However, carbon emission is projected to rise to 7.52 million tonnes by 2050 with sequestration capability of 7.255 million tonnes, turning the country’s net carbon sequestration negative

Yangyel Lhaden

The country’s protected areas have the potential to absorb 5.88 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide annually and store over 300 million tonnes of carbon, according the latest report ‘Forest Carbon Accounting for Protected Areas in Bhutan (FCAPA) 2022’ released by the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS).

Currently, Bhutan’s total forest cover is 69.71 percent, of which 50 percent consist of protected areas, including five national parks, four wildlife sanctuaries, one strict nature reserve, one botanical park, and nine biological corridors.

The former director of DoFPS, Lobzang Dorji, said that this report is a significant step in understanding the environmental assets within Bhutan’s protected areas.  “While the effectiveness of protected areas as tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation is highly discussed at national and international levels, the climate change mitigation potential of Bhutan’s protected areas has not been properly studied,” he said.

He said that the report provides a detailed analysis of carbon dynamics within these regions, offering valuable insights to policymakers, conservationists, and researchers in making informed decisions.

Bhutan’s commitment to being carbon negative—absorbing more carbon dioxide than it emits—was reaffirmed at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2009. As of now, Bhutan is one of the  three carbon-negative countries in the world, alongside Panama and Suriname.

However, despite these achievements, Bhutan faces challenges. The latest greenhouse gas inventory projects that by 2025, the country’s carbon dioxide emissions will reach 5.23 million tonnes. This presents a stark contrast to the current sequestration capabilities, highlighting the importance of protected areas in maintaining Bhutan’s carbon-negative status.

Carbon emissions are expected to rise to 7.52 million tonnes by 2050 while sequestration is projected to reach 7.255 million tonnes, potentially turning the country’s net carbon sequestration negative. This  means Bhutan could emit more carbon than it could absorb under a business-as-usual scenario.

The report also states that since 2016 protected areas have emitted 1.95 million tonnes of carbon dioxide due to land use changes, deforestation, timber and firewood harvest, and forest fires.

Between 2016 and 2020, protected areas lost about 80,668 hectares of forest but gained back 35,502 hectares, resulting in a net loss of 45,166 hectares. However, the net gain improved to 12,443 hectares between 2020 and 2022.

Overall, there was a slight net loss of forest land from 2016 to 2022, with 0.31 percent converted to cropland, 94.69 percent to grassland, 0.38 percent to settlements, 1.23 percent to wetlands, and 3.38 percent to other uses, according to the FCAPA report.

The report recommended improved deforestation tracking using high-resolution satellite imagery and better field validation and monitoring land use and land cover change in the protected areas, among others.

The DoFPS aims to maintain 206 million tonnes of carbon dioxide storage in protected areas indefinitely. It also plans to capture an extra 35.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through natural forests, restoration projects, and renewable energy initiatives between 2018 and 2031. The target is to capture 2.51 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare each year through plant growth, with the help from the Bhutan for Life Project.