Understanding the Policy Contexts for Mainstreaming Climate Change in Bhutan and Nepal: A Synthesis

This report synthesizes two studies on the policy contexts for mainstreaming climate change adaptation in Bhutan and Nepal. It analyzes the intersection of forestry, water management, and national adaptation strategies, highlighting the role of community-based management and the institutional barriers to effective implementation in both Himalayan nations.

• Community forestry has been a significant success in Nepal, engaging local populations in forest protection and curbing deforestation. By January 2011, 15,256 community forest user groups (CFUGs) managed 22% of the country's total forest area, covering more than 1.3 million hectares. These groups have strengthened local institutions and provided a foundation for community-based adaptation.
• Bhutan maintains a very high forest cover, with 72% of its land area forested. The government has a constitutional and policy mandate to maintain a minimum of 60% forest cover in perpetuity. While community forestry exists in Bhutan, its scale is much smaller than in Nepal, covering 16,400 hectares across 135 community forests as of 2009.
• Nepal's National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), completed in 2010, prioritizes local-level decision-making and the grassroots distribution of funds. It sets a target for 80% of adaptation funds to be spent at the grassroots level and introduces Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs) to tailor measures to specific community needs.
• Water resource management policies in Nepal, specifically the Water Resources Strategy (2002) and National Water Plan (2005), have struggled with implementation. Despite adopting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), progress was hindered by bureaucratic culture, resource constraints, and the 2010 splitting of the Water Resources Ministry into two separate entities, including the Ministry of Irrigation.
• Both Bhutan and Nepal face significant institutional and enabling condition barriers to climate adaptation. These include a lack of cross-sectoral coordination, contradictory laws (such as conflicts between the Local Self-Governance Act of 1997 and the Forest Act of 1993 in Nepal), and critical gaps in scientific data and public awareness regarding climate change.
• Economic disparities and climate vulnerabilities differ between the two nations. Bhutan is a lower-middle-income country with a gross national income of $2070 in 2011, while Nepal is a low-income country with a per capita annual gross national income of $540 in 2011. Both are highly vulnerable due to their reliance on agriculture and the impact of shrinking glaciers.

APA

Davis, M., & Li, L. (2013). Understanding the Policy Contexts for Mainstreaming Climate Change in Bhutan and Nepal: A Synthesis. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/akp-understanding-policy-contexts-bhutan-nepal-synthesis.pdf

Chicago

Davis, Marion, and Lailai Li. Understanding the Policy Contexts for Mainstreaming Climate Change in Bhutan and Nepal: A Synthesis. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/akp-understanding-policy-contexts-bhutan-nepal-synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Davis |first1=Marion |last2=Li |first2=Lailai |title=Understanding the Policy Contexts for Mainstreaming Climate Change in Bhutan and Nepal: A Synthesis |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/akp-understanding-policy-contexts-bhutan-nepal-synthesis.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{davis2013understanding, author = {Davis, Marion and Li, Lailai}, title = {{Understanding the Policy Contexts for Mainstreaming Climate Change in Bhutan and Nepal: A Synthesis}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/akp-understanding-policy-contexts-bhutan-nepal-synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }