Choeying Seldon
Paldon, Tashi
Abstract/Description
Rural, predominantly agrarian, areas in Bhutan are experiencing two concurrent trends, namely: 1) extensive outmigration, particularly among the youth, either to urban centers such as Thimphu or Phuentsholing or to international destinations like Australia, and 2) the effects of anthropogenic climate change that intervene with, and often adversely affect, agricultural returns, or that require innovation in terms of crop selection and farming techniques to sustain in the long run. The paper offers an intersectional approach to climate change and migration about the adaptive capacity of origin places. We do so through two case-studies of places that are currently experiencing both extensive out-migration and the impacts of climate change, namely Denchuka Gewog in Samtse and Kurtoe Gewog in Lhuntse. In Denchuka, we trace the brief history of cardamom production and focus on how the current decline in cardamom yields, resulting from climate change impacts has reduced the wellbeing of farming communities thereby influencing migration decisions. In Kurtoe, we note the presence of gungtongs (empty houses), which continue to grow in numbers despite concerted, and notably successful, efforts by the government to extend infrastructure, development, and other government services in the area. Crucially, in both areas we consider migration in relation to the wellbeing, adaptive capacity, and resilience of the left-behind farming communities.
