Strengthening REDD+ and watershed management in Bhutan

The proposal aims to strengthen Bhutan's capacity for REDD+ and climate change initiatives by improving coordination between the Gross National Happiness Commission, the National Environment Commission, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. Key objectives include developing a GCF REDD+ investment plan to increase private sector engagement, refining the Forest Reference Emission Level through new biomass equations and Permanent Sample Plots, and mainstreaming agroforestry. Additionally, the project focuses on strengthening forest fire management through risk assessments and hazard mapping, and piloting watershed development in three sites to recharge groundwater and revive drying water sources.

• Bhutan seeks to address gaps in its REDD+ readiness phase, specifically regarding stakeholder coordination, private sector involvement, and forest fire management, to be fully prepared for international REDD+ programs post-2020.
• The project will develop a GCF REDD+ investment plan to move beyond limited private sector engagement and create a programmatic approach to financing that integrates communities and the private sector based on a theory of change.
• To improve the accuracy of the Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL), the proposal includes establishing five additional Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) across different ecological zones and developing five more biomass equations.
• Forest fire management will be strengthened by developing coordination protocols and conducting fire risk assessments in watersheds to create fire hazard maps for more effective response.
• The proposal addresses the critical issue of drying water sources, noting that 2.3% of springs have already dried up and 34.1% are drying, by piloting watershed development and rainwater harvesting in three sites.
• The project will establish a formal coordination mechanism between the Gross National Happiness Commission Secretariat, the National Environment Commission Secretariat, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests to streamline climate change reporting and resource mobilization.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2020). Strengthening REDD+ and watershed management in Bhutan. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/bhutan-gnhc-btn-rs-004.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Strengthening REDD+ and watershed management in Bhutan. 2020. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/bhutan-gnhc-btn-rs-004.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Strengthening REDD+ and watershed management in Bhutan |date=13 July 2020 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/bhutan-gnhc-btn-rs-004.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2020strengthening, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Strengthening REDD+ and watershed management in Bhutan}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/bhutan-gnhc-btn-rs-004.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }