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| His Majesty the 4th King |
The celebration of the Social Forestry Day has
significant importance in our country. We celebrate the day to mark Our Beloved
King His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s Golden Reign. It is an occasion to
offer our heartfelt gratitude to our visionary monarch under whose benevolent
leadership; our country is enjoying unprecedented socio-economic developments.
We the people of Bhutan live healthier, happier and more fulfilled lives.
His Majesty being a nature conservationist
declared early in his reign that Bhutan must maintain 70 percent forest
coverage for all time to come. The National Assembly members later endorsed
this policy and it is now enshrined in our constitution. It will continue as
the guiding principles for all future development in our country. Today, the
forest covered area is about 70.46 percent. Hereafter too, we should work hand
in hand and maintain forest covered areas more than that of today.
The people’s participation in such social
works should be highly appreciated. The people’s participation would help
conserving forested areas henceforth. To recognize the people’s participation
is the key conservation and development of the forest resources. In 1979, a
Royal Decree was issued to involve local people in planting trees on their own
or communal land, which would help conserve forest. This marked a paradigm
shift in forest management from the tree oriented approach to people-centered
forest resources management. The existing law not only enables citizens to take
part in planting but also guarantees them ownership of the trees they plant.
This would directly or indirectly help conserve forest areas in the country.
Today, our forest areas are under great
pressures from various aspects such as forest fires, human-induced environment
impacts, urbanization, soil erosion and many more. These give tremendous
pressures on forested areas and shrubs. The forest covered areas are lost in
previous years due to infrastructural developments, forest fires and other
related threats in past few years.
Recently, thousands of acres of forest areas
are lost to forest fires in eastern Bhutan including number of houses. The
numerous forest fire incidences are reported with report of lost of several
acres of forested areas. When thousands of forested areas are destroyed by
forest fires, soil erosion, and other direct and indirect threats will lead to
‘Climate Change’. Today, climate change is one of the much debated issues in
the world and in our country.
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| Officials planting trees during Social Forestry Day |
Since year 1985, His Majesty the King Jime
Singye Wangchuck’s Coronation Anniversary has been observed as Social Forestry
Day. The essence of celebrating Social Forestry Day is to remind us how
important forests are to our economic and ecological well being. We all have a
sacred responsibility to ensure that this gift of nature is passed on intact to
our generations. The Social Forestry Day also aims to foster and inculcate love
for plant and nature by human beings (us). It is indeed very important that we
become environmentally conscious citizens.
The Social Forestry Day is marked on 2nd
June every year to plant trees and remind us with importance of forest and His
Majesty’s benevolent reign for more than three decades. With this people of
Bhutan including various officials, students and local communities, etc. will
jointly plant trees for social benefit and to enhance forest cover all over the
country. It is also the day to mark coronation of our Fourth Dragon King, Jigme
Singye Wangchuck.
Therefore, on the very auspicious day (the
Coronation of Fourth Dragon King and Social Forestry Day), I on behalf of the citizen
of our country and on my own behalf would like to wish His Majesty the Happy
coronation day and offer communal prayers for LONG LIVE OF FOURTH DRAGON KING. I also urge one
and all to be mindful of our sacred responsibility and to take active part in
the tree planting program as we observe the Social Forestry Day. I wish
successful Social Forestry Day. May it increases in you, the appreciation and
love for our life long giving forests.
Long Live Our Fourth Dragon King
and Happy Planting Trees!
