Youths United in Rome Conference to Halt Deforestation

An important international conference was held at the FAO Building in Rome last week (20-22/02/2018), "Working across Sectors to Halt Deforestation and Increase Forest Area - from Aspiration to Action". It is important in the sense that world's forests continue to shrink as human population increases and forest areas get converted into agriculture lands and other uses, with a deforestation rate such that in next 100 years, there will be no forest left on earth. Today the global forest area is 3,999.00 million hectares. Forests through its complex ecological system, on the other hand, provides a multitude of services like provisioning of food, fibre, fuel and fresh water; regulating the quality of air and extreme climates; supporting varied species habitats and maintaining genetic diversity; and of course a set of cultural services through recreation, aestheticism and spiritual experiences. Halting deforestation is the most pressing need of the planet of today. 

When world is in unity, halting deforestation will be possible and forests cover will increase

Through the continued efforts of the office bearers of International Forestry Students Association (IFSA), it has been made possible for the youths to take part in this crucial conference and around 50 youth delegates were selected from all over to represent the voices of youths for halting deforestation, a common aspiration. By virtue of being a student in Europe, my age doesn't bar from myself considering the youth, and it was a wonderful privilege that I have been one of the few selected delegates to attend the conference. The coordinating team from IFSA has already planned such that youths will be engaged in a day-long training session to equip the youth participants both in person and via online for accelerating efforts to halt deforestation through discourses on what is causing it and what global actions need to be taken? It was also a platform where youths propose ideas and messages for High-Level UN Political Agenda. The aspiration is to ensure and built a moment that is intergenerational and cross-sectoral, and to make sure that our collective change brings together a cohesive planet and halt deforestation. 

Youth Delegates Post Session Business

The training that was divided into three parts was intense but enriching where the youths were not only given theoretical backgrounds on "Thinking Landscape" and "Gender in Resource Management" by the subject experts but also rigorously engaging us in the group works and exercises that yielded striking outcomes. There are conflicting interests among competing land uses, which is the main reason leading to alarming deforestation and hampering positive progress, therefore thinking landscape and acting landscape is one of the best solutions to resolve the conflicts. This can best be achieved through "Understanding the Landscape", "Engagement of Every Stakeholder", "Engaging the Institutions", "Creating Landscape Market Values" and  "Effective Management" of the all these components, knowing that they are indispensable for each other in an intricate web. While understanding landscape approach is vital for halting deforestation, it is equally vital to mainstream gender equality in resolving the issues. We understand the need for gender equality but often fail to understand the full complexity of gender and its relevance to natural resource management. Through the role plays, we could demystify the gender complexity and could identify the asymmetries in power distribution across different societal actors, thus providing new insights, tools, and resources for accounting gender dimensions in halting deforestation. 

Furthermore, the youths also excepted ourselves as an important stakeholder in the effort towards hating deforestation so we got introduced to the important policies like UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF), to mobilize concrete actions and map out tangible implementation strategies and actions for such goals. This is being reiterated on the need to engage youths in important policy discussions and high-level conference so that they can reflect on the key discussions and share their ideas for possible action. As the conference progressed further, many youth delegates raised questions and sought clarification in most of the sessions and often vigours of youth in the form of shouting while applauding and letting the panels rise to shake with tunes in name of shaking coconut tree. This being observed by the highest level of delegates like ambassadors to UN FAO, they recognized the need to engage youth in such conferences in the future too. Moreover, the key messages for youths and by the youths from the present conference are also expected to be part of the final draft of the key messages of the conference, which will be presented at the 13th session of the UN Forum on Forests, this May. This is one big impact the unity of youth delegates have brought for actions towards halting deforestation. 

Besides, a smaller group of youth delegates too formed themselves into core team and tailored the entire session of the day in concise and digestible 15-minute online discourse, which the many aspiring youths who could not attend the conference in person can view it. I was not part of the core team, and work burden was lower for me. I am amazed at the energy and enthusiasm shown by the youth delegates and I felt that even at national level conferences, there is a need to engage youths and let them understand the processes of formulating high-level policy plans for the compelling social and ecological issues, after all, youths are not only the future leader but the general mass of the future world, who will face the consequences of today's plans and policies. 

The Rome conference in general is in pursuant towards fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals 15, Life on Land, target 15.2, which calls for halting deforestation by 2020 and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-30 Global Forest Goal 1.1 that urges a reversal in loss of forest cover and increase forest area by 3% worldwide by 2030. I thank IFSA for accpeting my participation and sponsoring the trip. 

Bhutan Radio collars her First Wild Tiger

Named, Tendrel Zangmo, meaning "auspicious omen"

Tiger collaring in process: (c) Kuensel

It was a pleasant surprise from a conservation hero and tiger biologist Dr. Tshering Tempa who is leading the tiger radio-collaring programme in Bhutan, when the news of the first tiger being collared made the headline in National Newspaper on the first day of the first months of Lunar Dog Year, Losar. A wonderful reason to celebrate the New Year and perhaps an "Auspicious Omen" for the future of tiger conservation in Bhutan. 

