FOREST RESTORATION (BFR).

I am Sonam Tobgye from BHUTAN.   I have a Bachelors and Masters in Commerce, pursued advanced courses in management and accounting at the University of Calgary, Canada. I obtained my PhD from Queensland University of Technology, Australia with a nomination for  Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award. I  pursued Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) courses in Australia.

I worked as the dean, lecturer, corporate executives and Gross National Happiness (GNH) Consultant in Bhutan and beyond (Australia). I have affiliations with Institute of Management Studies (IMS) as the lead consultant & trainer, Institute of Excellence and Development as a visiting faculty and course designer, Institute of Happiness (IOH) as the Head of International Relations Divisions and Bhutan Chamber of Commerce (BCCI) as a trainer. I taught TEVT courses in a number of colleges in Australia. In Bhutan, I am the local promoter/investor for the FDI Company, Bhutan Data Scientists Pvt. Ltd.

Bhutan’s forests have offered indispensable social, economic, and environmental benefits throughout our history. As a country known for our unparalleled natural landscapes, healthy forests have been and continue to be the root of growth and opportunity for Bhutan. Now, our forests are challenged by the devastating effects of climate change. Whether recovering from drought, flooding, wildfire or invasive pests, our forests are in peril. We need to ensure the health of our forests and increase tree planting to grow a new forest.

Thus, BFR inspires and advances the conservation of forests through “Protecting and Restoring threatened forest ecosystems and connect our forests to encourage greater resilience.”

Every Bhutanese is a trustee of the Kingdom’s natural resources and environment for the benefit of the present and future generations and it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to contribute to the protection of the natural environment, conservation of the rich biodiversity of Bhutan and prevention of all forms of ecological degradation including noise, visual, and physical pollution through the adoption and support of environment-friendly practices and policies”. BFR strongly lays its paramount regard enshrined in Section 2 (d) ofArticle 5 (Environment) of The Constitution of The Kingdom of Bhutan, “Ensure a Safe and Healthy Environment: The Government shall ensure that, to conserve the country’s natural resources and to prevent degradation of the ecosystem, a minimum of SIXTY Percent of Bhutan’s total land shall be maintained under forest cover for all time.”

Additionally, BFR’s projects “Protect, conserve, and improve the pristine environment and safeguard the biodiversity of the country; Prevent pollution and ecological degradation; and, Secure ecologically balanced sustainable development while promoting justifiable economic and social development.”By the same token, the holistic and sustainable approach to development paradigm, Gross National Happiness’ Pillar embodying national and local values and aesthetics tradition of “Conservation of Environment” is firmly upheld.

BFR aims to recover hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, safeguard vital watersheds, absorb millions of tons of greenhouse gases and protect some of the most stunning landscapes across the nook and cranny of the country. At the same time, we use trees and greenspace to make our communities more sustainable, beautiful, and livable. Most primarily, it also addresses the challenges of climate change by enhancing the capacity to sequester harmful emissions, reduce flooding and provide a cooling effect.

We are dedicated to making our forests stronger and greener. Our ambitious tree planting initiatives, extensive education programs, and decades of community engagement shall undoubtedly help plant millions of trees each year and it’s through these efforts that we are bringing our vision for healthier forests to a new generation of Green Bhutan. We are equipped with an experienced professional, possessing access to deeper levels of expertise in a specific field and have a wide knowledge of the subject matter who brings a specific level of expertise and contextual knowledge to each engagement with a power to integrate the experience, data, and holistic understanding to create long-term solutions and value. 

Besides the basic natural habitat provisions, the forests also provide a sense of protection and of being warmly embraced during the winter months as the mature spruce trees danced through the wind and seemed to envelop us in a cocoon. Therefore, it is not an easy decision for the members of the community to cut down the forest. At BFR, we share the citizenry concern and create an opportunity to replant a natural and diverse native forest as it once was. We plant native plants that are composed mostly of deciduous trees that shed their leaves over the winter which help build a rich humus soil that will, in turn, encourage biodiversity in all the different forest layers; from the earth to the canopy tops, in addition to creating a variety of micro-ecosystems and habitats for wildlife. During a reforestation or restoration effort, the focus is placed on the planting action. The maintenance or after-care of the trees is as important as planting them to reach the long-term goal of forest regeneration and ecosystem improvement. Irrespective of the season, with  frequent visits, we provide sufficient care of verifying and observing the condition of the tree and make the necessary adjustments.

Across the globe, climate change has become a major subject of concern. A significant change in the Earth’s climate has caused the average temperature on the Earth’s surface to increase. Now or Never is our time to take action in the fight against environmental justice. Hence, as usual for my humane engagement, I intend to execute sustainability through a leadership lens of environmental setting which helps identify individual and collective actions that help build more resilient and thriving communities

From its humble beginning a year ago, BFR has achieved exponential growth each month. As I look at the growth over the months since our inception, I am exceedingly proud of what we have achieved so far, and even more excited about our outlook for an equally promising future. It is through living our Vision, Mission and Core Values that we advance and uphold the reputation that gives us the vigour to march ahead.

