June 2, 2018, Gasa:
Today Gasa most joyfully joined the nation in celebrating the Coronation Day of the Great Fourth along with the Social Forestry Day. Amidst many plantation activities held in different places in the Dzongkhag, the main celebration was held in Bjishong Central School followed by actual plantation in the Jigme Dorji Community Forestry in Selekha, Khamoed Gewog. The event was organized by the Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP), who has its HQ in Damji, Gasa. The event was attended by Lam Neten, Dzongda, Dzongrab, sector heads and other staff of Dzongkhag Administration and regional offices, students and teachers of Bjishong Central School.
Dzongda in his remark offered tribute of gratitude to The Kings of the Wangchuck Dynasty for their peerless leadership in the conservation and protection of the environment and making our country a global leader.
“….Today, Bhutan is praised by the global community for our peerless achievement in environmental conservation and protection. More than 50% of its land area is designated as protected areas that host an array of flora and fauna, including some of the rarest and threatened species. We are the only carbon negative country in the world. We practice “low impact-high value” tourism to reduce impacts on the environment. Our wildlife conservation is one of the most successful in the world.
Bhutan is greener today than it was at the beginning of Bhutan’s developmental process some 50 years ago and ours is the only constitution in the world that mandate the country to maintain 60 % forest cover for all times. Today more than 70 % of our country is under forest cover.
So it is our humble duty to express gratitude to our beloved farsighted Kings who have gifted us with the abundance of forest and natural resources due to which we enjoy fresh air, clean water, and pristine environment. The Fourth Druk Gyalpo is amongst the world top leaders in environmental conservation. He was among the earliest world leaders to become conscious of the mounting pressures of development on the bountiful, yet fragile ecosystem. As early as the mid-70s, he propounded the globally respected and admired development philosophy of the GNH, which has four pillars of which “environment conservation and protection” is one of them. Later he ensured that this was adequately enshrined in our constitution and the Article 5 is dedicated on “Environment”.
For such unprecedented contribution towards conservation and protection of the environment, our beloved Fourth Druk Gyalpo is also being highly respected and admired by the world. Let me just share few global recognition His Majesty The Great Fourth has received.
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck the Great Fourth is one of the first seven global environmental leaders to receive the first edition of the "Champions of the Earth" Award from UNEP, in 2005.
The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nations highest environmental honor recognizing visionary people and organizations all over the world that exemplify leadership and advocate action on sustainable development, climate change and a life of dignity for all.
The Great Fourth also won the 2006 J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership for his three decades of work on conservation of the environment. This award administered by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the annual prize is one of the world's most prestigious awards devoted to conservation.
The Great Fourth has been also inducted into the Kyoto Earth Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to the protection of the global environment in 2011.
Lastly on this auspicious day, we would like to humbly offer our prayers and good wishes for the long life of His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo and the continued flourishing of the Kingdom of Bhutan under the eternal stewardship of the Kings of the Wangchuck Dynasty.
Palden Drukpa Gyalo! Wangchuck Dynasty Gyalo!"
