Bhutan has achieved the distinction of having an amplified forest cover and has been
acknowledged by the United Nations for preservation and sustainable use of the environment. Swaati Chaudhury reports

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is rated as one of the leading ten global hotspots in the world exhibiting a rich treasure-trove of biodiversity. The country boasts of a varied biodiversity ranging from tropical plains to alpine highlands. The country has lapped up many awards for recognising environment as the prime focus of its developmental plans. The United Nations Environmental Programme has adjudged Bhutan with the Champion of the Earth award for outstanding commitment in prioritising the preservation and sustainable use of the environment. The country has an excellent environmental track record and its development policy has been pursued in line with the UN millennium development goals.
The King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck has won the 2006 J Paul Getty award for three decades of unique approach to conserve the environment of the Himalayan kingdom. One of the world’s most prestigious awards in the field of conservation, the award is administered by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and look forward to promote conservation and raise public awareness. The award offers recognition to individuals in any one of the three annually rotating fields including political leadership, scientific leadership and community leadership. The King has formulated a series of policies and laws that have a profound impact on the environmental conservation of the land. This includes the promise to keep at least 60 per cent of the country’s total land under forest cover. The King has exhibited a farsighted approach in preserving some of the fascinating wildlife habitats of the world. Besides, the King has initiated Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex- a joint project of Bhutan government, WWF and other partners to look after a host of national parks and forest corridors that make up 36 per cent of the land. Here’s a quick glance on the popular floral and faunal species that thrive in the Dragon kingdom. There are around 3,281 floral species per 10,000 sq km of land, 770 avian species, 5,500 species of vascular plants, 165 mammalian species, 50 species of rhododendrons, 600 species of orchids and 300 species of medicinal flora.
The land always gives priority to conservation practices rather than economic exploitation of its forest resources. The royal government has its primary focus on conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources. The country prides in having the largest proportion of land covered with protected forests and about 26.23 per cent of the pristine Himalayan kingdom has been declared as national parks. The total forested area is around 72.5 per cent that ranges from evergreen forests in the sub-tropical region to deciduous in the hills and evergreen conifers in the temperate and alpine ranges. The Department of Forest and Forestry Department Corporation were set up in 1952 and since then scientific forest management came into practice and were put into effect. Apart from sustaining the rich water and biological resources that form the base of immense hydropower potential, forests contribute to 9.4 per cent of the country’s GDP. It is conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources that form the prime focus of the royal government and the Forestry Services Division has taken up an improved system of protected area management in 1993. Around 35 per cent of the land area is protected by some conservation practicing agencies. Today Bhutan can claim that it has the largest land under forest cover in the world and the only country that has banned smoking in public places. Here environmental issues are taken care with utmost sincerity than its neighbouring countries.
Some of the serious environmental challenges confronted by the Forestry Services Division are poaching, illegal felling of trees and fire. Owing to pressure mounting on forest resources, afforestation activities on barren land are being initiated to increase forested land. Around 17,874 hectares of land area has been brought under afforestation scheme. The participation of masses in the preservation and management of forests through education is also encouraged. A number of schemes on social forestry are promoted in the form of community and private forests of the country.
One of the unusual faunal residents has been the Takin, the national animal of the country. The land also is a home to snow leopards, bears, red pandas, rhinos, elephants and tigers. The dense forests of Bhutan at a height of above 4,000 metre form the habitat of the royal Bengal tiger. The National Conservation Plan of the land records that there are 24 globally threatened faunal lives in the country. Bhutan is an avian paradise and forms the winter abode of the vulnerable black-necked crane that is endemic in the Tibetan Plateau. Nearly 11,000 species of black-necked crane are present across the globe of which 500 species are in Bhutan particularly Phobjikha Valley in Wangdue and Dzongkhag and Bomdiling in Yangste.
A large number of floral species are in bloom in summer months like primrose, anemone, lady-slippers and edelweiss and “Blue Poppy” is the national flower of the Himalayan country. Quite recently, around nine per cent of the country’s land area has been designated as biological corridors that connect the protected areas.