The government launched a project aimed at enhancing sustainability and climate resilience of forest and agricultural landscape and community livelihoods in Bhutan yesterday.
The US$13.9 million project is aimed at reducing climate change vulnerabilities and improving the sustainability of local livelihoods and biodiversity. It will work directly with communities to strengthen their agricultural and livestock management.
“We will supply rural population that depend on agriculture with climate proof irrigation channels,” said Pema Bazar, a Sr. Planning Officer with GNHC.
The project will also help improve and diversify household incomes and significantly improve farmers’ market access.
“We have road networks everywhere, but our road networks are not climate proof. So through this project, we will make climate resilient roads. They will serve as model roads, which will be replicated in other places,” added GNHC’s Pema Bazar.
The six-year project will benefit 38 gewogs, four biological corridors, and three protected areas in 12 central districts. It will be funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).