumdeling each winter. Paddy grains dropped in the paddy fields during harvest form the major food of the rare black necked cranes and also habitats a wintering place in Bumdeling.

The project aims to conserve the natural environment for sustainable development by promoting community participation. The project's main objective is to stop further damage to the flat paddy fields due to monsoon overflow of Kholongchu and Nagpola (Rivers) and also preserve the habitat and food of the rare and endangered black-necked cranes for its winter roosting and feeding.

The project will be executed by the executive committee formed by the Bumdeling River Bank Protection Tshogpa (BRBPT) with direct involvement in donor fund management and beneficiary share in kind contribution.

Broadly the objectives of the BRBPT are to:
1. Conserve the natural environment for sustainable development;
2. Promote Community Participation and increase geog capacity in development management as per the 9th Five Year Plan;
3. Increase the food self-sufficiency of the geog and thereby, increase the living standard of the community there;
4. Create awareness on the human-environmental interdependence of the people of the whole Geog for sustainable development of the geog. It will also help to enhance acceptance of the activities of Bumdeling Wild Life sanctuary;
5. To protect the Winter Habitat of the Black-Necked Cranes (BNC), which are the endangered species of the world.

The project had expected to achieve the following results:
1. Stopped further damage to the flat paddy fields due to monsoon overflow of Kholongchu and Nagpola;
2. Reclaimed the land already innundated so that after certain number of years it can be brough back to cultivation thereby increase the food sufficiency;
3. Preserved habitat and food of the rare black necked cranes for its winter roosting;
4. Enhanced people's understanding of human/environmental interdependence and the acceptance of the programs aimed at conserving nature and environment.

The project activities has been completed as per the progress report. A gabion wall of 600m length and 2 m hieght was constructed at a stretch of 7-8 km. long. While some portion of the wall has been washed away in the 2004 river flood, the remaining portion has really helped protect the Kangteng Suspension Bridge.

However, it is experienced that the present allocation of the Small Grants Programme is too little to make any positive impact in the project. More money will be required so that the river containment in a few years of time would start showing the impact. Lack of river training experts, engineers and machineries for hire are the principle deficiencies.

Overcome the difficulties:
Community Based Organization (CBO) in Bhutan are in infancy stage including the enactments, laws and bylaws to effectively handle these kind of projects.

- Hide