Climate project to address water shortages in Paro and Punakha

2026-03-04 - 10:44

Two communities in Paro and Punakha currently facing water shortages can expect the issue to be resolved soon. The solution will come through a project via the Integrated Climate Adaptation Solutions for the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. Bhutan joined the regional initiative last year to strengthen climate resilience and support vulnerable communities facing increasing climate risks. The project will be implemented at Tili village in Paro and Yebisa village in Punakha. With funding support of 700,000 Canadian dollars or more than Nu 47 M from Global Affairs Canada, it is expected to benefit over 8,200 people in the two districts. Tarayana Foundation and ICIMOD are working on the project from September last year which will continue till the end of 2028. The project focuses on addressing climate-related challenges such as drying water sources and declining agricultural productivity, which are affecting rural livelihoods, particularly women and vulnerable groups. The livelihoods of people in these two selected sites are affected due to climate change. Sangay Dorji (PhD), Project Lead from Tarayana Foundation said, “These two sites were chosen for the project as water sources at these two sites have dried up due to climate change and environmental degradation. This led to farmers not being able to cultivate paddy in fields which used to be cultivated some years ago. It has affected the capacity of farmers to produce and generate income.” The project involves reviving water sources through spring shed management, agro biodiversity, and the use of solar irrigation. Tshering Wangchen (PhD), Country Project Officer of ICIMOD said, “After the completion of the project, we expect better spring shed management, and irrigating with the use of renewable energy to continue agricultural works. Additionally, supported by agro biodiversity, we hope to ensure gender equality and build community capacities. More importantly, we aim to tackle the persistent challenge of water shortage.” Furthermore, lessons learned from these pilot sites will be used to support national policies, expand climate adaptation solutions, and improve access to climate finance for women and local communities with an aim to bring long-term and wider benefits across the country. Such initiatives are expected to help the communities cope with climate impacts while building sustainable adaptation measures for the future. Kelzang Chhophyel