August 6, 2024
The Jomolhari Landscape, renowned for its charismatic snow leopards and their prey, is also home to about 160 semi-nomadic people and approximately 3,000 yaks. These communities face significant challenges, particularly the predation of yak calves by snow leopards. To foster community support for snow leopard conservation, the Bhutan Foundation, in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan, has been incentivizing these communities through various livelihood programs.
Traditionally, semi-nomadic people used labor-intensive “Bja” tents. However, most herders have now shifted to flimsy tarpaulin sheets, which are less durable and contribute to plastic waste in the pristine alpine habitat. To address this issue, the Bhutan Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Forest and Park Services, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, has distributed 78 modified tents to yak herders in the Jomolhari Landscape, reducing the reliance on tarpaulin.
These new tents are durable, spacious, and well-ventilated, minimizing herders’ exposure to indoor pollution while providing warmer living conditions. Their portability makes them ideal for the nomadic lifestyle.
His Excellency, the Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, officially handed over the tents to beneficiaries from highland communities in Thimphu District. The ceremony was attended by the Director of the Department of Livestock, Dasho Dzongda, and local government leaders.