The Samazingkha ridge in Thimphu will be converted to an Agroforestry landscape. To this effect, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests(MoAF) signed a grant agreement of Nu 15m with the Bhutan Trust Fund today.
Under the project over 330 acres of the valley will be converted into terraces. Along the steep slopes the ministry will plant various trees such as fruit and ornamental trees. The space in between the tree saplings will be used for growing agriculture crops. The areas with gentle slop are going to be developed into paddy and horticulture farms.
To start with, the ministry has already planted 5,000 fruit tree saplings.
“Due to repeated forest fire at Samazingkha area, the land has become barren. Forest officials, armed forces undertook many re-plantation activities but it was useless,” said Gyeltshen Dukpa, the Chief Forestry Officer with MoAF.
Along with the Agroforestry project, the Bhutan Trust Fund also sanctioned grants for three more projects worth about Nu 14m. It includes building socio-ecological resilience: An adaptation to progressive climate change in Sagteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Introducing environmental science in formal Education for classes nine and ten and zero waste project in Samdrup Jongkhar and Wamrong.
