Environmental policy and administrative management

The Lingmuteychu Lhum Zinchong Tshokpa (Lingmuteychu Watershed Management Committee) is a non-profit local organization set up for sustainable management of watershed, improvement of water productivity, forest cover and enhancement of self-reliance in natural resource. Different varieties of rice are grown in Lingmuteychu watershed. Of the varieties grown in the area, some are very unique and area specific to this place such as Eurab, Machum, Maap Phogom (brown rice), Tan Tshering and Ngabja (white rice). These varieties are not common in other areas, and with the problem of irrigation water scarcity farmers prefer to cultivate improved short duration varieties with the use of available irrigation water. As such, the traditional indigenous varieties have high risk of loosing from the area, which could affect the rice diversity in the watershed in particular and in Bhutan in general. Therefore, through GEF SGP support, the Tshokpa have planned to undertake work on sustainable water management, land development and improvement of watershed health through collective management of forest and natural resources within the watershed keeping in view that the external actors (donors and co-funding) support will only act as catalysts and facilitators to enhance building their capacity in managing committee which is still in a developing phase. The main objective of the project is to conserve agro biodiversity within the watershed and to achieve this goal the objective are: 1. To meet water demands through efficient water use; 2. To reduce soil erosion and land degradation; 3. To maintain traditional system of water sharing and 4. To preserve and maintain biodiversity of native species. The project activities are: 1. improving water resource use efficiency; 2. Increase water productivity; 3. Increase water availability; 4. Water demand management; The Lingmuteychu Watershed Management Committee will handle all the administrative and financial power of the project and function as a decentralized administrative body. The Dzongkhag Administration and Research Centre will only provide the technical backstopping in time of need. The project manager will be the watershed management committee and they share the responsibility and authority to handle the project, guided y their framed bylaws. The project activities will be implemented collectively by the people of three districts considering equity in resource sharing and in community development. Progress Report: Meetings: - Three rounds of Board Meetings were conducted and finalized the action plan for implementation under the first trench release. 2. Renovation of Irrigation canal: The renovation of irrigation canals at Limbukha and Omteykha are completed through Dzongkhag funding of Nu. 700,000.00 ($ 17,284) and also restoration of Lumpa Irrigation canal through Ecolecommod (CIRAD) funding of Nu. 100,000 (2,469) and made irrigation water available for 10 acres wetland. 3. Training and Installation of Drip Irrigation Kits: Farmers with scarce in irrigation water at Nabchey village were trained on installation of drip irrigation and provided with four set of drip irrigation kits to interested four farmers to make efficient use of water to irrigate for vegetable production. The training was provided to all 22 households. This activity was funded through RC Bajo. 4. Training on Banking and Book Keeping: Two board members of the committee attended one week training on Banking and book keeping provided by the CBNRM project. the training covered basic on bank transaction, handling cash books and ledgers and keeping records. 5. Farmers Study Tour in India was from 3rd to 17th March 2007. The objectives of the study tour was to: 1. experience watershed committee members on integrated water management practices; 2. to experience the formation of effective local institution and planning processes; and 3. to experience and learn collective actions for community development. At the end of the study tour, feedback session was organized to draw the lessons from the study tour and some of the lessons learnt by the farmer participants were: i. Community initiative for village development; ii. Leadership by social workers; iii. Watershed management and water harvesting techniques; iv. Source water protection; v. Importance of winter crop production; vi. Importance of forest and tree plantation; vii. Collective action; viii. Treatments for Water Management (construction of check dam, field bunds, stone wall, etc.); ix. Land development for agriculture farming; x. Income generation options (Livestock farming, vegetable and horticulture) xi. Village level planning; xii. Ban on alcoholism, tree felling, free grazing is important; xiii. Use of animal waste for improving agriculture production; xiv. Improve water facility for drinking and irrigation through watershed management; xv. Self-help group especially women empowerment in forming saving groups; xvi. Common understanding and sense of ownership; xvii. On-stream water reservoir for water storages. During the feedback session, some of the followup/output activities that the farmers would like to initiate back in their villages and that would be applicable in their context are: 1. Initiate stall feeding and reduce free grazing practices besides increasing dairy production; 2. Water harvesting and collective watershed management; 3. Protection of natural resources base; 4. Provide social development initiatives and 5. encourage commu

Bhutan