Research Project: Rural-Urban Migration in Chomsaling Gewog, Bhutan

This research project investigates the phenomenon of rural-urban migration in Bhutan, specifically focusing on the Chomsaling gewog village. The study aims to identify the causes behind migration between 2008 and 2018, assess its socio-economic impacts, and offer recommendations to mitigate its effects. The project includes a comprehensive literature review, examining existing research on the topic and its effects on agriculture, as well as an analysis of the challenges faced by villagers due to migration. The methodology encompasses research design, data collection, and analysis techniques. The findings highlight the impact of migration on agriculture, the challenges faced by villagers, and the initiatives undertaken to address migration, such as the Bio Bhutan project and Happy Green Cooperative. The project concludes with recommendations for stakeholders, including government and private institutions, to address migration, promote agricultural development, and enhance the socio-economic well-being of both rural and urban populations in Bhutan. The report also discusses the importance of government initiatives, technology and infrastructure in promoting agriculture and reducing migration.

Research project

TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION................................................................................................3
1.1. General..................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Objectives..............................................................................................................................3
1.3. Significance..........................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................4
CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY........................................................................9
3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................9
3.2 Research design...................................................................................................................10
3.3 Data collection and the instruments.....................................................................................11
3.4 Data analysis........................................................................................................................12
CHAPTER 4- DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION...............................................13
CHAPTER 5- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................21
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX...................................................................................................................................26
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................26

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION
1.1. General
Rural to urban migration is found as the process in which the villagers or people in rural
areas shifts or moves to urban cities for their development. In the Himalayan kingdom of the
Bhutan, thousands of the people are seen as leaning their own villages for the purpose of seeking
out better life in the towns. With the young person who seems as less interested in the agriculture
and are eager for embracing an education and the employment opportunities, rural areas are seen
as slowly empting out. Furthermore, it has been seen that migration results to positive as well as
the negative for both rural & developed cities. The present report is based on the migration in
Chomsaling gewog village of Bhutan which includes assessment of the reasons behind the
migration and its effects. Moreover, the study highlights impact of the migration on the villagers
and the people living in urban cities. The report also identifies challenges faced by because of the
migration and the appropriate measures adopted in order to mitigate or control migration of the
rural areas people to the urban cities. The research includes the detailed review of the initiates
and the programmes developed for controlling the migration so that village could be developed
effectively.
1.2 Objectives
1. To find various causes behind rural-urban migration in Chomsaling gewog (suburb)
under Dagana dzongkhag between 2008 to 2018.
2.Identify and provide necessary recommendations to further control migration in Bhutan.
3.To assess problems and opportunities and socio-economic effect due to migration.
1.3. Significance
The findings of the study would help several stakeholders like private institutions,
government in assessing and understanding the report. This will assist the stakeholders in
readdressing existing policies & in framing new regulations, planning and developing their
activities for the proposed projects and allows in making better or suitable decisions. The
research also facilitates a strong check and balances on this un-interrupted flow of migration so
that appropriate solution could be derived for the future execution.

CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Rural to urban migration in Bhutan
In the view point of Wangdi and et.al., (2018), it can be stated that the main reason
behind rural to urban migration amongst the youth of Chomsaling gewog village is to attain jobs
and business opportunities in the developed cities of the country. It has been observed that the
majority of people migrate to the capital city of Thimphu so that they can get relaxation of the
hard labour and small incomes earned from irrigation and other agricultural works. According to
Chand, ( 2020), approximately 28% of the migrants from Chomsaling gewog village settled in
Thimphu and other 6% relocated in the populous cities of Phuntsholing and Paro. Another
objective that motivates the migrants to move into the urban areas are education, health care,
transportation and better quality of life. The rural people wish to provide an adequate standard of
living and education facilities to their children therefore they choose to migrate from villages to
cities to give better future to the next generation.
Pelzom and Katel, (2018), has stated that approximately 43% migrants had a university
degree and out of that more than 31% were employed civil service jobs after relocating into
towns and cities whereas only 7% people living in villages had a university degree and more than
90% of the villagers were involved in agriculture work which clearly indicates the lack of
options and growth opportunities in the rural areas. Moreover, every individual especially the
youth need freedom, higher level of education and secure jobs to feel a sense of accomplishment
among themselves. However, the incessant migration of people from rural to urban areas has
caused a lot of problems amongst the individuals living in these cities because these areas are
more crowded than ever and also it has reduced the level of opportunities for people residing
there which has become a major issue and it can be solved only through an increase in
employment opportunities, infrastructure and industrialization. Therefore, the ministry of
agriculture has decided to make agricultural occupations more beneficial both socially and
economically so that the youth of the rural areas do not migrate from their villages. The
agricultural development can be done by implying the use of technologies, infrastructure and an
increase in export levels that can help in increasing employment opportunities and control the
migration from villages to developed cities. Thus, it can be stated that an increase in rural to

