Introduction

The Druk Journal contributes to Bhutan’s growth as a democracy and as a modern nation. It is a vibrant public space in which we encourage our contributors to expand our national discourse by introducing new ideas and concepts into the Bhutanese conversation. Through regular publications, an interactive website, and open discussions after each edition, we engage Bhutanese society in conversation so that all citizens can exchange open and frank views on national policies and issues relevant to Bhutan. The Druk Journal hopes, not only to inform citizens, but to build a community of people who will take an active role, as individuals and as a community, in the development of analytical attitudes toward national policies. It is our hope that participation in such a community will encourage individuals to engage in policy research that can be made available to the government and larger Bhutanese society. The Druk Journal thus serves as a vehicle for the development of a society which is concerned about national issues and wants to participate in the development of policy by thinking publicly and through conversation. Such a community of thinkers will also draw on the experience of other countries in those areas of political, social, economic and cultural experimentation that are relevant to our own concerns. The Druk Journal is a nonpartisan publication. Our purpose is to serve the national interest through the development of serious conversation on issues from every possible constructive point of view. We have no editorial position of our own. We believe that our stated objectives and the means we will use to achieve them are the best way in which we can serve our country and His Majesty The King. We invite all interested citizens and friends of Bhutan to join us. We wish you Good Reading, Good Thinking, and Good Conversation.

Climate Change in Bhutan: Impact and Response

Spring 2025 Volume 11, Issue 1

Table of Contents

Table of Content

Preface

The Challenges

Development of Indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation: A Focus on the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region
Sonam Tashi, Amlan Mishra, Kunzang, and Pradyumna JB Rana

Climate Change Projection for Bhutan
Singay Dorji

The Climate-Vulnerable Suffer Most
Yangyel Lhaden

The Significance and Outcomes of COP29: Perspectives from a Bhutanese Negotiator
Sonam P Wangdi

The Impact

Migration, Climate Change and Adaptive Capacity
Tashi Paldon, Choeying Seldon, and Jelle J P Wouters

Climate Change and the Future of Bhutan’s Hydropower
Tshering Gyeltshen

Water Security in the Face of Climate Change in Bhutan
Sonam Choden

Overstocked Forests Threaten Bhutan’s Climate Resilience: The Urgent Need for Thinning and Controlled Burning
Phuntsho Namgyel

The Issue

Scientific Evidence and a Spiritual Plea from Bhutan’s Glaciers: From Guardians to Vulnerable Icons
Pema Eden

Lessons from Grandma’s Tales: Bhutanese Vernacular Understanding of the Natural Environment and Climate Change
Dorji Penjore

An Ethnographic Reflection of Encountering Climate Change
Kinley Dorji

Mountains as Climate-Makers, Cosmology as Climate Change, and Bhutan’s Ancient Anthropocene
Jelle J P Wouters

Some Responses

Gelephu Mindfulness City: Sustainable Urbanisation in the Age of Climate Change
Lhazin Y. Nedup

G-Zero: A Unified Voice for Carbon-Neutral and Carbon-Negative Nations
Tashi Choden

Adapting Hazelnut Cultivation to a Changing Climate
Sheryl Loke