| Author | Yeshey |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.NR-10-02 |
| Subject(s) | Land degradation--Management--Bhutan--Chukha Districts
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| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Sciencein Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. NR-10-02 |
| Abstract | Bhutan has only 8% of arable land while 79% of the country‟s population depends on agriculture as the main source of livelihood. Because of the terrain, land degradation through soil erosion is one of the most important issues in the country. This makes the soil erosion problems a vital concern for sustainable development of agriculture sector and its economy.Efforts are being made by different agencies to address the problem with huge investment of resourcesthrough application of different approaches to land management in different parts of the country. Despite huge resource investment and constant effortsmade by many agencies,there are often morefailures than successes.So far, little or no study has been conducted to assess the comparative efficiencies, appropriateness, strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to land management that are being applied. This study was therefore an attempt to make a comparative assessment of the efficiencies, capabilities and appropriateness of existing approaches to land management. The study was conducted in Chukha and Dagana districts. A household survey was conducted with 126 households. Descriptivestatistical tools were used to investigate factors influencing the effectiveness of the approaches. Chi-square test was applied to test the significances. The survey revealed that, in both study sites, soil erosion is one of the major constraints to sustainable land use and production. The problem is more acute and serious in Dagana than in Chukha. Soil conservation measures have been implemented at various scalesin both sites. In Dagana, the program was implemented through a group-based approach while in Chukha, the program was established throughanindividual household approach. With regard to the effectiveness and impacts of the approaches, the social, environmental, and economicqualities of the respondents from the group-based approach wereimproved with respect to most of the factors. The conclusion drawn from this discussion is that, among the two approaches to land management, group-based approach hashigher capabilities and better capacities to meet the diverse requirements of the rural farming communities. Furthermore, it had other advantages over individual household approach in terms of area coverage under land management, sustainability of the programitself, the coordinationconvenience, the effectiveness in demonstration to others and the potential to get external assistance for other developmental activities. |
| Year | 2010 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-10-02 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Natural Resources Management (NRM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Schmidt-Vogt, Dietrich;Shrestha, Rajendra Prasad |
| Examination Committee(s) | Ranamukhaarachchi, S.L. |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2010 |