Enviroment
Due to Bhutan’s location and unique geographical and climatic variations, it is one of the world’s last remaining biodiversity places. Bhutan’s climate differs a lot depending on its region. The principal climatic region are humid and subtropical in the southern plains, cool winters and hot summers in the central valleys, and severe winters with cool summers in the Himalayas. Bhutan’s different climate throughout the region makes the houses differ a lot from each other. Bhutanese houses are generally large, they are solid to protect against heavy rain and harsh winters, and it is possible to build a two-stories house with a help of several families and neighbors in two or three weeks. In the west of the country the walls are made of tightly compacted mud and in the subtropical south the walls are made of wood.
Like in most Asia, Bhutan also experiences the monsoons. Monsoons is a seasonal change in the direction of the strongest, winds of a region. Monsoons cause wet and dry seasons throughout many tropics. Monsoons are most often associated with the Indian Ocean. Monsoons always blow from cold to warm regions. Other environmental issues Bhutan is facing are Deforestation, illegal and unsustainable wildlife exploitation, and the unsustainable agriculture. Deforestation happens so often in Bhutan because they need to make room for agriculture, leaving the tropical and subtropical zones of the south and the temperate zones of the interior in a state of risk. Illegal and unsustainable wildlife exploitation means that Bhutan is putting the lives of animals such as deer, tigers and leopards in danger so they can produce clothes and other products to sell. The Unsustainable agriculture in Bhutan means that Bhutanese farmers are gathering large quantities of livestock, which ends up exceeding the capacity of the land, leading to a great loss of species.
The solutions for all the environmental issues in Bhutan are, for the deforestation, Bhutanese can plant trees in inclined areas, for illegal and unsustainable wildlife exploitation the government can warn the farmers and create a new rule to limit the capacity to livestock per land, and for unsustainable agriculture, Bhutanese farmers could use renewable resources to make it more ecological while farming and to don’t harm the environment around it.
Bhutan’s most important natural resources is Cement, wood products, processed fruits, and alcoholic beverages. Also, according to britannica.com, “Geological surveys have revealed an array of valuable mineral deposits in Bhutan, but mining remains a slow-growing portion of the economy. Calcium carbide—the country’s main mineral export—limestone, dolomite, gypsum, coal, marble, quartzite, and talc are the primary products of the country’s mining activities. Other minerals, extracted in smaller quantities, include slate, beryl, pyrite, and various gemstones, as well as a number of metals, such as lead, copper, tin, iron, and silver.” Bhutan’s main energy source is Hydroelectricity (same as Brazil). Bhutan has potential to generate 30,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power.
