Impacts of the East-West national highway (PNH-01) on settlement patterns and livelihood of Residents: A case study of the Chumey Gewog, Bhutan

This is the first study to address impacts on settlement patterns and livelihoods of Chumey Gewog 1 1 A local term for block or a county – a group of villages. and its people since Bhutan’s Primary National Highway (PNH-01) expansions. Through a series of in-depth interviews, site analysis and land use mapping, the study found that impacts of the PNH-01 varies across Chumey Gewog’s villages depending on geographical location and pre-existing conditions. Findings suggest villagers adopted non-farming economic activities to generate quick monetary returns versus undertaking traditional labour-intensive farming practices historically associated with Chumey resulting in linear settlement patterns and exhibiting signs of unplanned settlement sprawl. The research highlights the importance of implementing location-specific/tailored interventions to maximize benefits of the PNH-01. The study highlights opportunities of the PNH-01 for Bhutanese people and provides future research recommendations for local and national government interventions that can assist in mitigating challenges faced by agricultural communities. Designing a longitudinal research project of the PNH-01 and its settlements could inform government transport and regional planners a means to facilitate equitable development across the Gewog to improve market access and establish transportation networks to support farming communities in remote villages.