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Gross National Happiness Commission the Royal Government of Bhutan

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Gross National Happiness Commission the Royal Government of Bhutan STRATEGIC PROGRAMME FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE (SPCR) UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAMME FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE (PPCR) Climate-Resilient & Low-Carbon Sustainable Development Toward Maximizing the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS COMMISSION THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN FOREWORD The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) recognizes the devastating impact that climate change is having on Bhutan’s economy and our vulnerable communities and biosphere, and we are committed to address these challenges and opportunities through the 12th Five Year Plan (2018-2023). In this context, during the 2009 Conference of the Parties 15 (COP 15) in Copenhagen, RGoB pledged to remain a carbon-neutral country, and has successfully done so. This was reaffirmed at the COP 21 in Paris in 2015. Despite being a negative-emission Least Developed Country (LDC), Bhutan continues to restrain its socioeconomic development to maintain more than 71% of its geographical area under forest cover,1 and currently more than 50% of the total land area is formally under protected areas2, biological corridors and natural reserves. In fact, our constitutional mandate declares that at least 60% of Bhutan’s total land areas shall remain under forest cover at all times. This Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) represents a solid framework to build the climate- resilience of vulnerable sectors of the economy and at-risk communities across the country responding to the priorities of NDC. It also offers an integrated story line on Bhutan’s national climate-resilience challenges an expectations, with a geo-climatic focus on the highly vulnerable southern belt river basins, mountain ecosystems, and farming communities, This SPCR includes: innovative eco-system based approaches to Integrated Flood-Based Management (IFBM) of river basins; Climate-Oriented Integrated Watershed Management Plans; Climate SMART Human Settlement planning; building a strong information base for weather and climate services for resilience; a robust and innovative Resource Mobilization Strategy, with non-traditional financing options and sustainability mechanisms; climate-resilient CSMIs, and the promotion of adaptation business services; transformational capacity-building approaches; a strong Gender Equity and Social Development (GESI) component; and “Happiness” developmental performance reporting. The SPCR preparation and development process has been purposefully country-driven; spearheaded by the Gross National Happiness Commission Secretariat (GNHC-S) with support from the MDB Teams led by the World Bank; with Central and LG officials including Women, Youth, CSOs and private sector representation; and fully vetted by several Government Technical Teams. This SPCR has been formulated through a strategic and participatory process that ensures: (i) strong country buy-in through a highly decentralized development model; and, meaningful programmatic climate-resilient outcomes for vulnerable southern Gewogs (Blocks) and Chiwogs (Sub-blocks). The institutional mechanism for SPCR Investment implementation, and for monitoring and evaluation, are anchored within GNHC-S to ensure conformity with its mandate as a coordination agency for national level planning, coordination and monitoring of policies, programs and projects. This implementation mechanism will ensure the institutional and governance sustainability of the SPCR by effectively transforming new ideas into tangible and meaningful results on the ground. Bhutan is submitting its SPCR in a relative position of strength as it was short-listed within a group of 10 eligible countries from a much larger list of expressions of interest of 36 countries. Moreover, Bhutan is not just the first country to officially declare its carbon-neutral commitment to the world - it is the sole nation on earth to actually attain the unique status of carbon-negative state. Notwithstanding this commitment, our national development is being fundamentally hampered by a barrage of climate-induced extreme events wreaking havoc to our local economies, our very precious riparian and highly-mountain ecosystems, and extensive forest cover and protected areas. 