urban migration can cause several challenges for villagers and city people which means that it is
important to keep a balance through continuous development in both towns and villages.
2.2 Effects of the rural- urban migration on agriculture in Chomsaling gewog village
In the view point of Chand, (2017), agriculture contributes around 17% in Bhutan’s GDP
and is practiced by villagers as a source of income and livelihood. It has been stated that 9 out of
10 Bhutan nationals were engaged in agricultural work in the year 1987 which clearly means that
agriculture plays a very strong role in shaping up the country’s economy and strengthening their
GDP. More than 90% of villagers still practice agriculture as a means of self- employment as
every villager hold roughly 2-3 acres of land on which they grow crops and vegetables.
However, according to Lethro and Akita, (2019), with the increase in migration from
Chomsaling gewog village there has been a slight decrease in the production and export of
vegetable crops which has ultimately reduced the income of the villagers in the country.
Moreover, Bhutan now heavily relies on import of food products to meet its consumption
like rice, oil, alcoholic beverages that are supplied by its neighbour countries like India and
Nepal. It has become very difficult for the self-employed farmers and villagers to increase their
production due to lack of manpower and technology as majority of the youth migrate towards the
urban cities to work in different kinds of industries like construction, textile, IT and
manufacturing. Nonetheless, the ministry of agriculture has made decision in regards to surge the
production of rice and oil so that the country could become self-sufficient and also reduce the
imports that have been increasing incessantly with 10% growth in the past decade. As per the
data provided by ministry of agriculture, there has been 30% labour shortage and 20% crop
damage caused by wildlife caused due to the movement of people from villages to towns.
In April 2008, India cut off the export of rice to Bhutan to stabilize and balance the food
availability in their country which created huge problem for Bhutan as the prices of rice rose in
the country which became a wake up call for the country and it realized its reliance upon India
for the availability of food products. Thus, the country decided to prioritize the production of
food products in the rural areas and implemented various technology to promote better farming
techniques. The decrease in land holdings was another problem for the people of

Chomsalinggewogvillageas with the increasing population in the village the average size of land
holdings reduced which made it difficult for the farmers to grow their farm products. Also, the
movement of people towards urban areas led towards fermentation of land holdings and reduced
the average farm size.
2.3 Analysing problems or challenges faced by villagers because of migration
According to Lakey and Chophel, (2019), the people of Chomsalinggewogvillage faced
several problems because of incessant migration of villagers to developed cities in search of job
and opportunities. The villagers faced problems like small scale production because the children
of farmers migrate to the cities to study or work and as a result of that there is a shortage of
labour which means that the size of production reduces and so does the revenue. Also, majority
of the villagers in Chomsalinggewogvillage do not have access to basic technology and have
adopted the labour-intensive approach therefore with reduced workforce the cultivation of fields
also reduces.
The movement of migrants from villages to cities also makes their land barren as there is
no activity once the people leave which further leads to the land loosing its fertility and it acts as
a loss to the other village because now no one can purchase the following land and it acts as a
huge challenge for the farmers. The effects of rural to urban migration to agriculture surpass
fallow land and labour shortages. The migration compromises Bhutan’s food security and its
celebrated values of Gross National Happiness. The villagers faced several difficulties relating to
the use of technology because the government failed to pay attention towards the Chomsaling
gewog village as the youth travelled to cities therefore in need to increase employment
opportunities among the people living in developed cities, the government focused on building
industries and infrastructure to promote sustainability in the job sector but unfortunately no
attention was paid towards the villagers and the agriculture sector which led to reduction in the
scale of production of crops.
According to Dendup, (2018), the reduced scale production created problems for the
country as the price of food items surged and created an imbalance in the country’s economy
since then the government started promoting the use of technology and infrastructure in the field
of agriculture. However, in the view point of Vilà-Vilardell and et.al., (2020), the life of migrants
is not easy when they relocate themselves into the busy cities as there are many challenges faced

