Search Climate Insights Directory

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 has a constitutional mandate to maintain 60% forest cover and manages a connected network of 10 protected areas covering 5 million acres. However, this system faces threats from poaching, illegal logging, human-wildlife conflict, and a declining workforce as youth migrate to cities. Additionally, the region is highly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing melting glaciers and intense rainstorms. To address these challenges and a decrease in foreign aid, WWF and the Bhutanese government have launched 'Bhutan for Life', a project finance model seeking $35 million to $45 million to fund enforcement, wildlife monitoring, and community support over 15 years until the system becomes self-sustaining.

The Eastern Himalayas are a highly biodiverse region featuring over 300 mammal species, 1,000 bird species, and 10,000 types of vascular plants. This biodiversity is threatened by infrastructure development, deforestation, poaching, and climate change, which is melting glaciers and increasing flooding. Conservation strategies focus on community-led management, the creation of biological corridors, and the development of wildlife-friendly infrastructure within the 38,000 square mile Greater Himalayan Transboundary Conservation Landscape.