Climate change challenges in South Asia: A case of Bhutan

Abstract

The world has today become vulnerable to climate change. At a global level threats are being recognized and measures are being taken to address the impact of climate change. However, the issue of climate change has failed to make any political breakthrough in spite of many conferences taking place and agreements being signed. Negotiations take place like clockwork but still there is a lack of any concrete step being taken. With the rate with which climate change is taking place, it becomes very important for leaders and policy-makers to come up with certain solutions and measures at both multilateral and regional level to lessen the impact of climate change. Based upon this view, Bhutan has many opportunities to work at a bilateral level in a number of areas to reduce the impact of climate change. Bhutan share many similar problems such as: 1: Occurrence of floods. 2: Population under poverty. 3: Loss of agricultural land and forest to growing urbanization. 4: Air, Water and Lan\d pollution. 5: Energy Crunch. The proposed research paper aims to explore whether the viable use of existing natural resources will help in achieving economic and sustainable development in Bhutan. The paper also attempts to see whether bilateral cooperation between Bhutan and other countries would lessen the impact of climate change and whether the issue will provide scope for greater cooperation on the sharing of technology and information between Bhutan and neighboring South Asian countries.