by the people like shortage of residence, increased cost of living, job opportunities etc. Also, it is
important for the youth to receive formal education so that they can uplift the country’s economy
by implementing creative ideas in the field of agriculture, manufacturing, service and other
industries.
2.4 Determining and facilitating appropriate recommendations for mitigating migration in
Bhutan
In the view point of Herberholz & Phuntsho, (2018), there have been countless initiatives
by government and Farmers group to mitigate the migration of people from rural to urban areas
in Bhutan. Bio Bhutan was developed in 2005 with the collaboration of Swiss-Bhutan
development agency to produce and market 13 various organic products distributed with the help
of farmers and other village groups across the country. The project is closely associated with the
government and Ministry of Agriculture to promote agriculture and farming industry so that
there can be a decline in the movement of people from villages to cities. The Bio Bhutan project
leads in the production of lemon grass, honey, spices and soaps by performing adequate
harvesting because there exists a huge demand for these products globally thus it producing them
in the country will lead to economic advantages for the country. Another initiative called Happy
Green Cooperative promotes the use of agricultural and eco-friendly products by promoting them
in the form organic food and beverages to consumers in the developed city which motivates the
people living in villages to adopt agriculture and irrigation as a profession because its gives huge
revenue to them in return.
Moreover, the government must also plan different initiatives to promote the agriculture
industry and should provide tax exemption and subsidies to the villagers as it would lead to
increase in production and reduce the migration from villages to towns. Furthermore, the
government and Ministry of Agriculture should increase its exports by facilitating the villages
with unique technology and other machinery so that there can be a huge scale production which
could also help in increasing the exports from the country and also increase farmers’ revenue.
School Agriculture Program can also be used as effective means to promote the agriculture
industry among the village people so that they could understand the importance of farming,
knowledge about agriculture and other important factors which would help in improving the
knowledge of children and become an important profession among people. Also, the youth must

be involved in farming and other agricultural practices as an internship during the summer
vacations so that they could develop a keen interest in the field by performing activities like
horticulture, composting, rain water harvesting, terrace cultivation, crop rotation and livestock
farming from a very young age. These are few recommendations that must be implemented by
the government and Ministry of Agriculture to mitigate the migration of people from rural to
urban areas in search of jobs and business opportunities. Also, it is the duty of government as
well to build infrastructure, education, transportation, medical facilities, connectivity, housing
and quality of life in the Chomsalinggewogand other villages so that people do not need to
migrate towards developed cities of Bhutan.

CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
Methodology in the research is reflected as the selection of the particular procedures or
the tools that are used for identifying, processing, analysing and choosing information about the
specific problem or issue. This section involves application of the appropriate methods for
analysing and conducting the study in a useful way. This segment helps the research in
increasing the validity and the reliability of the study in an effective manner. There are mainly
two methods through which the scholar prepares for the research report that includes qualitative
and quantitative methods.
Qualitative research is counted the method that emphasize on collecting the data by way
of open ended and the conversational communication (Fletcher, (2017)). This method does not
involve any numerical elements or application of the statistical method in order to derive
findings and conclusion. It focuses on the qualitative characteristics associated with the research
problem and provides analysis of such qualitative features effectively and efficiently. On the
other side quantitative method in research is been defined as the systematic investigation of the
phenomena through gathering a quantifiable data and in performing the statistical, computational
and the mathematical tools. Under this research information is been gathered from an existing
and the potential customers by making use of the hypotheses and numerical methods.
In this study an investigator has used qualitative type of research that helps in studying
and understanding all the qualitative features attached with the study. This method allows the
researcher to make in-depth or detailed analysis and furthermore, probing & questioning of the
respondents on the basis of their responses which in turn helps in understanding motivation and
the feelings of the researcher.
Moreover, the two main approaches that the scholar can use in preparing for the research
report involve inductive and deductive approach. Inductive type of approach starts with
observation and the theories that are been proposed towards an end of research process as the
result of an observation. It involves search for the particular pattern from the observation and
development of theories for such kind of pattern through sequence of hypotheses (Wiek & Lang,
(2016)). However, deductive approach mainly concerned with developing hypotheses on the

