The future of yak farming and herding culture in Bhutan: A case of the Brokpa herders of Merak and Sakteng

Abstract

This article explores the impacts of recent trends in yak farming on yak herding culture among the Brokpa of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Bhutan. It assesses the challenges experienced by herders in the context of climate variability and socioeconomic development. The data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 20 Brokpa in Merak and Sakteng and through analysis of livestock census records of six consecutive years (2013–2018). The results of the study reveal a number of significant issues: a labor shortage resulting from Brokpa youths leaving villages for better job opportunities, overgrazing and shrinking of rangelands, and declining yak populations due to disease and predation. In addition, study respondents worried about the unpredictable displacement of Brokpa and a possible loss of identity as a result. Unless alternative policies and interventions are adopted to ensure the sustainability of yak farming and rangelands, the future of yak herding culture is uncertain.