Bhutan National Adaptation Programme of Action.

The Bhutan NAPA preparation has been a timely opportunity to look at the country’s climate change related vulnerabilities in its unique geographical setting. The peaceful Kingdom nestled among the highest mountainous regions of the globe has enjoyed political peace, stability and development progress for the last 100 years, but the process objectively showed how highly vulnerable the country is to effects of climate change given its fragile mountain eco-systems, high dependency on monsoon rains, and the ever present threats of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) from its northern mountain ranges. The process for the first time involved looking at effects of climate change as a threat mainly to the largely agrarian population that still depends on subsistence agriculture for their daily livelihood. Given past trends, the threat from GLOFs is now more than ever imminent due to evidence of temperature increases from the global warming; the incessant and frequent flooding and flash floods, especially in the summer of 2004 was a stark reminder of the deadly effects of climate change and environmental degradationas witnessed especially in the eastern regions of the country.
2.5.1 The Bhutan NAPA vision is to create awareness amongst all stakeholders of the inevitable effects of climate change and climate variability on their lives and to develop adequate capacity to respond to future climate change threats. The objectives of the Bhutan NAPA are: 1. to identify urgent and immediate projects and activities that can help communities adapt to the adverse effects of climate change 2. to seek synergies and combinations with existing MEAs and developmental activities with an emphasis on the impacts of climate change 3. to integrate climate change risks into the national planning process.
The Bhutan NAPA process is guided by the following principles: Multidisciplinary Approach. The use of a task force group representing the various sectors of the government ensures the ownership of the whole process in selection, prioritization and ranking of the projects and adaptation activities. Participatory Approach. The regional consultations with representation from all the 20 districts of Bhutan allowed for communications between the NAPA task force members and the local public. This allowed for wider stakeholder views and further fine tuning of the project ideas and activities with participation from the grassroots level. Complementary Approach. The information used to develop the NAPA is based on the national plans, programmes and policies of Bhutan. The process also compliments both national and international documents such as the Sustainable Development Agreement, Bhutan Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, Biodiversity Conservation Programme, Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (CBD), and Initial National Communication. Sustainable Development. The mainstreaming of NAPA into national plans and policies that support sustainable development goals is considered in the process - climate change factors are also addressed in the NES, EA Act 2000 and NBAP. Gender Equality The NAPA process promoted equal participation of both men and women right from the formation of the NAPA Taskforce. Gender equality was also emphasized during the regional consultations. Country Driven Approach In addition to having a multidisciplinary team representing the various sectors of the civil service, a wide stakeholder view and participation was encouraged with four regional consultations representing the four major agro ecological zones of the country.