BFR has succeeded to maintain incomparable and awe-inspiring rates owed in large, thus, the bar is set high for all our activities. This has been made promising by understanding the essential prerequisite of each assignment and applying it when crafting our operations.

The paradigm we share is embodied in what goes on from day today. We believe no one has a monopoly on good ideas, and, to grow professionally, we work with anyone who has constructive proposals for value-added performance. This passion remains the lifeblood of ours and continues to translate into a tremendous success.

After seeing the debilitating environmental, economic, security, and health impact of the climate change, I was impassioned to take up the climate change challenge and save the future generation; by focusing on remedying these effects and finding a sustainable solution and making our world a better place.Correspondingly, BFR focusses on a cause for environmental protection, planting and multiplying of trees to draw back the hand of the clock of the devastation of the climate change. Since then many of the actions have been implemented, viz. Planting of large numbers of trees; Fighting against Environmental Pollution, and Educational reinforcement focused on the environment to educate and inspire the population to adopt measures suitable for the environment. Most importantly, as a Servant Leader, I also work heart and soul to paint to find lasting environmental solutions and make our planet better. I believe that the most effective and sustainable solutions come from local communities. My role is to strengthen these efforts. So, my core values projects making Bhutan free from climate change and its impacts; create a framework promotion exchanges, sharing and pooling of experiences on environmental protection, and strengthening mutual assistance to citizens in the field of environmental protection.

In the same way that plants require sunlight and water for healthy growth, the environmental industry requires a combination of hard and soft skills to grow the best human capacities. With much hands-on experiences, I have acquired determination, independence, initiative and the ability to learn quickly and apply to learn proactively. I have also built a strong record of noteworthy attainments in increasingly more responsible environmental positions during my career. No matter where I have been, I have produced top-notch work because I am dedicated to making sure every piece stands out from the crowd. Keeping on top of projects and making sure all parts get to the finish line at the same time is one thing I do best. The ability to juggle projects and never missing a deadline didn’t just develop through my professional experience; but all with very different personalities, activities, schedules, and demands. I have learned to budget my time and my assets and most importantly, I have learned to be flexible and to get things done. Notwithstanding the volumes of pertinent experiences, I have delivered/attended to many of Environmental & Climate Change Seminars, Workshops, and Meeting. The impact of such Forums has also enabled the effective translation of developmental theories into practice, which assists in acquiring knowledge to apply in the real Workplace. It indubitably delivers in us a ‘Worthy Escort’ for the intellectual nourishment and growth, thereby, immensely assisting in the ‘Public Service Delivery’. G: Provide an example of your ability to overcome adversity.

Adversity is a great teacher. This is the chance to gain valuable insights; to truly learn from our mistakes, so we will have a better chance of success next time. However, we will have to engage in some self-reflection. Our troubles don’t define us. However, the way we handle them does. Because of that, we should always be aware of the kinds of adversity we might face in our lives, and understand the tools and techniques that can be used to overcome them. This scenario describes the workplace obstacles for me- “During one of my presentations before the prospective Board, a client suddenly wanted to change an entire campaign strategy one day before launch. The client was unhappy with my team’s first draft; so, we were tasked with redoing the entire plan. We organized a late-night brainstorm that evening. After hours of work, I asked to take the lead on putting together a new deck. This was challenging because it was my first time putting a deck together and also our one chance to make the client happy again. 

Leading people often involves making decisions and judgments about certain situations, which are important skills. The process of making decisions often involves evaluating risks and planning for potential events that might threaten a successful outcome. So, an effective leader must be able to act decisively, even without all the necessary information, that demonstrates our confidence under pressure and decision-making ability. A leader builds a network of followers, whatever the size. I try to step up as a leader whenever possible, because it allows me to develop skills in communication, delegation, and managing multiple tasks and deadlines. I wanted to build relationships that could benefit me in the future, as well as learn more about how they had achieved success. In my last job, I was responsible for supervising a team of nine, including managing their schedules, training them and mentoring them. They productively channeled their energy because they knew they would be heard. I enjoy leadership and am proud to say that five of these nine people were promoted while I was mentoring them. By taking this initiative, I was able to build my confidence and determine what skills I needed to focus on to move up in my career

To reiterate, the Department of Forests & Park Services, Ministry of Forests and Agriculture(www.moaf.gov.bt), which is the Parent Organization is approached at all times for direction about the ‘Plantation Sites’. BFR’s every move conforms to the prescribed Rules and Regulations of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Furthermore, an Expert’s guidance and timely interventions are sought from the relevant Stakeholders, i.e., National Environment Commission Secretariat (www.nec.gov.bt) and Royal Society for Protection of Nature (www.rspnbhutan.org), and Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (www.bhutantrustfund.bt).