Optimization of Solar Energy Tapping by an Automatic Solar Radiation Tracker

If the entire solar energy is tapped for an hour, it is believed to be able to light up the earth for a year” said Dr. Simone Boehme while addressing CST students on April 25th, 2017. However, it is not possible to extract one hundred percent of the solar energy anywhere at any time of the day with the present technology. The only possible thing is to optimize the available solar energy and there are numerous ways to enhance the solar energy tapping. The solar panel that could sense the movement of the sun would be one of the best alternatives to tap optimum solar energy as the panel will receive direct sunlight for a longer duration. This paper explains how the LDRs is used to move the solar panel according to the movement of the sun

Malaria elimination in Bhutan: asymptomatic malaria cases in the Bhutanese population living in malaria-risk areas and in migrant workers from India

In 2018, Bhutan reported 54 cases of malaria, of which six were indigenous, 14 introduced and 34 imported. Considering the continuous reduction in the number of indigenous cases, Bhutan plans to eliminate malaria by 2025 under the Bhutan Malaria Elimination Strategy. The study was conducted to assess the presence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection in both, Bhutanese population living in malaria-risk areas and in migrant workers to guide the elimination strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2016 in 750 Bhutanese people and 473 migrant workers. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections were investigated by using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection based on PCR was 0.27% (95% CI: 0.05–1.07%) among Bhutanese people with a mean age of 43 years old. The proportions of males and females were 45% and 55%, respectively. Among migrant workers, the prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection was 0.42% (95% CI: 0.07– 1.69%) with a mean age of 30 years old. The majority of migrant workers were from the neighboring Indian State of West Bengal (57.51%), followed by Assam (12.26%). RDT in both study groups did not detect any plasmodial infection. The presence of a low prevalence of asymptomatic plasmodial infection indicates that the current elimination strategies and interventions are effective

Optimizing winter climate control in high-altitude smart greenhouse through renewable energy integration

In the context of food security in mountain regions, this study explores the potential of a Smart Greenhouse (SGH) to address the challenges posed by climate change and limited resources. The SGH utilizes an 8 m2 solar water heating system, weather stations for external temperature and humidity monitoring, as well as internal light, humidity, and temperature sensors to create an optimized environment for crop cultivation. Experiments were conducted with various crops within the SGH during the harsh winter months, typically rendering the cultivable land fallow due to extreme cold conditions. The SGH is equipped with sensors and communication technologies, ensuring continuous data collection and the automated regulation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Located in Genekha, Thimphu, this pilot SGH seamlessly integrates renewable energy technology to provide heat during the cold winter season, obviating the need for external heating sources in the summer. The study employed TRNSYS and OpenStudio simulation software to assess the SGH's performance, focusing on temperature and humidity control inside and outside the greenhouse. Additionally, soil pH and nutrient content were examined, and the time required for crop growth and harvesting was recorded. In conclusion, this paper acknowledges some of the current design's limitations and presents recommendations for future enhancements, with a focus on the specific context of improving crop production and food security in mountainous regions

Medicinal plants of Dagala region in Bhutan: their diversity, distribution, uses and economic potential

Background: The traditional g.so-ba-rig-pa hospitals in Bhutan uses more than 100 polyingredient medicines that are manufactured by the Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals (MSP). The MSP has been collecting medicinal plants from Lingzhi region for about 48 years and therefore the ecological pressure on these plants have increased. It is MSP's top priority to identify an alternative collection site to ease the problem. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine whether Dagala region could potentially be an alternative collection site for MSP.\ud \ud Methods: First the multidisciplinary research team generated a tentative plant list by reviewing a body of ancient g.so-ba-rig-pa literature, current formulations, and the MSP medicinal plants inventory documents. Second, the research team visited the study areas in Dagala region for spot identification of medicinal plants. Third, we confirmed our traditional and botanical identification by crosschecking the descriptions with the series of books on traditional texts, Flora of Bhutan, scientific papers on medicinal plants, and the plant databases.\ud \ud Results: We have identified 100 species of high altitude medicinal plants from Dagala region. Of these, 24 species grow abundantly, 29 species grow in moderate numbers and 47 species were scarce. More than 85 species belonged to the herbaceous life form and 51 of them are used as a whole plant. A total of 68 species grow in between 4000 and 4999 meter above sea level. These 100 medicinal plants represented 39 different families and 80 genera and the maximum number of plants belonged to the family Asteraceae. Of 60 species that are currently used for formulating medicines at MSP, 16 species have economic importance with potential for commercial collection. Out of seven areas covered by the survey, Kipchen hosted maximum number of medicinal plants (21 species).\ud \ud Conclusions: Our survey identified 100 medicinal plants from Dagala region and of these, 16 species has economic potential that could benefit both MSP and Dagala communities. It is feasible to establish an alternative medicinal plants collection center in Dagala Gewog

