The centuries-old tradition of making handmade desho paper in Bhutan’s Tashi Yangtse district is facing an uncertain future as dwindling supplies of Daphne bark, the primary raw material used in its production, threaten the livelihoods of local artisans.
For generations, desho paper-making has provided income to families in the district, preserving a traditional craft closely associated with Bhutan’s cultural heritage. However, the growing difficulty in sourcing Daphne bark has emerged as a major challenge for the approximately 15 households that currently depend on the industry.
The shortage has forced artisans to travel beyond their villages, often spending hours searching for suitable plants in distant forests. Some producers now rely on supplies from neighbouring districts, increasing the effort and resources required to sustain production.
Daphne, a slow-growing plant whose bark is used to manufacture traditional Bhutanese paper, takes approximately six to seven years to reach harvestable maturity. Its lengthy regeneration cycle, combined with repeated harvesting, has contributed to declining availability in forests that once provided an accessible supply.
The production of desho paper involves several labour-intensive stages. After harvesting, the bark is cleaned to remove its tough outer covering and boiled until it softens. It is subsequently beaten and converted into fine pulp, which is spread uniformly across bamboo frames to form delicate sheets. Once dried, the sheets become the finished handmade paper.
Although the craft has been practised within families for generations, commercial production in the area gained momentum only around four years ago. The expansion has also brought renewed concerns about securing sufficient raw materials.
Yangden, a paper maker from Bumdeling, recalled a time when Daphne could be sourced locally without travelling to other districts. Having worked in the trade for more than a decade, Yangden said producers must now venture as far as Monggar, Trashigang and Lhuentse to obtain bark.
The increasing dependence on distant sources has raised concerns about whether traditional paper-making can remain a viable livelihood in the years ahead.
Similar difficulties are being experienced in Womanang village, where residents have temporarily halted Daphne harvesting in their community forest to allow existing plants to regenerate.
Dechen Choki, a local artisan, said paper makers have consequently turned to areas such as Monggar, Merak and Rangjung for supplies. Despite efforts to manage local resources, the continuing scarcity remains a source of concern for households engaged in the craft.
Attempts to address the problem through Daphne cultivation have yielded limited success. In previous years, villagers experimented with planting Daphne saplings in community forests, hoping to establish a more dependable supply. However, the results fell short of expectations.
Bumdeling Gup Mani Dorji acknowledged the challenges associated with cultivating the plant, noting that earlier pilot projects had failed to achieve their intended outcomes. These experiences have cast doubt on whether large-scale domestication can offer a practical solution to the shortage.
In response, local authorities have placed greater emphasis on regulating the collection of naturally growing Daphne. Community forests established across several villages now follow rotational harvesting arrangements, allowing bark collection in alternate years to give plants time to recover.
Residents are also being encouraged to adopt responsible harvesting methods to reduce pressure on existing Daphne populations and protect the resource for future generations.
Nevertheless, the plant’s slow growth and the increasing distances involved in collecting bark continue to pose difficulties for the industry.
For artisans in Tashi Yangtse, the challenge extends beyond maintaining household incomes. With desho paper-making representing an important part of Bhutan’s traditional craftsmanship, securing a sustainable supply of Daphne has become essential to preserving both the livelihood and the cultural practice.
The future of the industry may ultimately depend on how effectively communities can balance commercial production with the long-term regeneration of the forests on which their craft relies.
