UNDAF outcome 5: To enhance environmental sustainability and disaster management
For centuries, the Bhutanese people have maintained a close relationship with the land and have
been careful custodians of the environment. For its size, Bhutan probably has the greatest
biodiversity of any country in Asia and has been declared as a global biodiversity hotspot. Today, Bhutan encompasses more than 72 percent forest cover, with more than a quarter of its total area set aside as protected areas and 9 percent comprising biological corridors. Rapid urban development, high population growth and high firewood consumption are however significant environment stressors. Localized deforestation, land conversion and degradation, and solid waste management represent other critical environmental issues confronting the country. Also, although Bhutan contributes very little to climate change and global warming, it faces the devastating impacts of the process. While the country is vulnerable to a wide range of natural hazards – flash floods, landslides, earthquakes and forest fires – its major disaster risk management efforts must be directed toward glacial lake outburst floods caused by glacial melting and formation of moraine dammed glacial lakes as a result of climate change. Out of the 2,674 glacial lakes, 24 have been found potentially dangerous, with devastating consequences for human lives, infrastructure and livelihoods.
The UN supports a range of implementing partners to ensure protection of the nature. These include Ministry of Works and Human Settlement, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Economic Affairs, National Environment Commission, Ministry of Agriculture and the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature. The focus of the partnership reflects the need to:
- Balance protection of the unique species and nature, and ensuring that the rural population still have access to the natural resources which they depend on
- Mitigate the severe impacts of climate change and prepare to deal with natural disasters, including the setting up of effective early warning systems
- Mainstream environmental concerns into policies, plans and programmes
- Ensure sustainable use of natural resources and farmers’ access to market
Workplans 2010
- Strengthening national capacity for environment and disaster risk management (Part 1) ;(Part 2)
- Support to National Environment Commisssion (Part 1);(Part 2)
- Local service delivery and environment education
- Joint Support Programme (Part 1);(Part 2)
- Conservation of bio-diversity and ecosystems enhanced (Part 1) ;(Part 2) ; (Part 3)