Gungtong: An exploration of abandoned houses in Bhutan and links to human-wildlife conflict

This research explored the drivers and implications of Gungtong, a local term for registered empty households in Bhutan, which is generally attributed to the migration of people from rural areas resulting in rural depopulation. Gungtong is anecdotally associated with human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in Bhutan. However, there has been no research on whether HWC is a factor leading to Gungtong. Therefore, this research fills a critical gap in the literature in Bhutan and across the Himalayan belt, offering the relationship between rural depopulation and HWC.
The research focused on four key questions: 1. What is Gungtong, why is it an issue? 2. What are the perceived drivers leading to the migration of a household member and Gungtong in rural Bhutan? 3. What are the perceived implications of rural depopulation? and 4. What is the perceived relationship between rural depopulation and HWC in rural Bhutan? By systematically exploring these questions, this research provides a conceptual model to explain the drivers leading to rural depopulation and its links to HWC.
Two kinds of mixed-method modes of data collection were adopted for this research: the exploratory sequential design and the explanatory sequential design, involving two phases of semi-structured interviews and one phase of a questionnaire survey. The research was conducted within four administrative units called Gewogs in two districts of Bhutan: Tashiyangtse and Tsirang. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey with 510 respondents were conducted, supplemented by secondary data, such as government documents and published national statistical data.
The research found that there are several interpretations of Gungtong. While Gewogs’ interpretation of Gungtong is heavily tied to the census registration system, households are more concerned about farmlands left fallow. This is because fallow lands are perceived to bring wild animals closer to settlement. Thus, there is a need for a holistic understanding of the term Gungtong, as there is a disconnect between the interpretation of the term and its
perceived implications.
The perceived drivers of rural-urban migration and Gungtong are similar. The key difference is that Gungtong happens when the last member of a household migrates or dies. These drivers are identified within four broad themes: political, economic, social and environmental. Similarly, the implications of Gungtong to household residents are classified within four themes: ecological, developmental, economic and social.
Regarding the perceived implications, shortage of household labour resulting from out-migration was the primary factor causing various implications of depopulation in the study area. The most important of these was an increase in the incidence of HWC, which was seen to be due to an increasing amount of land left fallow due to farm labour shortage. Conversely, HWC incidence was perceived also as a driver for migration, especially for households on the outskirts of settlement, as it potentially affects household food security. This research found that perceived implications and drivers of Gungtong are interrelated; that a perceived implication becomes a driver for some households, forming a circular relationship between drivers and implications of migration in the study area.