degradation, waste outlets were converted into collection chambers, and refuse collection programs were instituted in the area. In some areas with designated dumping sites, the distance to landfills makes them less practical than illegally dumping by the wayside or into rivers. As a result, communities outside urban areas suffer consequences of discarding refuse into the common water supply, increasing the demand for alternative water sources. Villages near designated open air landfills and burning sites likewise report pollution and toxicity from runoff, as well as excess scavenger activity, posing health hazards. Noise pollution With the advent of loudspeakers, headphones, and rumbling engines, noise pollution has been identified in Bhutanese media as an environmental concern, citing negative potentials ranging from distraction to deafness. Water use Competition for water use between residents and industry, as well as drying water sources, are actual and imminent environmental issues facing residents in Bhutan. Water shortages have become a widespread phenomenon in rural settlements, and as internal resettlement produces new villages, many there also face water shortages. In addition, urbanization and shifts in land ownership, including land pooling, have complicated matters of water access in Thimphu. In smaller settlements, infrastructure including water and waste management remained underdeveloped through 2011. See also Climate of Bhutan Energy in Bhutan Health in Bhutan List of protected areas of Bhutan Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, Bhutan References External links