Preliminary Report on Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) Winter Sleep Sites

Golden langurs (Trachypithecus geei) in Bhutan have received little research attention in the anthropic environments where most of the population lives. We recorded group sizes and compositions and documented sleep sites for 24 golden langur groups living in a biological corridor (N = 9) and near a human settlement (N = 15) in central Bhutan. We used scan sampling to document behaviors and direct observation and camera traps to record potential predators, and we recorded occurrences of mortality, including two cases of electrocution, one case of roadkill, and one langur skull recovered from a possible leopard prey cache. Golden langur groups were on average significantly larger near human settlements (13.73 individuals) than in the biological corridor (9.55 individuals), and the adult sex ratio was greater near human settlements. The golden langurs usually slept in more than one tree, and our preliminary results indicated rare re-use of the same sleep site. Golden langurs in our study area most often slept in Sapium insigne trees. Sleep trees’ mean DBH was 51.58 cm and the mean height was 19.37 m. We intend for our preliminary data to establish the foundation for future research on the behavior and ecology of golden langurs in Bhutan

Climate Change and Water Sources: A Case of Phobjikha and Gangtey Gewog, Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag, Bhutan

Water is a fundamental resource and for millions of people living in the Himalayas, springs are their only source of water for household and farming. To meet the water requirements, the communities depend on rain-fed springs which are highly sensitive to climate change. Rural communities in developing countries would be the most affected among other communities around the world as they have limited resources at their disposal. The objective of this study is to document the local people's awareness of climate change and their knowledge of water source dynamics constrained by climate change impacts in Phobjikha and Gangtey Gewogs, one of the Ramsar sites in Bhutan. A total of 248 households were interviewed using structured questionnaires employing simple random sampling techniques. Chi-Square test of independence was conducted. Results indicate that education is associated with awareness and water source dynamics. However, the majority of the residents do not have a clear understanding of how climate change affects water sources and how those sources should be protected. We recommend the relevant agency provide education and awareness on climate change impacts and training on water sources protection and management to local people. This would not only help local people enhance their resilience against climate change impacts but also protect their local resources for sustainable livelihoods. Also, Phobjikha and Gangtey are important locations to study climate change impacts in high altitude areas concerning both local peoples' adaptation strategies and dynamics of water as vital natural resources

Diversity, occupancy, and spatio-temporal occurrences of mammalian predators in Bhutan’s Jigme Dorji National Park

Spatio-temporal occurrences and distribution of a full complement of wild predators may provide insights into their ecology and niche partitioning, and thus may be invaluable for conservation of many rare species. A first comprehensive camera trapping effort, including 7,462 trap-days during fall and winter of 2011–2012 in the temperate and subalpine forests of Bhutan's Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP), yielded 407 photographs of 12 species of wild predators belonging to 6 families. In the photographs, predator diversity was dominated by six felids, the most predominant being tiger (Panthera tigris Linnaeus) and Asiatic golden cat (Pardofelis temminckii Vigors and Horsfield). The photographs were further analysed using the programme PRESENCE to estimate patch occupancy and detection probability for each predator species. Overall, the yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula Boddaert) was found to have the highest relative abundance index of 1.26. There were also seasonal differences in occurrence. Dholes (Cuon alpinus Pallas) had the highest occupancy estimates among all predators in both fall (92% ± SE 0.56) and winter (98% ± SE 0.52). Tiger occupancy was much higher in winter (56% ± SE 0.14) than during fall (18% ± SE 0.07). Of all the predators, dholes seemed to have the broadest spatial distribution with 47 images, spread widely among 25 camera stations. Although the predators were found to be sympatric, they were separated in their temporal niches. Tigers were mostly active during night, dholes during day, and leopards (Panthera pardus Linnaeus) during both day and night. Most predators occurred in all four major habitat types, but mixed conifer forest contained the highest diversity of wild predators. Through this study, the baseline occupancy of wild predators during both fall and winter were established in the park to support future monitoring programmes. This study underscores JDNP as an important conservation area for wild predators, most notably cat species

First report of “Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus”, the agent of citrus huanglongbing (ex-greening) in Bhutan

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