Exploring climate resilience in Bhutan’s agriculture

Agenda

About the visit

ICIMOD is organising an exposure visit to Bhutan for government officials of Nepal from federal and provincial ministries, universities, and GIZ. This visit holds significant value as Bhutan, renowned for its leadership in organic farming within mountainous regions, offers invaluable insights into climate-resilient agricultural practices.

As a regional intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre, ICIMOD plays a pivotal role in facilitating co-learning and sharing research, information, and innovations for sustainable mountain development. Within the framework of the Green Resilient Agricultural Productive Ecosystem (GRAPE) project, ICIMOD prioritises capacity development and peer learning exchange visits. These visits aim to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among government line ministries, universities, and development partners engaged in action research and demonstration projects.

Objectives

• Co-learn and share insights on agroecological farming and climate-resilient agriculture practices
• Gain exposure to institutional mechanisms and policy processes in Bhutan supporting climate-resilient agricultural practices

Expected outcomes

• Improved understanding of institutional mechanisms and policy processes in Bhutan for promoting climate-resilient and organic farming
• Identification of scalable climate-resilient agricultural technologies and practices for implementation in Nepal

Background

Organic agriculture can be one of the strategies in reducing vulnerabilities and building resilience of mountain communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. However, climate change and other environmental and socioeconomic changes are bringing new risks and uncertainties for mountain communities. These changes not only increase their vulnerabilities but also affect biodiversity and ecosystem services, with severe consequences for downstream communities who depend on these services.

The climate change impacts within Nepal and the broader HKH region have been profound, particularly affecting agrarian mountain livelihoods. This underscores the pressing need for adaptation measures within the agriculture sector to sustain productivity levels and safeguard food security and economic development. While climate change is a global challenge, effective actions must be localised to address specific regional vulnerabilities. Among the region’s most vulnerable areas to climate change are the Sudurpashchim and Karnali provinces in Nepal, which also happen to be the least developed provinces according to national indicators. These provinces face significant gaps in knowledge, evidence, capacity, financing, and institutional frameworks necessary to promote and implement resilience-building practices.

In response to these challenges, ICIMOD, in collaboration with GIZ, is spearheading action research under the GRAPE project in Sudurpashchim and Karnali provinces. This initiative, funded by the EU, the governments of Finland and Germany, focuses on the practical demonstration of innovative solutions to enhance climate-resilient food production. It also aims to improve digital access to agricultural advisory services, weather forecasts, and market information. The GRAPE project further seeks to scale up successful approaches and solutions through knowledge dissemination, capacity building, and engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders. By doing so, it aims to foster climate-resilient practices and promote green economic growth at both provincial and national levels.