Every choice you make today is shaping your future. This couldn’t be truer for the villagers of Dagor chiwog of Shumar Gewog in Pema Gatshel. They chose not to tap resin from pine trees anymore. They have forgone one of their primary income sources for a healthier environment.
Tapping resin is a practice that thrived in the community until last year. They would chop the bark away so that the sap seeps out into a container nailed into the tree.
The villagers used to earn more than Nu 50,000 each every year from resin tapping. And the market was never an issue.
The Dagor Tshogpa, Sherab, says the responsibility to take care of the forest fell on them after the forest was adopted as a community forest. “That’s when we realized the adverse impact of resin tapping from the trees. It was not a sustainable practice. So we discussed with the members and decided to stop it,” he said.
“In the past, the means to make money were limited. But now, things have changed. We found a lot of disadvantages, so we stopped tapping resin. It is for the benefit of future generations,” said Kezang, from Dagor.
“We have to incise the trunks of about a thousand trees. If there are more, we continue. But after giving much thought, we realized it was not sustainable and fair on the younger generations,” added Jamtsho, also from Dagor.
International studies show that resin tapping affects the growth of trees; some even die. There are also examples of trees becoming less resistant to climatic conditions and their timber quality declining.
Meanwhile, today, having stopped resin tapping, the people of Dagor are more focused on agriculture farming and also work at construction sites for a living.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Tshering Zam