As per the new article, the tiger collared was a 3-year-old female, weighing 110 kgs and the team of foresters and Bhutanese biologists who made this major breakthrough in tiger conservation named her Tedndrel Zangmo, meaning "the auspicious omen". 

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is one of the largest carnivores in the world, with its range restricted in but widely spread across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. There are eight traditionally accepted subspecies of tigers but three subspecies were eradicated as early as the 1980s. Today there is less than 3200 adult tigers in the wild, spread across 7% of their historical range. They remain as one of the most threatened carnivores in the world and the species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation and losing landscape connectivity, prey depletion, and poaching are generally recognized as key threats leading to the decline of tiger population. 

Tiger in Subalpine Mountains of Bhutan

Panthera tigris tigris, the Bengal Tiger is the subspecies of tiger found in Indian sub-continent and neighboring states including Bhutan. While tiger population elsewhere are facing serious conservation threats, Bhutan's deep-rooted conservation ethos and reverence for tiger as one of the mystical creatures, have provided a safe haven for this animal to thrive. Conservation is further boasted through the visionary policies of our great Monarch with constitution mandating 60% forest cover for all the time to come, and designating over 50% of the country as protected areas and biological corridors. Through this conservation landscape, tigers roam between the country's subtropical jungles at an elevation less than 100 metres above sea level (masl) in Royal Manas National Park in the south to sub-alpine mountains as high as 4400 masl in Northern Wangchuck Centennial National Park. Therefore, Bhutan is the only tiger range country where Tiger and Snow Leopard habitat overlaps. Tiger is strictly protected under Scehdule I of the Forests and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan 1995, and people guilty of killing tiger are liable for a hefty fine of 1 million Ngultrum (15500.0 USD approx.). 

High-Resolution Image of Wild Tiger in Bhutan

On the forefront, foresters of Bhutan guard the tigers through intensive antipoaching patrolling using SMART tools and nation embarked to count the tigers using camera trap technology in 2014 and completed the survey successfully in 2015, counted 103 adult tigers with a density of 0.23 tigers per 100 sq.km. This is one of the significant findings in Dr. Tempa's work for this Ph.D. programme, which showed to the world that Bhutan can play a significant role as tiger source sites, in global tiger recovery programme of doubling the tiger number in the world by 2022, from the baseline of 2010. Bhutan otherwise was not included in a popular tiger conservation approach of securing 6% of the total tiger habitat as tiger source sites. While such findings are vital for letting the global community know of Bhutan's tiger conservation efforts, for the Bhutanese conservationist and biologists, it is our solemn duty safeguard our natural heritage with rich biological diversity and pass down to our younger generations, as did by our forefather to us. Successfully collaring Tendrel Zangmo under the leadership of Dr. Thsering Tempa, our own tiger biologists and programme director of Regional Tiger and Cat Research Centre in Bhutan, is but a testimony that we as conservationists can move with the global pace in using modern technologies in conservation, and address the challenging issues. 

Tiger collaring team back in 2015, off to field.

The radio-collared tiger has a transmitter attached around its neck, which sends the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates every hour and the data will be recorded by the receiver by the researcher at the station. The data thus obtained can be very beneficial in understanding the movement pattern of the tiger, the use of migratory corridors, actual home range, etc., which in turn will help in identifying conservation interventions including mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, and preventing g poaching incidents 

I had the privilege of being in the core team of Tiger Radio Collaring Project when the maiden radio collar programme began in Royal Manas National Park in November 2015. A team of dedicated foresters, also led by Dr. Tempa tried our best effort to capture one but without success. Perhaps the time was not right then so it is awe-inspiring to learn that it has been a success this time; a great milestone for now and a great opportunity ahead. Congratulations to the Team. For me, it's a wonderful opportunity to have worked with a great tiger biologist of my times at home and have constant guidance and support from him, Thank you Dr. Tshering Tempa.

Letro: Twitter

P.S: I made a tweet of the news report and amazed to see my tweet getting the biggest toll of retweets and likes by the enthusiastic conservationists and feline lovers from worldwide. The news seems to have simply awed them. 

Link to Dr. Tshering Tempas Ph.D. Dissertation titled "The Ecology of Montane Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris) in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan".

Destination Europe XI: Last trip of 2017

Much of Europe has been traveled and it was already the end of 2017. New Year was awaited but I wanted to make my probably last Europe trip before 2018 during the Christmas and New year Holidays. This I planned because 2018 will mark my last year at the University and I wanted to dedicate my time for successful completion of the University stuffs, most important one being the Master Thesis. Central Europe! I call it. Acclaimed to be most beautiful cities and much talked after by the travelers, I visited three cities. 

