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Dr Dipayan Dey South Asian Forum for Environment

Anthropogenic Impacts on Pristine Socio-ecological Whole System Facing Directional Changes: Strategic Environmental Assessments in Bhutan Himalayas. Dr Dipayan Dey South Asian Forum for Environment. The Pristine Ecology.

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Dr Dipayan Dey South Asian Forum for Environment

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  1. Anthropogenic Impacts on Pristine Socio-ecological Whole System Facing Directional Changes: Strategic Environmental Assessments in Bhutan Himalayas Dr Dipayan DeySouth Asian Forum for Environment

  2. The Pristine Ecology The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan lies in the confluence of three major biotic zones viz. the palaearctic realm in Asia to the north of Himalayas and further west, the boreal zone along the Himalayan range and the palaeotropic distribution found in the Indian subcontinent and south east Asia. The association and influence is marked by diverse species of Sino-Indian, Indo-Malaysian, Ethiopian and Mediterranean origin. Thus the region represents an admixture of flora that is distinct from the other subtraction transition zones and makes Bhutan one of the Hottest Hot Spots of biodiversity in the world.

  3. Pristine ecology to social forestry Shifting cultivation to sustainable environmental development Rural agrarian economy to urban industrialization Monarchism to democracy GDP to Gross National Happiness The State in Transition

  4. 79% of total population in rural areas, solely uses biomass resources, one individual uses 164 plant species from forests – over 90% of cultivable area grows low yield varieties of rice Despite surviving over 8.5% of arable land, they still depend on domesticated and wild natural resources for food Reduction of arable land, vanishing pastures, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, monoculture of cash crops & rapid changes in LUP is evident in densely populated foothills The Himalayan Dilemma

  5. Yet to Develop “Green Purchase Screen” against ecologically sensitive goods, exotic species, GMOs, etc Green Belt Policy to reduce landslides in southern Bhutan is highly discriminatory Ban on agriculture above a certain slope gradient is forcing highlanders to migrate down and clear Broad Leaf Forests for cultivation – spoiling upper watershed ecology and lower riparian basins Small Hydro-power plants and big dams – no provisions for EIA Weak Policy Decision

  6. Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment: The Panacea • Environmental focus: Mechanism for Environmental Sustainability assessment and assurance • Sustainability focus: Integrated assessment of the effects of policy and planning proposals in relation to ecological social and economic objectives of conservation and sustainable environmental development • Convergence focus: Converging SEIA within integrated and participatory planning system for sustainable development

  7. Agro-environment: Threats • Land degradation and falling productivity • Loss of habitat and agro-biodiversity • Water quality degradation • Lack of disaster preparedness and remediation • Bursting population, rapid urbanization and overexploitation of natural resources • Geographical Remoteness

  8. Agro-environment: Challenges • Poverty: macro and sectoral policies • Governance, institutional and capacity constraints • Regulatory environment and lack of adequate land use planning • Insufficient Environmental education and awareness • Unclear tenure and inadequate access to resources for local stakeholders • Ambiguity in demarcating cultivars and natural species • Climatic variability

  9. Community forestry: bringing new hopes… • Community partnership: participation, equity and reciprocity • Integrating sustainability and development • Capacity building through traditional ecological knowledge sharing • Increasing belongingness – facilitating wise use of resources • Developing resilience, risk preparedness

  10. Elements of Review for SEIA: • Policy frame and plan monitoring with decision support research • Effectiveness feedback and performance review • Benchmarking and reporting EIA good practices • Integrating IA in post development phase as watchdog

  11. Recommendations • Ecosystem approach • Strategic Impact Assessment in decision support • Adaptive management over space and time • Participatory models of Sustainable development • Use Bio-rights as a financial tool for poverty alleviation

  12. TASHI DELEK THANK YOU!IAIA 2007: SEOUL

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