| Author | Yaganagi, Medon |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.NR-05-01 |
| Subject(s) | Shifting cultivation--Bhutan
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. NR-05-01 |
| Abstract | Swidden cultivation also known as slash and bum agriculture or shifting cultivation is a universal phenomenon which has existed globally through the centuries. In Bhutan swidden cultivation is known to exist in all the twenty districts of the country even though there has been a national policy to ban this form of practice since 1993. This thesis therefore looks at the possibilities of identifying factors that could possibly lead to such a discord between national policy and the persistence of the practice. A review of the National Assembly resolutions provided a good staring point to determine the rationale behind the ban and other important aspects when relating swidden cultivation in the local environment in Bhutan. The important aspects included identifying the stakeholders involved and the main legislation important from view of the subject. A review of the Land Act and the Forest and Nature Conservation Act has been included as there are some inconsistencies in the legislation. A review of the forest and agricultural policies is included with discussion on whether tseri land should be considered as state reserved forests contributing to the 60% forest cover or should it be included as an agricultural land contributing to the 70 % of self sufficiency and as part of the 7.8% arable land in the country. A review of swidden cultivation as it exists in Bhutan has been made. The review pointed out the fact that swidden cultivation can have two separate meanings in Dzongkha referring to it as a land type and land use whereas this differentiation is not observed when using English terminology. Land taxes provided information about the possible retention of tseri in the Bhutanese landscape due to the taxes as financial incentive being the lowest. There are also more than one way to determine the agricultural land use in the country which could be potential sources of misinformation when developing policies. The practice of swidden cultivation in Chukkha district was explored. The farmers widely practice swiddden cultivation. However land type in the field does not necessarily determine the land use. Thus if policies are in place to do away with the land type it may not target tseri as a land use system. Tseri cultivation in Chhukha largely turned out to be a supplementary form of the practice where it is not the main agricultural component of the farmers. The recommendation based on the field visit is to let the supplementary form of tseri to continue given the biophysical and economic constraints faced by farmers in Chhukha. However government should take a strict stance against the pioneering forms of the practice where state reserved forests may be destroyed, this can be achieved through remote sensing technologies for monitoring. |
| Year | 2005 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-05-01 |
| 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) | Vogt, Dietrich Schmidt; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Webb, Edward L. ;Gautam, Ambika ;Shipin, Oleg ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Government of Bhutan ;
Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2005 |