The Third Bhutan Exploration – Day 5
The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for sustainable development
April 26, 2024, is the day the Bhutan Royal Family and JTS will hold a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch a pilot project for sustainable development.
Early in the morning before the day’s schedule began, we visited Punakha Dzong, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Bhutan. This visit was specially arranged for the experts from Korea.
The water melting from the high snowy mountains flows down into two rivers that run through Punakha. The people of Bhutan call these rivers the “Father River” and the “Mother River.” At the point where the two rivers meet in Punakha, a towering fortress came into view, overlooking this meeting point.
As we crossed the bridge, the chief monk of Punakha Dzong warmly welcomed the JTS delegation and the accompanying monks. Guided by the chief monk, we toured Punakha Dzong, shared tea and conversation, and then took a commemorative photo together.
After touring the temple, they had a conversation with the chief monk.
“It would be great if the monastery could support young monks to receive school education up to the 10th grade. Last week, when I visited Kungarapten Chiwog, I saw a Bhikkhuni sending all the young monks to school. These days, as the general public becomes more educated, monks also need to gain knowledge and common sense about the world, which they can learn in school.”
“Yes, while large monasteries have educational facilities within them, smaller ones often do not. We will do our best to ensure that young monks can receive school education.”
After expressing their gratitude to the chief monk for warmly welcoming the JTS delegation, the team departed from Punakha Dzong.
They departed from Punakha at 9 a.m. and headed toward Thimphu. After driving for 2 hours and 30 minutes, they arrived at the central government office in Thimphu.
The Director of Agriculture from Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, along with other officials overseeing agriculture, warmly welcomed the monk and the delegation. They then moved to the meeting room to begin their discussions.
First, Yonten Gyamtsho, the Director of Agriculture at Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, gave a warm welcome address.
“We are delighted to meet the experts from Korea and warmly welcome you. Thank you again, Venerable Pomnyun, for giving us this opportunity to collaborate with these professionals.”
Following his welcome, the experts from Korea shared their impressions from their field visits in Bhutan, and a dialogue ensued with the officials from Bhutan’s Agriculture Department asking questions about their areas of interest. Agricultural expert Mr. Joo Hyung-ro provided various suggestions, including repairing agricultural irrigation canals, constructing farm roads alongside the canals, and securing fertilizer through the cultivation of green manure plants.
The Director of Agriculture then provided an overview of the current state of agriculture in Bhutan.
“The food self-sufficiency rate in Bhutan is as follows: for rice, 25% is produced locally, while 75% is imported. Vegetables have a self-sufficiency rate of 66%, with the rest being imported. Corn is almost entirely self-sufficient, though feed corn is still imported. If potatoes are included as a vegetable, the self-sufficiency rate rises to 85%. Potatoes are heavily exported, so we can consider them self-sufficient. As for fruits, Bhutan is largely self-sufficient because exports exceed imports, particularly in oranges and apples.”
In Bhutan, farmers face significant damage from wild animals. Currently, 30% of crops are lost due to these animals, prompting the government to develop various research and support plans. As for agricultural irrigation systems, only 25% of the total cultivated area has irrigation canals, with the remaining areas relying on rainfall, leading to low productivity. To address this, the government is planning support initiatives, including installing pipes for irrigation.
The Director of the Department of Agriculture highlighted the efforts being made to reduce damage from wild animals and secure agricultural water, which have been set as key priorities for the government.
After listening to the Director’s explanation, the monk shared some thoughts based on his experiences from visiting rural villages in Bhutan.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests of Bhutan has identified the major challenges as fencing and improving agricultural irrigation systems. Let me share a few thoughts based on our firsthand observations at the site.”
“First, in every village I visited, the residents spoke about crop damage caused by wildlife. However, they mentioned that the methods you discussed have not been very effective in preventing damage. The villagers preferred wire fencing. When I asked young farmers why they had installed the fences, they said that wild boars dug under the wire, and concrete work was needed to prevent this. In Nabji Village, all the farmlands were equipped with such facilities, which was possible because the land was well-organized. In other areas, where the fields are scattered, replicating Nabji Village’s setup would be quite costly. While the residents would appreciate the government providing these fences for free, we must consider whether this would be economically feasible for the entire country. We need to research methods that are both cost-effective and efficient. I think it would be useful to discuss this approach further in the future.”
“Second, the issue of irrigation canals. During my visit to the field, I found that there were canals built over 30 years ago. However, despite the effort put into their construction, many of them are now broken due to lack of proper maintenance. Therefore, the villagers are requesting pipes that are easier to manage. The question is, ‘Can these canals be quickly replaced with pipes?’ So, I spoke to the villagers and said,
‘Your parents’ generation built these irrigation canals from scratch in areas where nothing existed, so why can’t you maintain the canals that have already been built?'”
“Replacing the irrigation canals with new pipes at the expense of the budget is important, but it is also crucial to properly manage the existing canals. From what I observed, it seemed that repairs could be made without significant cost. The key issue is who will manage the canals and how.
