Bhutan’s climate adaptation project has made impressive progress in reviving watershed and land management. Through the Adaptation Fund project, Bhutan has been able to revive close to 1,500 acres of watershed since 2023. A project monitoring team from the US-based Adaptation Fund board secretariat is currently in Bhutan to assess the country’s climate adaptation efforts and provide technical support for projects designed to build community resilience.
The project targets to manage over 21,000 hectares of land and watershed, roughly the size of 29,000 football pitches.
So far, nearly 13,000 hectares of watershed have been assessed, and over 175 hectares of land have been brought under effective management.
It is an inclusive project, with at least 60 per cent of the beneficiaries comprising women.
The Adaptation Fund’s mission to Bhutan involves a team of specialists focusing on climate change, communications, knowledge management, and innovation.
They are reviewing the progress and achievements of key initiatives, including projects focused on adaptation to climate-induced water stresses and building adaptive capacity through innovative management of pests, diseases, and invasive alien species.
“We are impressed with the progress of the project so far. We are happy that the communities already are benefitting from the project, even though the project has not come to a conclusion. We really want to see this and learn from the best practices and pick the lessons that have come out of this project, and we will be able to share among other countries that are implementing similar water resilient projects,” said Justice Musah (PhD), Climate Change Specialist, Adaptation Fund, USA.
The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation is the national implementing agency for the Adaptation Fund.
“We have now secured USD 12.5 M from them. We have two projects ongoing in Bhutan. One is a USD 10 M project and the other one is a USD 250,000 project. So this mission is here basically to see a mid-term review to monitor all the fields,” said Karma Tshering (PhD), Managing Director, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation.
Spanning across Dagana, Monggar, Paro, and Tsirang districts, the project, which will end in 2028, targets to deliver tangible results to over 37,000 beneficiaries, with a focus on agriculture, water management, ecosystem resilience, and community-based adaptation.
Kelzang Chhophyel
Edited by Phub Gyem
