Bhutan loses acres of forest to fire every year, raising concerns about the impact on biodiversity, climate, and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. The country witnessed an increasing number of forest fires for three consecutive years. According to the Department of Forests and Park Services, 99 per cent of forest fires are caused by human negligence.
Despite countless fire prevention awareness campaigns carried out by the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), deSuung and the police among others, forest fires are recurrent, especially during the winter in the country.
As per records with the DoFPS, 26 forest fire cases were reported in 2020, 45 in 2021, 52 in 2022, and 72 in 2023, destroying vast acres of forest.
According to Section 339 of the Forest and Nature Conservation Rules and Regulations, 2023, setting fire to State Reserved Forest Land or State Land is an offence with fines ranging from Nu 200 per acre. In addition, offenders are charged a restoration cost of Nu 100 per tree damaged by the fire.
“When we talk about human negligence, it is mainly from burning agricultural debris. Then, some people smoke and throw their cigarettes without properly extinguishing them. Additionally, some people go into the forest to collect non-wood forest products or timber. They build camps and use fire, but after completing their work, they do not extinguish the fire properly,” said Ram Bahadur Mongar, deputy chief forest officer at DoFPS.
He added that forest fires can occur from natural causes, such as lightning, although this rarely happens.
According to the department, the main challenge in combating forest fires is a lack of manpower and resources. Furthermore, the department stated that apprehending individuals for causing forest fires remains another challenge due to the lack of concrete evidence most of the time.
“We air awareness messages on BBS TV. At the field level, the Division Forest Office creates awareness through workshops, meetings, and other activities. Additionally, we are initiating fire line construction in areas where it is necessary. Another step is the procurement of tools and equipment for firefighting,” added Ram Bahadur Mongar, deputy chief forest officer at DoFPS.
To prevent and manage forest fires, the Inter-Agency Forest Fire Coordinating Group was developed in 2017, consisting of members from the Department of Forests and Park Services, Army, Police, and deSuung among others.
The Fire and Rescue Services Division of the police has around 190 trained personnel and 53 fire-fighting vehicles across the country to respond to fire emergencies.
So far, the division has also trained over 290 deSuups to respond to fires and create awareness.
These trained personnel can only do so much unless individuals take their civic duty of protecting the environment diligently.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Phub Gyem
