Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH Services in Rural Bhutan

Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH Services in Rural Bhutan

Water for Women partners with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and partners to accelerate progress in rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access for 88,246* people living in the districts of Dagana, Zhemgang and Trashigang, Bhutan.

Bhutan is the world’s first carbon negative country and a global biodiversity hotspot, however its location in the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas makes it highly vulnerable to climate change. Increasing trends in temperature and rainfall increase the risk of flash floods, glacial lake outburst flooding, landslides and droughts in the future. Although Bhutan’s water supply is abundant, recent studies reveal the threat of water sources drying up and water availability becoming a greater challenge for communities, with increased probability of dry periods and heatwaves and unpredictable rainfall.

The World Bank projects above-average warming, droughts and heatwaves, which will severely impact the lowlandRising temperatures and precipitation could also change the transmission pattern for vector-borne diseases. Most of the country’s agricultural land and infrastructure is in drainage basins and highly vulnerable to monsoon rains, increased snow melt, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods and changing patterns of river discharge and water availability.

Freshwater in Bhutan is sourced mostly from streams, springs and wetlands, which in turn are fed by glaciers and monsoon rain. The projected increases in temperature, greater mean annual rainfall, and greater variation in surface water flow between wet and dry seasons will impact significantly on Bhutan’s water sources.

Across Bhutan, it is reported that 35% of the water sources are drying up and most of the rural water schemes have no water safety plans. This fact, combined with limited water management arrangements, increases water insecurity, and if not addressed, can undermine and reverse the gains achieved over the past decade.