“We love tigers,” says Pema Lhamo Magmi, a community leader from central Bhutan. “They are part of our heritage, culture and landscape. But we’re reliant on our livestock to make a living. When a tiger kills our livestock, we lose our income. This is a huge problem in our communities.”
Resolving this “problem” for the hardy farmers and herders of cattle and yaks in mountainous Bhutan, who graze their animals at altitudes of up to 4,800 metres during summer, is an issue the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Vanishing Treasures programme is seeking to address.
The programme’s work to restore grasslands and water holes in eastern and central Bhutan is supporting the survival of the Royal Bengal tiger – an iconic endangered species – while reducing human-wildlife conflict.
Over time, due to intensive agriculture and climatic changes, the amount of grassland in upland areas of Bhutan has dwindled, according to the Bhutan Tiger Center, a key partner in the Vanishing Treasures programme.
Grassland is also dwindling because it is being overgrown by bushes and shrubs. One of the reasons for this is that there are fewer livestock keeping the bushes at bay, and this is because many pastoralists have abandoned pastoralism and moved to towns in search of more lucrative employment.
Read the full article at the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Finally…
…thank you for reading this story. Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone, no matter where they are.
We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think. That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way.
By supporting us, not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes, but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global movement that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all.
Every donation counts – no matter the amount. Thank you for being a part of our mission.
