Nestled
amidst the folds of the Himalayan
range is Bhutan, a small Buddhist
Kingdom. The country on the southern slops of eastern
Himalayas,
bordering the Tibetan
autonomous region of China
in the North and the Indian
states of Sikkim
in the West, Assam
in the South and Arunachal
Pradesh in the East.
Bhutan displays a rich heritage and vibrant culture.
The people are of mongoloid
origin, with distinct and unique traditional and cultural
custom. The clothes, religion, culture, traditions,
festivals and its pristine environment mingle to provide
a unique cultural setting in the Himalayas
and the last bastion of the Mahayana
form of Buddhist
civilization.
Development
came to Bhutan in the early 1960s
when the Kingdom opened its doors to the world in
the first time in its history. Until then Bhutan was
a country shrouded in mystery untainted by any foreign
influence. Today much of the country’s culture,
traditions and environment are still thriving. Bhutan
has been sustained by its vision of being a self-reliant
country where its rich legacy of culture and traditions
are intact and people live in harmony with nature
and the environment. Above all, the people are happy
and contented.
Bhutan
can be divided into three climatic
zones:
The
sub tropical zone starches to altitude
of about 1800 meters above sea
level. This zone receives heavy rainfall
and has dense broad-leafed
forests.
The mid mountain zone covers areas
from 1800-3500 meters. This region receives moderate
rainfall
and has dense conifer
forest.
The
alpine zone extends beyond 4000 meters
and has mainly tundra vegetation. This region mostly
covered in snow clad peaks and has very low population
density with only nomadic
groups residing.
In
1988 Bhutan was identified by Norman Myers
as one of the ten-biodiversity
hotspot in the world. It has also been identified
as the center of 221 global endemic bird areas. Bhutan’s
environmental system harbours some of the most exotic,
endemic species of the eastern Himalayas.
It has an estimated 770 species of birds and over
50 species of Rhododendron.
The mountains brim with other exotic species like
blue
poppy and different medicinal herbs. Animals like
takins, snow leopards, golden langur, tigers and elephants
roam its forests.
Bhutan signed the convention of Biological
Diversity and United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change in Rio-De Jeneiro in 1992. These
conventions were ratified in 1995 at the 73rd session
of the national assembly. The Royal Government of
Bhutan has also made a national commitment to uphold
its obligations to future generations by charting
a path of development called the Middle Path. This
is development, which upholds both environmental and
cultural preservation as an integral part of the development
process. Development will not be material development
alone but will incorporate cultural and spiritual
enhancement.
Nature
Conservations Section in the Forest Services Division
This organization is responsible for conservation
activities all over the country. It has drawn up management
plans for forest and is also in the process of formulating
a Biodiversity Auction Plan.
In
the Buddhist
perspective, culture, traditions, religion beliefs
and the environment are dynamic Phenomena that are
interwoven tightly in the web of all life. The inter-relatedness
of all living things is revealed in the strongly embedded
Buddhists
philosophy, value, and local belief that have contributed
to a healthy and intact environment.
