IPSI Case Study Summary Sheet
Basic Information
Title of case study (should be concise and within approximately 25 words)
Assessment of Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services in Barshong, Bhutan

Submitting IPSI member organization(s)Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)

Other contributing organization(s)International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal.

Author(s) and affiliation(s)ICIMOD and RSPN (Partners)
Manuscript
Format of case study
Keywords (3-5 key concepts included in the case study)

EnglishLanguage

State and dynamics of ecosystems and their services and the nexus with human wellbeing
March 2017
Date of submission

Web link

http://lib.icimod.org/record/32572; www.icimod.org

Geographical Information
CountryLocation(s)BhutanBarshong Gewog (sub-districts) in Tsirang Dzongkhag (district), located in the south-central part of BhutanLongitude/latitude or Google Maps link NAEcosystem(s)ForestX Grassland
X Agricultural
X In-land water
Dryland
Mountain
X Urban/peri-urban
Other
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area

CoastalBarshong is located in the south- central part of Bhutan. Major portion of the area is under forest cover,comprising mainly of broadleaf and chir pine species, combined with agricultural land. Agriculture is the main
source of livelihoods with combination of livestock rearing and a small section in waged labor.

Description of human-nature interactions in the area
Main land-cover types in the study area include agriculture, fallow land, forest, bare area, and water bodies.
Records from 1989 to 2014 shows very minimal changes in land uses and land cover. The three major
ecosystems– forest, freshwater, and agro ecosystems largely contribute to the livelihoods of the local
population.

ContentsStatus
RationalecompletedPeriod

Jan 2014 to Dec 2014

Ecosystem valuation of Bhutan by Kubiszewski et al. (2013) estimated USD 4,944 million worth of benefits
derived from ecosystem. However, the state of ecosystem is challenged by fragile mountain ecosystem,
increasing economic growth and anthropogenic activities. Development of policies and strategies to address thecomplexities of ecosystem management and enhance its services for human wellbeing is hence imperative.

Objectives
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the state and dynamics of the ecosystems and their services in
Barshong Gewog in Tsirang, Bhutan and the nexus with human wellbeing.

Activities and/or practices employedBesides secondary information, Participatory rural appraisal, household survey geospatial tools were used toassess the state and dynamics of ecosystems and their capacity to provide goods and services; community
vulnerability to drivers of change and their coping strategies to perceived changes. Additionally, ecosystemservices were also mapped bases on importance and dependency.

Results
Nearly 80% of the population are farmers with 100% dependent on varied ecosystems for livelihoods. Majority(29.3%) of households reported vulnerability in relation to poor production. The social and economic sectors
indicated improvement in the last decade. Considering the significance on their livelihood, around 87% ofhouseholds expressed willingness to pay for the management of ecosystems.

Lessons learned
The study was limited to identification of ecosystem services and their utility. Understanding the trends inecosystem services in relation to the wellbeing of people is key to know the real value of the ecosystem. Whilethe dependency on resources is high, the ecosystem health is still maintained. However, for sustainable
management, alternative livelihood options like tourism, cottage industries and market for ecosystem services
payment are recommended as opportunities to be tapped.

Key messages
Integrating ecosystem service perspectives, based on local context into policies provides significant
opportunities to contribute to key targets of sustainable natural resource management improvement on thequality of life of local people who depend on these systems.
NA
Relationship to other IPSI activities

Funding
The study was supported by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), throughEuropean Union funding, under the broad program of “Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change
Adaptation in the Himalayas (Himalica)”.

Contributions to Global Agendas
The table below shows based on the self-evaluation by author(s).  and  indicates the “direct” or “indirect” contributions to thefollowing global agendas respectively to which the work described in this case study contributes to.

CBD Aichi Biodiversity Targets (https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/)
Strategic Goal A
Strategic Goal B

Strategic Goal C

Strategic Goal D

Strategic Goal EUN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs)
