The Kingdom of Bhutan has one of the best carbon footprints in the world. The country relies on hydropower and hopes to plant millions of trees for a better climate balance.
The Punakhang Chu mountain river flows near the city of Punakha in western Bhutan. There is a hydroelectric power plant on the shore, which can generate electricity for nearly 500,000 private households every day. Kencho Gyeltshen is responsible for this. Dressed in a traditional Bhutanese robe, the manager explained why the tiny Himalayan country relies heavily on hydroelectric power.
“Energy comes from our rivers,” Gyeltshen said. “So it makes sense for Bhutan to use this energy. To convert it in a way that benefits the people and helps to further develop the industry.” Ginzen places great emphasis on electricity not only coming from renewable sources, And the project won’t cause any lasting damage to the environment.
House on a hillside in Bhutan
Bhutan feels alone
The water is transported to the power plant through a system of underground tunnels. “We’re not going to destroy anything on the surface with it,” Gyeltshen said. “Because everything we do in Bhutan, our priority is to do no harm to nature.” Protecting nature is a constitutional goal. Results: Bhutan is one of the best CO2-balanced countries in the world.
It also has to do with having only a small piece of industrial landscape next to a large forest. The country absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits. Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji, however, feels isolated by the great power. “Every year, many countries make numerous commitments to address climate change,” Dorji said. “But in reality, almost nothing happened.”
One million trees will be planted
He believes that this is mainly because the immediate effect has not yet been seen around the world. This is the case with Bhutan. Glaciers are melting, snow falls only at high altitudes, and extreme natural events are increasing. “Here, too, people want to build factories that emit carbon dioxide naturally,” Dorji laments. “But we are facing reality – we can only hope that the industrialized countries realize that things cannot continue like this.”
He hopes more countries will follow the example of Bhutan and its climate projects. Such as the “Million Tree Project”. Over the next three years, more than one million trees will be planted in the country. But the project, which aims to further reduce the country’s carbon footprint, also faces the effects of climate change.
Climate change having major impact on Bhutan
This year they had to postpone the planting of many trees. “Because of the lack of rain, the ground was too dry,” explained Ugin, who coordinated the project. “The lack of water also means that many farmers’ harvests are ruined.” Most people in Bhutan depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Crop failures have created existential concerns for them.
Although the ground was still dry, Ugin and his team didn’t want to waste any more time. Despite the dusty soil, they planted as many trees as possible. Your goals are ambitious. “We hope to plant more than 10 million trees in the next ten years. Not only Bhutan, but the whole world benefits from every tree,” Ugin said. Everyone in Bhutan knows they cannot save the climate alone. At the very least, they want to set a good example.