Department of Forests and Park Services, Ministry of

Agriculture and Forests

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE:

Development of Dzongkhag and Gewog forest fire

management plans, and institution of Village Level Forest
Fire Management Groups in four most forest fire prone
Dzongkhags of Mongar, Thimphu, Wangduephodrang
and Trashigang.

Implementing Bhutans
National Adaptation Programme of Action
(NAPA) II Project

Department of Hydromet Services, Ministry of Economic

Affairs
Up-gradation and expansion existing hydromet network
for enhanced quality, availability and transfer of real time
climate data in all twenty Dzongkhags.
Increasing effectiveness of National Weather and Flood
Forecasting and Warning Center through improved
capacity to analyze, manage and disseminate climate
information in timely manner.
Climate Change Division, NEC
Developing a national framework for climate change
adaptation with practical guidance and recommendations
on climate change adaptation strategies and activities in
Bhutan.
Improving access to evidence based information on
climate risks and hazards through cross government
knowledge sharing and coordination mechanism.

NAPA II PROJECT FACT SHEET

Total Fund:
USD 11.49 million
Funded by:
Least Developed Countries Fund
Coordinated by: National Environment Commission in
partnership with UNDP, Bhutan
Project Duration: July 2014 June 2018

Pr o

For more information contact:

National Environment Commission Secretariat
Post Box 466,
Thimphu, Bhutan
Telephone: +975 2 323384/324323/77190128
Facsimile: +975 2 323385
www.nec.gov.bt/NAPAII
https://www.facebook.com/BhutanNAPA2

ject

priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate

needs to adapt to climate change those for which further
delay would increase vulnerability and/or costs at a later
stage.
Bhutan implemented its first NAPA project to reduce
climate change induced risks and vulnerabilities from glacial
lake outbursts flood in Punakah-Wangdue and Chamkhar
valleys from 2008 to 2013.

NAPA II PROJECT
RATIONALE
While Bhutan is a net sequester of Greenhouse Gases,
and has declared to remain carbon neutral for all times to
come. However, due to the fragile mountainous ecosystem
and status as a Least Developed Country (LDC), Bhutan
is highly vulnerable to adverse effect of climate change.
Bhutan is highly dependent on climate sensitive sectors,
such as, agriculture, hydropower, forest resources and
transport system which is a critical infrastructure for
development. Furthermore, as a mountainous country with
an intricate natural drainage system of several watersheds
and catchment, the country is intrinsically exposed to and
impacted by multiple climate chance hazards including
glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, flash floods, forest
fires, droughts and windstorms.

WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION?

According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or
economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli and their effects or impacts. It refers to changes in
processes, practices, and structures to moderate potential
damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with
climate change.

WHAT IS NAPA?
National Adaptation Program of Action provide a process
under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to identify

The current NAPA II Project Addressing the Risks of Climate

Induced Disasters through Enhanced National and Local
Capacity for Effective Actions aims to enhance national,
local and community capacity to prepare for and respond
to climate induced multi-hazards to reduce potential
losses of human lives, national economic infrastructure,
livelihood and livelihood assets. The USD 11.49 million
project is funded by Global Environment Facility/Least
Developed Countries Fund, and coordinated by the National
Environment Commission Secretariat in partnership with
UNDP, Bhutan.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The following Implementing Partners coordinate
implementation of the project activities as described below:
Phuentsholing Thromde, Ministry of Works and Human
Settlements
Protection of Pasakha Industrial Area from flooding
events through watershed management activities, slope
stabilization measures, river bank protection works, river
training works and development of flood buffer zones.
Construction of slope stabilization measures in selected
critical landslide areas at Rinchending check post area,
Reldri School, Rinchending Goenpa and old hospital
colony.
Department of Geology and Mines, Ministry of Economic
Affairs
Integrated risk hazards assessment and mapping for four
critical landslide and flood prone areas in Bhutan. These

areas are Phuentsholing-Barsa watershed, Wamrong/

Moshi area in Trashigang, Lamsorong area in Samdrup
Jongkhar and Box cutting area along Gelephu Zhemgang
highway.
Mongar Municipality, Mongar Dzongkhag Administration
Building climate resilient water harvesting, storage and
distribution system for Mongar municipality.
Tarayana Foundation
Development of community level climate resilient
water harvesting storage and distribution system for
four Dzongkhags of Pema Gatshel, Tsirang, Mongar and
Samtse.
Water Resource Coordination Division, NEC
Community level water resource inventory in four
Dzongkhags namely Pema Gatshel, Tsirang, Mongar and
Samtse.
Department of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home
and Cultural Affairs
Establishment of disaster management institutions in four
Dzongkhags (Chukha, Samtse, Pema Gatshel and Dagana)
for better preparedness and response to climate induced
disaster including research on wind and rainstorm
hazards and their impact on housing structures.