Buddhist communities in both Asia and the West consider a healthy environment to be very important because it supports so many forms of life. If natural balance is damaged or destroyed this has a harmful effect on the lives of human populations and on countless animals.

It is therefore an act of kindness to support all living beings, as well as future generations, by running projects that protect the Earth. Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom where Buddhism is the state religion, officially recognizes a healthy natural environment as a key factor in human happiness.