Colette's Grand Detour

Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that is a net carbon sink, meaning that it absorbs more CO2 than it emits. This is largely thanks to its extensive forest cover of ~70% of the country. And nearly all of Bhutan’s electricity is generated by hydropower which is a low-carbon energy source. The country is relatively small (and with a very small population) and it has very little industrial infrastructure so its emissions baseline is lower and changes are more manageable.

Environment conservation and sustainable development sit at the core of Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness, which gives it a stronger institutional and social foundation for climate action than many other countries. For example the government is integrating climate change into its national development planning and climate neutrality and disaster resilience are key results areas in Bhutan’s five-year plans.

However, Bhutan is already experience the impact of climate change. Bhutan has similar issues to those I wrote about for Tibet and Nepal regarding glaciers melting and retreating ultimately reducing river flow, and glacial lakes forming that post the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods. Bhutan has recorded a number of these events over the last 75 years and the threat continues to grow. GLOFs can cause disproportionate damage in steep terrain and narrow river channels which is the predominant geography of Bhutan. And not all glacial lakes in the country are being monitored, since they are hard to access. The rate of glacial melt being observed is high, with some debris-covered glaciers reportedly retreating 30+ meters a year.

Bhutan has an abundance of water. However, up to 25% of sub-watersheds are assessed as being ‘in a process of drying up’, threatening not just drinking water, but irrigation livestock and the ecosystem. Similar to Nepal, the monsoon is shifting and rainfall during some periods is becoming more intense. Intense rain results in more sediment being carried into dams and channels. Bhutan’s economic and energy backbone – hydropower – relies on reliable river flows and fluctuations of declines are a serious economic and social vulnerability. The country’s reliance on hydropower is a double-edged sword – it helps it stay low-carbon but it is also more exposed to the stresses of climate change.

Bhutan’s mean annual temperature has increased by 0.6 degrees between 1985 and 2015, with projections suggesting it will rise by 2-4 degrees by the end of the century. These warmer temperatures, in addition to increasing snow and glacial melt, are shifting vegetation cycles, altering habitats (and causing species to migrate to higher altitudes) and increasing forest fire risk. Forest fire is of particular concern because of how dense the forest coverage is in Bhutan. Fire season is now lasting longer during the winter months and thousands of hectares are effected annually.

Climate impacts are common globally, but Bhutan has some distinct features, that act as multipliers and make certain challenges more severe. These include its mountainous terrain, glacial dependence and hydropower reliance.