Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative (SJI)

Overall Objective of the SJI

To raise living standards in Samdrup Jongkhar and establish food security and self-sufficiency, while fully protecting and

enhancing the natural environment and making it resilient to climate change, strengthening communities, stemming the

rural-urban migration tide especially among educated youth, and fostering a cooperative, productive, entrepreneurial, and

self-reliant spirit grounded in a rights-based approach to development, particularly focusing on women and youth

SJI Programme Areas

• Climate Smart Agriculture

• Appropriate Technology

• Zero Waste

• Youth Engagement

Specific Objectives SJI Climate Smart Agriculture Programme

To enhance food security, self-sufficiency, and income generation opportunities in a sustainable way through the implementation of climate smart

farming practices

Key Achievements• All Samdrup Jongkhar AEOs and other key dzongkhag

MoAF/NOP representatives trained in sustainable agriculture practices by Navdanya

• Approximately 2000 farmers trained by Navdanya and lead farmers

• Reduction in use of chemical fertilizers in the district

• Awareness on organic farming -> increase in supply of local produce

• Development of best practice knowledge products: posters, tutorials, case studies, case stories, organic agriculture resource database (ORD), farmer field manual

Key Achievements

• Lead farmer approach and model farms (70 lead farmers in all gewogs)

• Farmer Field Days (group exchanges)

• Pilot Impact Areas • Soil conservation (Serthi)• Organic vegetable production (Dewathang)• Organic rice growing/SRI (Langchenphu, Phuntshothang,

Pemathang)• Agroforestry (Gomdar)• Cash crop/asparagus (Orong)• Solar drying (Lauri)

Future Plans• Intensification of lead farmer approach in the dzongkhag

• Vegetable and dairy group formation and exchanges • Upscaling of pilot impact areas to remaining gewogs

(Wangphue, Martshala, Samrang) • Replication of lead farmer model to other Eastern dzongkhags

• IFAD/CARLEP collaboration

• MoAF/NOP, Dzongkhag and Gewog Administrations/GDG collaboration

• AEOs• SJI Agriculture Coordinator• IFAD/CARLEP

Specific Objectives SJI Appropriate Technology Programme

To increase income generating opportunities in a sustainable way through the implementation of

relevant, effective, and cost-efficient appropriate technologies in collaboration with the Centre for

Appropriate Technology (CAT) at the Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic (JNP)

Key Achievements

• Establishment of the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) at the Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic (JNP) -> RUB Centre for Excellence in Appropriate Technology

• Solar Drier Project (Lauri, Serthi)

• Rainwater Harvesting Project (Dewathang)• Rainwater Harvesting Manual

• Waste Segregation Project (Dewathang)

Future Plans

• Needs assessments to identify relevant appropriate technologies required by communities, particularly within the agriculture sector

• CAT-JNP collaboration in designing and implementing appropriate technology projects (e.g. electrical solar dryers, rainwater harvesting systems for agriculture purposes, green house construction from local materials, zero waste technologies)

Specific Objectives SJI Zero Waste Programme

To reduce waste and increase income generation opportunities through responsible and sustainable

waste management practices

Key Achievements

• Awareness on sustainable waste management• Zero Waste Training Manual

• Establishment of zero waste pilot projects in Dewathang and Wooling villages ->

• Reduction in waste/plastics (Reusable Bag Initiative)• Increased levels of segregation (Market, CGI, MRF in Wooling)• Increased recyclables collection and sales

• Certificate of Appreciation from Ministry of Works and Human Settlements

Key Achievements

• SJ Thromde implementation of zero waste pilot project in Samdrup Jongkhar town

• Development of a zero waste crafts product line with local women (Waste-to-Weaving project)

• Plastic bottle weavings• Plastic wrapper weavings

Future Plans

• Upscaling to Orong village and Samdrup Jongkhar town

• Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) collaboration

• Dzongkhag, Thromde, and Gewog Administrations/ GDG collaboration

• Zero waste trainers in each village• Waste segregation stations• Logistical support in waste collection• MRF construction in connection to landfills

Specific Objectives SJI Youth Engagement Programme

To contribute to reduction of rural-urban youth migration and youth unemployment by supporting innovative initiatives that foster creativity, artistic expression and critical thinking, enhances writing

skills, and develops leadership and entrepreneurial skills

Key Achievements

• Youth Workshops: Over 300 trained in arts, zero waste crafts, and media

• SJI Volunteer Programme: Hundreds of volunteers involved in implementing SJI activities

• Newspaper reading points• Certificates of Appreciation

• SJI Internship Programme: 7 local youth given initial work experience in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Human Resources

• Internship Certificates

Future Plans

• Job skills development workshops for youth• Continued on-the-job trainings for CAT-JNP students• On-the-job trainings on farms for Gaeddu college

students• Upscaling of SJI Internship Programme• Upscaling of SJI Volunteer Programme• Ministry of Labour and Human Resources

collaboration

SJI SWOT Analysis

Strengths• Partnerships with local, national and international

stakeholders• Community support and ownership• Social capital• Based in the field• Dedicated staff• Awareness and capacity development• Reaching women and youth• Knowledge products• “Rinpoche effect”

Weaknesses

• Difficulties in attracting qualified local staff in light of rural-urban migration

• Need for stronger field presence• Need to conduct more awareness and capacity

development• Need for stronger collaboration with RGoB to ensure

sustainability and upscaling• Difficult to meet ambitious vision and high public

expectations

Opportunities • IFAD/CARLEP Project• Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC)• CAT-JNP Centre for Excellence• RGoB/Dzongkhag and Gewog Administrations• Increased prices for vegetables and Thromde market shed• NEC Strategic Action Plan on waste management• Demand for replication of projects from other communities

and institutions• New markets for organic produce, compost, dairy, solar

dried produce, recyclables, zero waste crafts• “Rinpoche effect”

Threats

• Difficulties in obtaining visas for international staff• Funding not yet confirmed• Fluctuation in currency exchange rate• Rupee crisis• Potential increased incidence of pest attacks and

crop damage by wildlife• Water shortages• Increased prices for vegetables• Low prices for recyclables

How can the SJI contribute more strongly to local

development/strengthen government plans?

TASHI DELEK