His Majesty The King launched the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network Secretariat in Laya, Gasa, and declared October 23 as National Yak Day, recognising the importance of yaks and the contributions of yak herders to Bhutan’s highland communities.
The launch coincided with the ninth Royal Highland Festival, which brought together yak herders from Bhutan, India and Nepal to strengthen regional cooperation and address common challenges threatening traditional yak-herding livelihoods across the Himalayan region.
The new network is expected to provide a platform for collective advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity building and cross-border cooperation among yak-herding communities. It brings together three national organisations: the Bhutan Yak Federation, the Yak Federation of India, and the Yak and Chauri Farmers Federation of Nepal.
The initiative follows nearly a decade of collaboration among herders, governments, researchers and development partners. The idea for a regional network emerged in 2016 through the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative.
Addressing Challenges Facing Yak Herders
Yak-herding communities across the Himalayan region are increasingly facing challenges, including shrinking pastures, rangeland degradation, climate change, livestock diseases, attacks by wild animals and limited access to markets and essential services.
The migration of younger generations away from highland areas has also raised concerns about the continuity of traditional pastoral practices and the future of yak-herding communities.
Regional cooperation is considered important as rangelands cover more than 60 per cent of the Hindu Kush Himalaya and provide livelihoods and subsistence resources for an estimated 25–30 million Indigenous and culturally diverse people.
According to ICIMOD, yak pastoralism supports more than 31 ethnic groups across the Asian highlands, where communities in over 10 countries practise yak rearing. Yaks contribute more than 50 per cent of pastoral communities’ income in parts of the region.
Dr Tashi Dorji, Senior Livestock and Rangeland Specialist, ICIMOD, has described the yak as an iconic species of the Third Pole, highlighting its ecological, economic and cultural significance in the high mountains.
With the launch of the network, Bhutan is expected to serve as a regional hub for cooperation among yak-herding communities.
Bhutan’s Yak Population Under Pressure
The launch comes amid concerns over the long-term decline of Bhutan’s yak population and the challenges faced by highland households dependent on yak rearing.
Bhutan’s yak population was recorded at 40,065 in 1987 before increasing to 51,500 in 2007. More recent figures indicate a decline, with the country’s 11 dzongkhags and government farm recording a combined population of 29,432 yaks, down from 29,699 in 2023.
The decline reflects growing pressures on yak-herding livelihoods, including inadequate feed resources, disease, human-wildlife conflict and changes in traditional grazing practices. A reported 22 per cent decrease in yak-herding households since 2019 further underscores the challenges facing the sector.
The shrinking yak population has raised concerns about the sustainability of highland livelihoods, food security, cultural traditions and the preservation of indigenous livestock genetic resources.
Regional Efforts to Protect Yak Pastoralism
Yak populations have also declined significantly in neighbouring countries, including India and Nepal, partly due to changing land-use patterns and rangeland degradation.
In India, the 20th Livestock Census, published in 2019, recorded approximately 58,000 yaks. In 2026, the Yak Federation of India reported that 526 household members associated with the federation collectively reared approximately 32,000 yaks.
The establishment of the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network is expected to help communities share knowledge, strengthen their collective voice and coordinate responses to challenges that cross national borders.
Through the network, herders and their organisations will have a platform to advocate for better support, improved access to essential services and stronger protection of the rangelands on which their livelihoods depend.
The International Year of the Rangelands and Pastoralists slogan say “The time for action is now: Delay is Costly.”
National Yak Day to Recognise Highland Communities
The declaration of October 23 as National Yak Day places renewed national attention on the importance of yaks and the people who care for them.
Beyond their economic value, yaks provide highland communities with milk, meat, fibre, transport and other essential resources, while remaining deeply connected to the cultural identity and traditional way of life of mountain communities.
The annual observance is expected to help raise awareness of the challenges facing yak herders and encourage greater efforts to protect the animals, their habitats and the traditional knowledge associated with yak pastoralism.
The launch of the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network and the declaration of National Yak Day mark a significant step towards strengthening support for Bhutan’s highland communities and promoting regional cooperation to sustain yak-herding traditions across the Himalayas.
Sangay Rabten, Thimphu
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