This Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources (2021-22) deals with the action taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in their Twelfth Report (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Flood Management in the Country including International Water Treaties in the field of Water Resource Management with particular Reference to …
This Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources (2021-22) deals with the action taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in their Twelfth Report (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Flood Management in the Country including International Water Treaties in the field of Water Resource Management with particular Reference to …
This Road Map for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets presents a detailed assessment of the energy system of Bhutan. It offers a least-cost pathway to providing universal access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, growing the share of renewable energy across all sectors, and doubling the historic rate …
Climate change is causing ecoregions to shift in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, threatening both ecosystem services and biodiversity in the region. As these ecoregions shift, important ecological processes may be disrupted and species ranges may begin to move outside the protected areas that were designed to conserve them. Although transboundary …
This publication synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Bhutan. It outlines rapid onset and long-term changes in key climate parameters, as well as the impact of these changes on communities, livelihoods, and economies—many of which are already underway. The …
The Bhutan Development Update (BDU) is published annually. It assesses recent economic and social developments, prospects, and policies in Bhutan. The BDU also provides an in-depth analysis of selected economic and policy issues. In this edition, the special section focuses on e-trade, outlining opportunities and challenges in harnessing digital trade …
Bhutan's power sector almost exclusively relies on hydropower generation. Hydropower, however, is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters caused by climate change. The first deployment of non-hydro renewables at utility scale in Bhutan will be the first step to diversify the power generation portfolio, increase the resilience against severe …
This paper calculates and compares the minimum cost of a recommended diet across four countries in South Asia. The analysis finds that the cost of a recommended diet is highest in the smaller countries, such as Bhutan and Nepal, but because of differences in purchasing power, more households are unable …
This working paper examines case studies of three communities in Bhutan, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica that are already experiencing severe impacts of climate change. These case studies explore the incremental and transformative adaptation measures they have adopted or will need to in the future. They focus on challenges that include …
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was developed by the Tobacco-Free Initiative (TFI), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office on Smoking and Health of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with other countries representing the six WHO regions. Its aim was to generate …
This publication is the outcome of a joint project of UNCTAD and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) on landlocked developing countries entitled “Identifying Growth Opportunities and Supporting Measures to Facilitate Investment in Commodity Value Chains in Landlocked Countries”. Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face multiple development challenges. On the one …
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are key to the economies of various countries. Their numbers and contribution towards employment is well documented and there is acceptance amongst policy makers that these enterprises are critical for economic development. Increasingly, access to finance has been recognised as a major hurdle in …
Water scarcity is already widespread and remains on the rise: it is found in nearly every region in the world. Around 36% of the world’s population is currently living in water-scarce regions. This publication shows that avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation have positive long-term gains in water security. As …
Over a ten-year period from July 2010 to June 2019 the authors found neither India nor Bhutan had reported any incidences of poaching or illegal trade in Red Pandas, but in Nepal a total of 13 seizure records were reported between 2016 and 2019, accounting for a total of 29 …
This report reflects the changes in the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program’s operational plan for the period 2016–2025, in particular on priority projects resulting from a rigorous vetting process. This involves defining SASEC transport and energy networks and identifying priority projects based on preparedness and their roles in …
Bhutan has long aspired to grow in a sustainable manner, prioritising both the well-being of its citizens and environmental conservation. The country’s Gross National Happiness indicator underlines the need for sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, environmental conservation, preservation and promotion of culture, and good governance. This Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) …
The Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) 23rd Board Meeting today announced more than US$84.9 million towards United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supported adaptation and mitigation efforts in Bhutan, Timor-Leste, the Marshall Islands and Ecuador. The announcement makes Ecuador the second country to receive financial resources from the GCF for having successfully …
Despite its small population and land area, Bhutan is among the most rapidly urbanizing countries in South Asia. While this urbanization parallels robust economic growth and the expansion of job and investment opportunities in cities, there remain challenges to fully leveraging the potential of urban areas. Bhutan has made impressive …
This brief provides policy recommendations to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions in Bhutan’s transport sector. Increasing air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles has become a major concern in Bhutan, where vehicle ownership is growing by 15% per year. This brief discusses five policy interventions to reduce …
As measured by various indexes and indicators, Bhutan has made steady progress in human development since democracy was introduced in 2008; implying that democracy provides an environment for people to flourish. This is according to the National Human Development Report (NHDR) titled 'Ten Years of Democracy in Bhutan’. The report …
The increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on health facilities demands greater multi-sectoral actions for the implementation of NCD prevention activities. NCDs are a major public health problem accounting for an estimated 62 percent of the disease burden in the country. According to health officials, deaths from NCDs increased to …
