An approach to Sustainable Living in Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute in Mongar Dzongkhag to act as a model of religious institution on environmental conservation activities by the Bhutanese Monks.
The main objective of the project was to develop the institute as a model of environmental friendly, self sufficient and sustainable religious institute. The Buddhist Institute was established in year 2001 to provide religious education to monks from Eastern Dzongkhags. It has an influential position as an extremely religious society.
Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute was established in the year 2001 to serve as the religious educational centre for monks of Eastern Bhutan consisting of Pema Gatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Mongar, Lhuentse Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse. The institute is located 4 kilometres from the main Mongar town and above the Mongar-Trashigang highway.
There are 80 resident monks at the institute. It also houses several lay monks. There are 9 households that are used as classrooms, kitchen, dining room and teacher's quarters and dormitories.
Like any communities of rural Bhutan, fuel wood is used for cooking and heating purposes as they do not have any other alternatives. The cooking stove used by them is highly inefficient as it is a open type mud stove, which wastes energy and pollutes indoor atmosphere.
Therefore, the project has introduced better wood burning stoves (althaus 75 ltr) in the community kitchen of the institute which are fuel efficient. The use of improved stoves has as expected, saved enormous amount of energy (tree) and reduced indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the consumption of fuel wood from 2 to 2 and a half truck loads to 1 truck load per month.
And after the installation and use of Solar Hotwater Systems, the institution has reduced fuel wood from 1 and half truck loads to 1 truck load per month during the cold season i.e. from Oct-Mar and and a little less than a truck load in the remaining months. The hot water is used mainly for bathing and washing purposes.
With the technical support of the Divisional Forest Office and Dzongkhag Forestry Sector, the monks were educated on the ways and means of environmental conservation at the local and global level. The Institute has conducted four (4) sessons on the environmental educaton program attended by the GYT (Block Development Committee) of Mongar Block, Kidhekhar Business Community, and residents and monks of the Kidhekhar Institute.
The institute in turn has incorporated similar education as part of our routine religious subject and will further be disseminated whenever the institute performs religious rites elsewhere.
In order to sustain the project, the Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute will take care of the equipments installed and would maintain them. The environmental education program will be inculcated in the syllabus of the Institute and would continue to impart environmental conservation education to other religious institutions of the country.
Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute was established in the year 2001 to serve as the religious educational centre for monks of Eastern Bhutan consisting of Pema Gatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Mongar, Lhuentse Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse. The institute is located 4 kilometres from the main Mongar town and above the Mongar-Trashigang highway.
There are 80 resident monks at the institute. It also houses several lay monks. There are 9 households that are used as classrooms, kitchen, dining room and teacher's quarters and dormitories.
Like any communities of rural Bhutan, fuel wood is used for cooking and heating purposes as they do not have any other alternatives. The cooking stove used by them is highly inefficient as it is a open type mud stove, which wastes energy and pollutes indoor atmosphere.
Therefore, the project has introduced better wood burning stoves (althaus 75 ltr) in the community kitchen of the institute which are fuel efficient. The use of improved stoves has as expected, saved enormous amount of energy (tree) and reduced indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the consumption of fuel wood from 2 to 2 and a half truck loads to 1 truck load per month.
And after the installation and use of Solar Hotwater Systems, the institution has reduced fuel wood from 1 and half truck loads to 1 truck load per month during the cold season i.e. from Oct-Mar and and a little less than a truck load in the remaining months. The hot water is used mainly for bathing and washing purposes.
With the technical support of the Divisional Forest Office and Dzongkhag Forestry Sector, the monks were educated on the ways and means of environmental conservation at the local and global level. The Institute has conducted four (4) sessons on the environmental educaton program attended by the GYT (Block Development Committee) of Mongar Block, Kidhekhar Business Community, and residents and monks of the Kidhekhar Institute.
The institute in turn has incorporated similar education as part of our routine religious subject and will further be disseminated whenever the institute performs religious rites elsewhere.
In order to sustain the project, the Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute will take care of the equipments installed and would maintain them. The environmental education program will be inculcated in the syllabus of the Institute and would continue to impart environmental conservation education to other religious institutions of the country.
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Project Snapshot
Grantee:
Kidhekhar Lungto Chokey Gatshel Tshogpa
Country:
Bhutan
Area Of Work:
Climate Change Mitigation
Grant Amount:
US$ 11,941.68
Co-Financing Cash:
US$ 6,697.45
Co-Financing in-Kind:
US$ 1,616.62
Project Number:
BHU/04/09
Status:
Satisfactorily Completed
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Project Characteristics and Results
Gender Focus
As this project is focused on the monks of the centre, this is not relevant to focus on gender.
Notable Community Participation
Here the monks from various communities together living in the Kidhekhar Buddhist Institute have participated in the project actively and have completed all the project activities as per the project document.
The residents at the centre are all from eastern dzongkhags and the aim of the project is to provide an aesthetically conducive environment for them to pursue their religious aspirations. The monks of the centre have been involved in the planning, design and implementation of the project and would continue to impart environmental conservation messages.
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Indicators
Biophysical
Number of innovations or new technologies developed / applied
4
Empowerment
Innovative financial mechanisms put in place through SGP project
8198
Livehood
Total monetary value (US dollars) of clean energy services provided to project participants and / or community as a whole (in the climate change focal area)
80
Partnership |
| Community contribution |
SGP Country office contact
Ugyen Lhendup
Email:
Address
UN House, Peling Lam (Street), Kawajangsa, Thimphu, P.O. Box No. 162
Thimphu, Bhutan, 11001
Thimphu, Bhutan, 11001
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