LocationsReviving paddy cultivation in Bhutan
“I led a tough life without water.”
December 10, 2024
Villagers in Phangyul Goenpa in central Bhutan celebrate their new piped irrigation scheme.
Photo: UNDP Bhutan
The last time Sumcho Pem, 45, from Phangyul Goenpa in central Bhutan planted a paddy field was about 20 years ago. Acute water shortage that has plagued the community for decades had forced her and her neighbours to forgo paddy cultivation.
Sumcho never thought she would be able to grow rice again, but thanks to a new irrigation scheme, she found herself back in her paddy fields. “I am overjoyed to see the water issue solved finally. I have more than 10 acres of land but almost 80 percent of the land remained fallow all these years due to water scarcity. Now that we have water, we will be able to use all our land for farming,” she says with a radiant smile.
More than 1,000 acres of land was fallow in Phangyul and Kazhi villages until now, resulting in large economic losses for the communities. As the water scarcity worsened, some people left their villages. Kinzang from Phangyul Goenpa was one of them. “Without water, there was nothing to do. Therefore, I left my village and returned a few months ago after around 16 years. I would not have returned had it not been for the irrigation scheme that brought water to Phangyul,” they said.
Sumcho Pem prepares her paddy field for cultivation. A 38-kilometre pressured piped irrigation scheme has enabled paddy farmers to return to their former occupation.
Photo: UNDP Bhutan
Gyem, 88, was overwhelmed with happiness. “I prayed for water every single day and my prayers have been answered finally. This is the day I have been waiting for. I led a tough life without water, but I am happy that the younger generation will not have to endure the problem. I tell my children that we now cannot afford to leave our land fallow,” she said.
The 38-kilometre pressured piped irrigation scheme, installed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock through the Supporting Climate Resilience and Transformational Change in the Agriculture Sector in Bhutan project, is supported by UNDP and funded by the Green Climate Fund.
The irrigation scheme was inaugurated in June amidst vibrant and jubilant celebration graced by Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL), UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus, Governors of Wangdue Phodrang and Punakha districts and officials from the MoAL and community members.
Gyem, 88, was overwhelmed with happiness when water returned to her village and enabled her to return to paddy farming.
Photo: UNDP Bhutan
The irrigation scheme has brought much-needed respite to the people of Phangyul and Kazhi who have languished under the weight of water scarcity. The US$ 6.08 million (US$4.44 million from the Green Climate Fund and US$1.6 million in co-financing from the Royal Government of Bhutan) climate-resilient irrigation scheme will now provide a steady supply of water for drinking as well as farming for 285 households, and will help irrigate 1,241 acres of land.
Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho said the inauguration is a historic day for Phangyul and Kazhi communities. “The irrigation scheme will not only boost livelihoods of the people in the two villages but also contribute towards boosting the country’s food and nutrition security, which is one of the key national priorities. I urge the community members to not leave your land fallow now that the water crisis has been resolved.”
UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus said the irrigation scheme is the start of a new chapter in the lives of people in Phangyul and Kazhi. “The irrigation scheme has touched the lives of 2,485 people, who for the first time in decades saw water finally arrive in their village. The project will add close to 40 percent arable land to Wangdue district. For UNDP, this will remain a key milestone of our partnership with the Royal Government of Bhutan in recent years.”
Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock (fourth left) and UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus inaugurated the new irrigation scheme.
Photo: UNDP Bhutan
These irrigation scheme will not only help boost livelihoods but also improve their resilience to the impact of climate change. The irrigation scheme is climate proofed, meaning it is designed to better withstand extreme weather.
As the water breathes new life into parched fields that had long been abandoned, the promise of a brighter future—one where the fields teem with abundance and the communities thrive—awaits Phangyul and Kazhi communities. “I can’t believe water is flowing into our fields. It’s a dream come true, and we are grateful beyond words,” Sumcho Pem said.
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