Bhutan’s aim to maintain more than 60 per cent forest coverage for all time to come is threatened by frequent landslides and forest fires. In what could be a game changer to achieving this ambitious commitment, students of Dechencholing Higher Secondary School have come up with a model. The model named “Envirothon Innovation” has all the solutions.
Dechencholing Higher Secondary School’s “Envirothon Innovation”, won the STEM festival competition organized by Women in STEM Field recently. The model proposes solutions to some of the persistent issues faced by the country like landslides and deforestation.
“During winter there are high chances of a forest fire. To counter that we have an Aerial reforestation plan for the future. We are using tree cones, and the tree cones are bio-degradable. It degrades within five to ten days. And in the future, if we can really work on this idea, we can plant 100,000 trees per day. We are also going to install PVC pipes under the ground, which absorb rainwater and drain it out from the ground to the river to reduce landslides,” said Tshewang Tandin, an XI Science student of Dechencholing Higher Secondary School.
The young students have also come up with an idea to harness the heat from the sun to stop cyclones using a satellite. They also have solutions to reduce copper imports in the country through the use of ink conductors. It provides an alternative to copper wires.
Through all this, they are hoping to address the unemployment issue in the country.
“In our country, there are many jobless youth. Our youth don’t get to study space and all. Now, we have come up with an idea, we can provide them with jobs in the space station idea. We can employ about 500 youths in that station,” said Thinley Dorji, also an XI Science student at Dechencholing Higher Secondary School.
According to Suban Rai, the focal teacher of the team, such platforms are necessary for the students to implement theoretical learning into practice. However, he said it is crucial to support and hone young minds:
“My only worry is how they are going to give life to this kind of innovations or creativity or imagination that they come up with. Quite often, what happened to the previous students is they lacked finances and support. Quite often, what these imaginative, creative heads think would be unrealistic to many. This could discourage them.”
Despite failing several times, the students said their conceptualization of the model was not to just win the competition but to contribute to curbing national and global issues. They aspire to take their ideas further and possibly venture into building their career.
Karma Samten Wangda/Tashi Yangden
Edited by Sonam