Another problem I noticed was at the junction where the irrigation canal splits to serve individual fields. From the water source to the beginning of the farmland, there were concrete or piped canals. However, from that point onwards, where the canal branched off to the individual fields, everything was made of earth. This led to leaks, preventing water from reaching the lower fields. The farmers in the lower fields, who were not getting enough water, requested that a new canal be built.
Therefore, the canal from the water source to the beginning of the farmland should first be repaired, and then proper management will be essential. Of course, many farmers are elderly and already have heavy workloads, making maintenance difficult, but since this benefits them personally, it is something they must resolve themselves. When we, at JTS, asked if it would be possible to provide only the cement and have the villagers contribute their labor, most of the villagers agreed. However, if the government takes over the task, I believe the villagers will expect the government to handle everything.”
Rice farming also requires improvement. The villagers have been practicing crop rotation but have not been using any fertilizers, which has led to a continuous decline in production. They were not using any form of manure. In Korea, livestock manure is fermented and used as fertilizer, but here they do not follow that practice.
“I propose utilizing green manure crops as a solution. If these crops are planted during the off-season, they naturally produce nitrogen. When the land is plowed, they can be turned under to supplement the lack of fertilizer. Additionally, when planting rice seedlings, it would be beneficial to plant them more widely and in straight rows, which would help improve sunlight exposure and air circulation. These are technical aspects of rice farming that could be improved first.
Organic farming does not mean leaving crops in their natural state. While we should avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it is necessary to introduce new technologies and farming methods. Today, we discussed just rice farming, but in the future, we should have more discussions, share experiences, and research better methods for other crops as well.”
“However, according to local government officials, even when new farming methods are introduced to the farmers on-site, they are often not well accepted. Therefore, it would be beneficial to first operate demonstration farms in each village. This way, farmers can directly observe the increase in yields or improvements in efficiency when new farming techniques are applied. The key perspective at the moment is, “How can we use the resources we have efficiently?””
“It seems that the villagers believe that simply introducing new farming equipment or adopting foreign methods will improve their situation. However, rather than merely imitating foreign practices, it would be better to adopt the perspective of “How can we effectively utilize the resources Bhutan has?””
“After conducting a market survey on pipes, I found that all of them are from India. If we were to install pipe irrigation systems, it would ultimately mean relying on imported goods. However, if we focus on repairing the existing canals, we could use cement produced in Bhutan. This way, we wouldn’t need to spend foreign currency, and it would be better for the environment as well. While investing in new systems is a good idea if funds are available, realistically, given the financial constraints, it would be more practical to focus on researching ways to manage and maintain the existing irrigation systems effectively. Therefore, I recommend an approach of “getting close to the field, accurately assessing the situation, and finding the most effective methods that require minimal spending.””
“These are the insights we’ve gathered from visiting the field in detail, so please take them into consideration. We plan to conduct pilot projects in the field in this way before implementing the full-scale project, because the lower the cost, the more likely it is that the project can be expanded nationwide in Bhutan.”
“You are also researching ways for farmers to participate voluntarily and independently, which is commendable.”
“Yes, from the perspective of GNH, happiness is not something given by others, but something we create for ourselves.”
“Thank you very much today. Your detailed feedback will be a great help to our farmer support policies. I especially appreciate your suggestion to conduct cost-effective pilot projects with JTS. We look forward to good results. I wasn’t able to respond to all the points you raised today, but I’ve written everything down. I truly value the feedback you’ve provided and will make sure to incorporate it moving forward.”
“Yes, next time, I’ll bring experts in livestock, fruit farming, and agriculture to offer advice and share their insights.”
After an engaging 1.5-hour discussion, it was time to wrap up, but they agreed to meet again in the future. For our next meeting, they plan to bring several Korean experts to continue the conversation. The JTS team then left the Bhutanese government office, looking forward to the next steps.
Afterward, the team got back into the car and headed to the Korean restaurant, Sanmaru, located in downtown Thimphu for lunch. After the meal, they proceeded to the Bhutanese government office, where the Bhutanese royal family and JTS were set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for sustainable development.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Sustainable Development
At 2:30 PM, before signing the MOU with Kesang Deki, the Minister of the Bhutanese Cabinet, they had a meeting to review the agreement document.
After reviewing the agreement in advance, they had to make some urgent revisions as local officials from Gemgang and Trongsa requested a few changes. After spending about an hour making adjustments to the wording, the document was finally completed. Once the MOU was finalized, Minister Kesang Deki smiled and said,
“We fully agree with everything that you have proposed. Since this project will be led by someone with rich experience and wisdom, we are eager to sign the agreement without any hesitation.”
According to Bhutanese tradition, there are auspicious dates and times. After checking, it was found that the best time was between 3 PM and 5 PM, so the agreement was scheduled to be signed during this time. Upon hearing this, the monk smiled and said,
“As a lama, I am blessed with divine protection, so the time I sign will be the most auspicious. So don’t worry.” (laughs)
Subsequently, Venerable Pomnyun and Minister Kesang Deki signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the pilot project on sustainable development between JTS and the Bhutanese royal family.
