ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the history of road development in Bhutan as well as the relationship between traditional trails and roads, and provides guidance for the introduction of sustainable transport modes in the country. First, the influence of road expansion on trails and on their users such as residents and trekkers is analysed based on historical documents written in English and Japanese. Second, the current conditions of the trails and trailheads in Jigme Dorji National Park are examined through the results of GPS-based field surveys conducted during the monsoon seasons of 2008-2014. The chapter discusses ideas about how to establish sustainable transportation in Bhutan in the light of alternative transportation systems developed in mountain protected areas worldwide. Secure establishment of trailheads and the management or creation of trails is indispensable to maintain biodiversity, cultural diversity and heath for residents as well as trekkers. In order to keep roadless conditions, other more sustainable modes of transportation, such as monorails, should be considered.
