Staff Reporter 

To build resilience to climate change and the adaptive capacity of water-stressed communities in Paro, Dagana, and Tsirang, a two-day inception workshop for “Adaptation to Climate-Induced Water Stresses through Integrated Landscape Management” was held in Paro.

The project will be implemented in 13 gewogs in these three dzongkhags that are identified as priorities for intervention under the government’s Water Flagship Programme. They are identified based on their vulnerabilities to climate change.

“It needs to be specifically addressed through targeted water and agricultural adaptation activities,” states the press release.

The project aims to benefit 36,464 people and rehabilitate 21,251 hectares of natural habitats.

Funded by the Adaptation Fund, the five-year project worth USD 9.951 million aims to propose an articulated approach to building healthier ecosystems and improved associated services, better management of water used for human activities, improved information systems and decision-making, and linking with the most relevant level of governance.

During the workshop, relevant agencies made presentations on the project’s overarching goal and objectives, implementation modalities, and shared experiences, and promoted cross-learning on the full project life cycle.

The Project Steering Committee (PSC) was formed. PSC members will provide strategic directions and oversee the overall implementation and achievement of the project outcomes.

The project implementation will kickstart from the beginning of July this year.

Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, and the Department of Agriculture conducted the workshop.