1 Land Use Land Cover 2017 Atlas of Bhutan, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests 2 Department of Forest and Park Services Bhutan: Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) – November 2017 Page ii Given the profound climate-induced risk that we are facing, and our commitment to climate resilience and negative carbon status, we confidently submit this SPCR proposal to the CIF, with the distinct expectation of categorical endorsement from the CIF PPCR Committee and the International Donor Community to help galvanize the Kingdom of Bhutan toward a climate-resilient and low-carbon future in a climate- changing world. Secretary, Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) November 2017 Bhutan: Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) – November 2017 Page iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Bhutan’s Strategic Program for Climate Resilience has been carefully crafted with invaluable inputs, and the active participation of multi-sectoral stakeholders from Central Government Line Ministries to Local Government (LG), Multi-lateral Development Banks, Development Partners, and Civil Society Organizations - including the Civil Society Organizations Authority (CSOA) and the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). The Gross National Happiness Commission Secretariat (GNHC-S) of the Royal Government of Bhutan gratefully acknowledges the pivotal role played by our SPCR stakeholders. In particular, we thank the Technical Working Groups (TWG); the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology; Department of Forest and Park Services (Watershed Management Division) Ministry of Agriculture and Forests; the Department of Engineering Services (FEMD), Department of Human Settlement, Ministry of Works and Human Settlements; and, the National Environment Commission Secretariat - for their painstaking efforts and cooperation in the preparation of this highly innovative SPCR. GNHC-S on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan deeply appreciates the financial support from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF), the tremendous inter-institutional coordination and CIF administrative support, guidance and technical review contribution from the World Bank (WB) as the lead MDB. The GNHC-S further extends its gratitude to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank for their support during the preparation of this SPCR. During the various Stakeholder Consultative Workshops (Scoping Mission, Joint Missions, Technical Working Group Meetings, and National Stakeholders Round Table), LG and civil society stakeholders and partner agencies provided quality inputs that demonstrate their unwavering commitment to making this SPCR a country-driven and country-owned document. It strategically addresses Bhutan’s critical climate change challenges and priorities, in alignment with Bhutan’s developmental priorities [12th Five Year Plan; National Adaptation Plan (NAP); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Vision 2020: A Vision For Peace, Prosperity, & Happiness; and our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)]. In essence, this SPCR is wholly designed to strategically position Bhutan toward a robust climate-resilient and low-carbon future. GNHC also offers special thanks to Mr. Peter J. Hayes, SPCR International Consultant; Dr. Mani Ram Moktan, SPCR National Consultant and Maarten van Alst, CIF Expert Reviewer, for helping Bhutan design a truly transformational SPCR that: affords Bhutan a more climate-resilient future; and that confidently positions the RGoB to engage climate-financing donors cognizant of Bhutan’s critical development needs and its substantive contribution to global cooling as the sole Carbon-Negative Nation on the planet. Tashi Delek! Plan, Monitoring and Coordination Division Gross National Happiness Commission November, 2017 Bhutan: Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) – November 2017 Page iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SPCR Rationale 1. Located between China in the north and India in the south, west and east, the Kingdom of Bhutan occupies a total geographical area of 38, 394 km2 (LCMP, 2010) with a projected population of 768,577 persons (48% women) in 2016 (NSB, 2016). Out of the total geographical area, forest covers 70.46%, agriculture 2.75%, barren areas 3.2%, degraded lands 0.54%, meadows 4.10%, shrubs 10.43%, snow cover 7.43%, water bodies 0.72%, human settlements 0.16%, and marshy and non-built up areas each 0.01% (NSB, 2016). 2. Bhutan is highly vulnerable to hydro-meteorological hazards and weather extremes. Some of the major hazards facing Bhutan include flash floods, riverine floods, landslides, landslide dam outburst floods, cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), forest fires, and windstorms. Recognizing its vulnerability to a number of natural hazards and the importance to enhance its resilience capacity to these disasters and to sustain and build on the economic progress that the country has made, Bhutan prioritizes enhancement of climate resilience and disaster risk management in its development agenda. Bhutan is also a member to a number of international parties working towards enhancing climate resilience. 3. In July 2011, the UN General-Assembly unanimously adopted the Bhutan-led resolution on “Hapiness towards a holistic approach to development.” As a constitutional mandate, the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Philosophy is used as a development
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