As Bhutan strengthens its national efforts to become more self-sufficient in food production, farmers, other land users and businesses across the country are increasingly being encouraged to adopt new technologies and practices that improve the management of natural resource while reducing the impacts of climate change.
The long-term sustainability of the proposed solutions depends on how effective they are in building the resilience of households and communities, while ensuring the direct participation of women and the younger generation, in local ecodevelopment processes.
Equally crucial to sustainable development is the concept of circular economy where waste is managed to conserve environmental quality while maintaining economic prosperity and building social equity. For budding entrepreneurs in Bhutan, the application of circular economy principles in agriculture, livestock-rearing and forestry presents opportunities for "green" business development.
A study produced in 2021 by the Technical Assistance Complementary Support Project for Bhutan (EU-TACS) for Bhutan's Ministry of Agriculture and Forests examines the application of the circular economy to the renewable natural resources sector through improved waste management strategies.
The authors of the report point out the growing problems caused by Bhutan's production, consumption and disposal strategy, where raw materials are made into products – a process which involves the generation of waste – then become waste once these fabricated items are consumed, then disposed of at the end of their life. This pattern contributes to increasing pressure on ecosystems, as well as reducing the availability of numerous ecosystem products and services, such as clean water and air, stable crop yields, fertile soil, energy for cooking and heating, and the habitats needed by a wide range of animal and plant species.
“Circular economy describes an innovative socio-economic system that is based on numerous business models which replace the typical 'end-of-life' approach, by instead applying a wide variety of policies and practices that reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover the materials that are involved in a variety of production, distribution and consumption processes,” says Yeshi Dorji, the report’s lead author.
While some types of resource recycling already occur in Bhutan, the concept of circular economy concept is largely unknown, with the reuse levels for raw materials varying in accordance with the kind of waste generated. Few technologies that conform to circular economy principles have so far been disseminated within Bhutan.
The study reviewed the agriculture, livestock and forestry sectors to identify their key value chains, the types of waste produced, and the volumes and current usage of waste products. Candidate technologies were then selected, scored and prioritised for each sector.
A few of the potential solutions that the authors have identified include:
- Improved recycling of all types of municipal waste produced by urban areas (currently sent to landfill sites).
- The use of wood waste to manufacture fuel briquettes.
- The use of waste bamboo/wood to manufacture charcoal for import substitution.
- The production of biogas from livestock manure, plus more significant investments, such as establishing chemical processing facilities to upgrade and bottle of biogas to reduce the imports of liquefied petroleum gas.
- The production of bio-fertilizer or organic manures from organic waste to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.
- The production of biodegradable cups and plates using the leaves of the Areca nut tree.
"Innovative ideas towards a circular economy will always be welcomed and supported by all possible means," says Lhakpa, Program Officer at the Loden Foundation. "For example, some farmers from Punakha are collecting vegetable waste from the market and turning it into compost to sell. Food waste is being used as feed in the livestock industry across the country. The process has started already."
The study assessed the social and economic business case for three of the most promising priority technologies: the production and bottling of biogas; the production of organic compost, mainly using vermiculture; and the production of charcoal from bamboo and wood waste. The report also identified barriers to technology research, piloting, and out-scaling, including policy and institutional issues; technical and value chain barriers; capacity and informational constraints; and the lack of available finance and accessible investment.
"The application of circular economy principles in the agriculture, livestock, and forestry sectors, plus improved waste management and climate-smart technologies, can strengthen entrepreneurship and lead directly to substantially enhanced livelihoods and improved environmental management. Women and young people can also be supported to enter the recycling economy. Actions must be taken down at district municipal level and be fully integrated within the strategic plans of each province," says Yeshi Dorji.
Taking practical steps that increase the use of circular economy technologies aligns strongly with the external dimensions of the European Union’s Green Deal, and with the focal sectors of the EU Member States' development agencies that are supporting to Bhutan.
However, as yet, Bhutan has no formal guidelines, policies, or strategic plans in place for promoting circular economy activities. The report proposes that, steered by an Renewable Natural Resources Waste Recycling Working Group, the Royal Government of Bhutan should adopt a Green Businesses, Renewable Natural Resources Waste Recycling, Circular Economy and Climate-Smart Technologies Industrial Investment Plan to cover the Vision 2040 Strategy period. To ensure the transition towards a circular economy, the report recommends developing a whole menu of holistic low-resource-usage recycling models.
The study sets out an action plan which proposes short-term initiatives, such as implementing a Circular Economy Innovation Research and Adoption Agenda within the framework of the Resilient Mountain Villages concept to increase the adoption of circular economy practices and significantly improve the livelihoods of Bhutan's population.
Part of the challenge will be to influence the private sector or the behaviour of the public. One example might be establishing systems for waste segregation at the household level in the larger urban areas. These challenges can be overcome using awareness campaigns to alter household waste disposal methods, tax incentives and the increased use of recycling equipment. Applying circular economy principles will increase awareness regarding its benefits among policymakers, entrepreneurs, and rural and urban households, thereby encouraging waste management as a critical lifelong priority.
Implementing the report's overall strategies and plans will systematically mainstream circular economy principles and encourage the dissemination of the most effective practices throughout the next two 5-Year Plans.
Research, piloting, and scaling-out of all the models identified across the three main Renewable natural resources sectors, would be led by the Royal Government of Bhutan and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, the Department of Local Government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other interested parties, especially development agencies.
The policies and technical frameworks derived from this study, and from other EU-TACs studies and assessments, should help provide a solid focus for investments that directly help develop the circular economy and waste recycling within Bhutan, over the next 20 years.
From: https://mailchi.mp/56d574ecca27/2jg2l55q6o
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Bhutan
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