basis of an existing theory and thereafter designing research strategy for the purpose of testing
hypotheses. This approach includes hypotheses that are been derived from propositions of theory
and is concerned with the deducting conclusions from the propositions or the premises.
Referring to this report, scholar has used inductive approach for the purpose of making
the qualitative study adequately and appropriately. This approach helps in generate meaning
from the data and also in determining the relationships and patterns for building particular
theory. It is majorly applied on the basis of learning from an experience and is observed for
reaching conclusions or in generating the theory (Mohajan, (2018)). It enables in making the
qualitative analysis in an appropriate manner as it is found as the most suitable technique for
conducting qualitative analysis in the research report and making better representation of the
findings within the study.
3.2 Research design
It is depicted as the framework of the research techniques that has been adopted by the
researcher. It is the design that allows the scholar to hone in on the research techniques which are
suitable for subject matter and setting up their studies for attaining success. There are several
types of research design that includes descriptive, experimental, explanatory, correlation etc.
Descriptive design relates to the method in which an investigator is mainly interested in
specifying situation or the case under the study. It is defined as the theory-based method of
design that is been created by assessing, presenting, gathering the collected data. It allows the
researcher in facilitating an insights relating to the reason behind formulation of the research.
Moreover, on other note, experimental design concerned with establishing relationships between
cause & effect of the situation (Ørngreen & Levinsen, (2017)). Correlation designs assist the
scholar in establishing the relationship among the two closely connected or related variables.
Explanatory deign involves using researchers thoughts and thee ideas on the subject for further
exploring the theories.
In this report, researcher has used descriptive design that helps in understanding the
problem appropriately and its need. It is counted as the most effective tool in assessing the non-
quantified issues and in observing an entire phenomenon in natural and the unchanged
environment. It consumes very less time as compared to the quantitative experiments.

3.3 Data collection and the instruments
It is the practice through which scholar gathers an information from relevant sources in
order to find results with regards to research problem and in evaluating outcomes or findings.
Data can be collected by using two major sources that is primary and secondary sources.
Primary sources are seen as the information gathered is original in nature as it is directly
obtained from the participant. Scholar collects fresh data or first-hand information for the first
time in case the nature of research issue is unique and no any research has been made on that
particular problem. On other state, secondary sources is reflected as the method under which
already published data or information is been used and is called as the second-hand data. Such
data are readily available from other types of the sources such as internet, articles, books etc.
With respect to this study, scholar has used both the sources by way of structuring the
questionnaire, conducting survey, reviewing books, journals, articles, internet etc. Primary
method provides accurate results as the information is obtained directly from the participant and
is found as expensive and time consuming (Fletcher, (2017)). However, secondary data is less
costly and same time it is available easily but there is a doubt on the authenticity.
Sampling is the process of selecting the group of people, items and objects which are
been taken from the larger population for the purpose of measurement. It is counted as the
representative of population for ensuring that the results could be generalised from sample to an
entire population. It is been classified into two techniques that is probabilistic and non-
probabilistic sampling.
Probabilistic sampling refers to as the technique where sample is chosen on the basis of
probability theory from the large population. However, non-probability sampling means in which
the scholar chooses the sample based on subjective judgements instead of random selection.
In accordance to this study, scholar has adopted simple random sampling that is counted
as the part of probabilistic sampling under which each item within the population has an equal
chance of getting selected in sample. In this selection of item wholly depends on the probability
and thus this technique is stated as method of the chances. The sample of 50 people or
respondents are selected for analysing this issue in an adequate manner.

3.4 Data analysis
It is the practice of evaluating the data by making use of logical and an analytical
reasoning for the purpose of examining every component of data given or facilitated. Researcher
can assess the data mainly by using two major methods that is SPSS and thematic analysis.
SPSS is defined as the statistical package for social sciences and is used by an
investigator for making an analysis of the complex data. Most of agencies use SPSS for
analysing the survey data in order to get appropriate findings out of the projects. On the other
side, thematic analysis refers to the method of assessing the qualitative data which is usually
been applied to set off the texts like interview transcript.
Under this report, investigator has used thematic analysis method in which various
themes are been prepared in relation to the research issue and the researcher closely examines
data for identifying the common themes, ideas, patterns etc that comes up frequently or
repeatedly (Wiek & Lang, (2016)). This technique helps in identifying he responses attained
from the participant with regards to rural-urban migration in the village of Bhutan and through
this a better evaluation has been made of the data which in turn leads to appropriate findings and
conclusion.