Desi High School in Thimphu, Bhutan, has launched a five-year project to restore two hectares of degraded forest land near its campus. The initiative follows a forest fire in Debsi in February 2023, which claimed four lives and burned thousands of acres. The project, in partnership with the Divisional Forest Office, Department of Forests and Park Services, and the World Wide Fund, aims to improve tree survival rates and regenerate degraded landscapes. The school will plant fire-resistant species and take full responsibility for managing the area, including installing water tanks, fencing, procuring saplings, and maintaining the area with funding from project partners.
Bhutan’s forest cover is currently at 69.71%, but 28,625 hectares have been lost over the past five years due to fire incidents. Thimphu Dzongkhag has the largest area of barren forest land in the country at 45.18 percent. Timber harvesting contributes to 95% of forest degradation, followed by pest and disease infestation, waste disposal, forest fires, and grazing. A school is reforestation project aiming to mitigate local emissions and contribute to Bhutan’s carbon neutral pledge. Desi High School will plant at least 2.222 seedlings of various species, with a secure fence around the site and detailed records of plantation and maintenance activities. The school aims to maintain a minimum survival rate of 70%.