After the signing, a commemorative photo was taken.
“Thank you.”
The experts from Korea applauded enthusiastically, celebrating the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) together.
With the MOU now in place, a bank account was opened today for JTS and the Bhutanese royal family, paving the way for many upcoming pilot projects to be launched in the future.
We had dinner at the Korean restaurant Sanmaru with the Bhutan Cabinet Office. The gathering included Kesang Deki, the Cabinet Minister, Bhutanese government officials such as Rinchen and Yeshi, as well as experts from Korea and JTS staff, all coming together in one place.
Minister Kesang Deki began by expressing his gratitude.
“We are delighted to have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We will provide all the support we can.”
During the meal, Venerable Pomnyun and Minister Kesang Deki engaged in extensive discussions about the direction of future sustainable development projects. Venerable Pomnyun proposed creating a new model for how the people of Bhutan could live more sustainably.
“Remodeling a house typically costs around 50,000 Ngultrum (approximately 800,000 KRW) to 100,000 Ngultrum (approximately 1.6 million KRW). During this process, a resident who had struggled with alcoholism became actively involved in repairing their own home, which significantly improved their mental health. It demonstrated that life could improve with just a little effort, rather than simply living as it is given. What we value most is that through this process, residents gain courage, confidence, and hope. An outsider visiting the house now might not notice any significant changes, as there’s nothing particularly striking at first glance.”
“Sudden changes can be difficult to adapt to, so sometimes it’s better not to make drastic changes all at once. Support should be provided very slowly and gradually. Otherwise, residents might feel that everything is being given to them too easily, and others might see this and start expecting more support.”
“Exactly. If residents from other areas come to see this and wish to do the same, our approach is to enable them to repair their own homes using the materials provided by JTS. Of course, a bit of technical support for each house remodeling will be necessary. That’s why I hope young people in Bhutan can receive training to take on these roles. When young people experience helping others, it gives them a tremendous sense of pride.”
Remodeling residential environments is still difficult to generalize, as the responses vary depending on the unique circumstances of each household. However, in my opinion, the key points are:
First, it must be low-cost, because affordability is essential for widespread adoption.
Second, it must be efficient.
Third, residents should be able to participate. If the remodeling process involves too many technical elements, it will be difficult for the general population to get involved in the project.
Fourth, it’s crucial that people experience joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment through their involvement in the work.
If residents misunderstand this project, they might feel that JTS’s support is insufficient. However, assistance that residents cannot sustain themselves often ends up being temporary, and people may fall back into poverty. It’s crucial to instill the mindset of “Taking care of my household” and “Improving our community ourselves.” These efforts require much more care and dedication than money.
While paving roads, a common request from residents, is necessary, the budget is limited. Does that mean they must continue living in inconvenience? Although it’s impossible to pave all sections, repairing frequently damaged areas can significantly improve the situation. Demonstrating such ideas consistently can help people realize, “Oh, we just need to put in a little effort.”
Moreover, these changes must be cost-effective to scale across Bhutan. If the costs are too high, the efforts will remain as isolated examples and won’t spread widely.
“That’s why we’ve conducted so many site visits. Linchen, who has accompanied us throughout this journey, has worked very hard. As we visited each village, the residents often asked, ‘What are they here for?’ or said, ‘They just come, look around, and leave.’
The reason this initiative is challenging to incorporate into a government project is that it works better when it isn’t one. If it were a government project, the residents wouldn’t take the initiative themselves and would instead expect the government to handle everything. Since government officials are elected, they tend to prioritize meeting the residents’ demands as much as possible.
Regardless, we plan to proceed with this method. We ask the Bhutanese government to allow us a little more time as we continue experimenting and refining our approach.”
“We, along with my team, are prepared to wait with patience. Our only concern is whether we can provide enough support to you. We are more than willing to wait. We understand that you have invested a great deal of time into this work. We are deeply grateful for the effort you have put into gathering many experts and dedicating your precious time and attention to this project.”
“The Venerable Monk has visited and thoroughly inspected far more places than I, a Bhutanese minister, have managed to. It’s truly admirable. Moving forward, we will provide any support the Monk requires and patiently wait for progress. We have no intention of rushing. Please rest assured; we will wait with patience and understanding.”
“Thank you.”
After finishing dinner and exchanging greetings, Venerable Pomnyun and the JTS team headed to their accommodation at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation (BNF) for the night.
To reach the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, they had to leave the outskirts of Thimphu and climb up a mountain hill for quite a while. With heavy luggage and bags in tow, they arrived at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation at 9 p.m., out of breath.
“Oh my, this is even harder than when we were touring the water sources.”
After settling in at their accommodation, they concluded their busy day.
On April 27, the team plans to depart from the Bhutan Nuns Foundation at 3:30 AM, visit Taktsang Monastery with the experts from Korea, and then head to Paro Airport to catch a flight back to Korea.
*This text was written and edited based on an article provided by the Monk’s Day Team
