June 11: Agriculture officials and beneficiaries met in Paro on Monday, June 9 to review a project which was initiated to cut down fire wood consumption. Bhutan has the highest per capital consumption in the world.

To cut down the use of fire wood in rural areas, the Council for RNR Research and the Department of Livestock initiated a pilot project. Under the project solar power and metal stoves were distributed in some villages in Paro.

The beneficiaries and officials met in Paro to review its success and relevance. The participants said the project was successful.

For example, the use of kerosene in Soe Yaksa and Nubri villages in Paro was cut down by almost 90% after they were provided with solar power and metal stoves.

Dr. Tashi Samdrup the Director of the Council for RNR Research said with the people using less firewood and kerosene, health and hygiene in the homes has also improved.

The project was initiated with technical support from the International Center for Integrated Mountaineous Development (ICIMOD) and financial assistance from the Austrian Development Agency.