 23. Vienna: The capital city of Austria, which I am quite familiar with the name because many senior foresters graduated from a University in Vienna and also I have two of my forester friends studying there, learnt that the third friend was also not a stranger but a fellow blogger and an artist, with whom I occasionally converse. This is a plus point as I don't have to book hostels but to squeeze in their apartments and act like an important guest. I have informed my fellow foresters in Vienna about my travel plans and persuaded them to take a trip further with me as I have planned to visit the neighbouring cities too. 24th December, just before the Christmas I booked my travel and it was a tiring 15 hours journey in Bus from Greifswald to Vienna but worth a travel. 

I was warmly received at the station by one of my friends Rinzin who is a brotherly elder and senior Forester. He escorted me to their home and reaching their place gave even a warmer sensation of being at home. Four of them, two foresters and two layers were residing in the same house and sharing their meals together like a happy family. Being the lone Bhutanese, occasionally I use to have a strong feeling of loneliness and fondly miss my home. That day, however, was special with a special Bhutanese dish, jokes, gossips, and lot of laughter. The following day happened to by the Winter Solstice and it was yet again a pleasant surprise to have porridge early in the morning and begin the beautiful day contended. Later, my hosts in Vienna took me on a city sightseeing, but more than the eagerness to see the wonderful Vienna, I felt cozier talking with them and relaxing. 

My Hosts and me at Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace and Vienna

24. Budapest: I couldn't persuade them all but yes, two lawyer friends agreed to be my companion to the next destination, Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. Indeed my two forester friends had already visited the city the year before and moreover, our friend Dorji, the other senior Forester friend wasn't so well so it was logical for them to make yet another travel. Yet, I was glad that three of us were traveling together. Budapest is one of those cities often ranked in top 10 lists for travelers and I heard from many saying it is a must visit place. I am glad I made it there and more glad I was with like-minded friends, who weren't complaining of tiredness but so keen to keep the sightings counting. The accommodation was booked in a standard hostel we looked for Asian foods to have a nice feast, of course with a challenge because it was Christmas time and many restaurants were closed. Surprisingly, we came across a group fo Bhutanese students who were also on a euro tour there, it made a big pleasant group for us. We were strangers but the value of being Bhutanese made close acquaintances so fast. 

We had planned a night and two days in Budapest and to the chance to have a cruise by the famous river Danube in the evening, which provided us one of the most amazing night views of Budapest, with the glowing Parliament House in centre. Bubapest is so rich in History and it was amazing to learn that its parliament house is the third largest parliament building in the world, built in 19th century for millennium celebration. It glows majestically on the Bank of Danube, the river that begins from Black Forests in Germany, passes through 10 modern Europe countries and then ends in the Black sea. Budapest is indeed the term coined after congregating three cities there Buda and OldBuda on the right side and Pest on the left side of the river. There are countless attractions, many of which are bridges with their own significance and number of hot springs, experiencing of which requires more quality time. 

Chain Bridge

Parliament Building frnt view

Castle Bridge

Parliament building rear view with river Danude

Buda and river Danube as seen from Hill on Pest side

Caught in Budapest

25: Prague: After the trip to Budapest we returned to Vienna and there I spent two more days after which my return journey began with a halt at Prague, the capital of Czech Republic. It was very cold and my experience in Prague was brief. The past few days, I was with a good companion so the Prague moment was lonely and boring. It was considered one of the most beautiful cities but the cold took all the charm and I didn't find anything special there in Prague than the normal busy European streets. What a closing journey for 2017.

Presumably, it was the last trip but I can see lights on more journey as the journey will never end. 

Passu Diary as Book

Glad to have got an invitation for a great event at the corner in Thimphus heart but sadly I can't get to it. In little ways, I am part of some inspirational group of folks who not only writes but do amazing pieces of stuff.  "Passu Diary, Journal of an Ordinary Bhutanese" was the sole inspiration that awakened the pen inside me to jot down the scripts; not the heart throbbing romances, nor the inspirational self help classics, neither the satirically comic bundle of poems, but free-flowing proses and verses with the simple journey of life as the muse. The journey that is mostly through woods but through others too. And the others are varied and fascinating in itself like that of the exhilarating journey through the woods. Yes, a blogger was born in me in 2010, inspired by "Passu Diary". 

The first post was titled "Threshold of my Future" but little did I knew that the future is always yet to come, meaning greater days are yet to come. Each passing day has its own stimulus and taste are always different. And with a lively taste bud, there is numerous flow of muses in our sphere, in the blogosphere, the reason I am a part of some inspiration group of folks, the bloggers. Bloggers are writers and writers are authors. Many bloggers friends have a book or two in their name and each day passing day a new book is coming and I can only feel myself at the Threshold of my Future. 

Expressing my heartiest congratulation to Chaplop Passang Tshering for his debut book titled with his Blog name.