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Sustainability of Yak Population in Haa

In the high altitudes of Haa, majority of nomadic inhabitants depend on rearing yaks (Poephagus grunniens or Bos grunniens) for their livelihood. Located at an elevation ranging from 1,000 to 5,600 meters above sea level, around 25% (Torsa Strict Nature Reserve, 2011) of the people depends on yak and its products for their livelihood. Yak is the prime source of their livelihood and is also used as a beast of burden. However, with modernization seeping in, yak herders say that the tradition may vanish in a few decades. ( Dahal, 2008) Yak is a multi-purpose animal, providing its owners with milk (and the resultant milk products), meat, hair and wool, hide, work as a draught animal (packing, riding, ploughing) and feces – important as fuel in the absence of trees, but also as manure and as a building material. The yak is integrally associated with the culture, religion and social life of its herders, their families and communities. However, with outside pressures influencing th

Great Evening

It was really a great evening sitting on the chair in conference hall and discussing the issues. although i am not the leader for the students and nor do i represent the students but my self interest dragged me to the college's most important meeting. Many will support me in regard to organizing a literary activities in college as such shall enhance our knowledge. i was just interested to fill up the gap so that i, we and all of us will at least get a chance to participate in such activities. but my wishes were overturned when the management just revolved round the activation of the present clubs which are either dead or not functional. I have lots of ideas and plans. i almost spent many days to frame a proposal and a working plan which now goes into vain. if existing clubs functions as expected i shall be grateful to the management body. however if it runs short, i shall rise again to put back my proposal.

Buddhism, Environment and Gross National Happiness

Buddhism can be stated as principles of life rather than a religion which encourages us to follow a middle and righteous path. The middle way is the Eightfold Path, as it is called: Right Faith, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right action, Right Living, Right Effort, Right Thought, and Right Self-concentration. If we are to slow down the rapid depletion of our natural resources, then we must follow the middle path and have to keep a check on the selfish way of life   (Raj, 2011) . Moreover, according to the ethics of the Buddhist middle way, the destruction and capturing of living things is acceptable as long as the regenerative potential of an ecosystem is not destroyed. The ethics of this middle way neither denies the survival of remote cultures, nor allows the destruction of an ecosystem, as long as securing the benefits for the cultures in need does not exceed the ecosystem productivity. Human beings have over exploited the natural resources and disturbed the ecological balance

Sustainable Development and Gross National Happiness

Guided by the philosophy of GNP, People took sustainability of its kind as an implicit goal but began to exploit, extract and produced comforts and luxuries. Those countries who lagged behind hoped to catch up and those who are ahead spurred on to keep their lead to extract, produce and consume more, and created a consumerist market economy. We have been cutting down trees blindly and emitting harmful gases in the atmosphere thereby causing global warming, climate change and many other bitter reactions that accelerates the crumbling of the earth. The central theme of Buddhism, universal goal of development and ultimate dream of happiness is not about accumulating or consuming material wealth rather is about the meaningful association with the natural world (although, different people may have their own definition for happiness). Thus to save the mother earth from complete destruction and before it reaches the point of no return, Bhutan introduced its concept of Gross National Ha