The ninth SAARC Environment Ministers’ meet held this week in the capital reviewed the implementation of the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, the Convention on Cooperation on Environment and other documents, plans and agreements signed in the past. The environment ministers also renewed their commitment towards a common regional stand on environmental issues.
The agriculture and forest minister, Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho (Phd), said SAARC countries will take a common stand at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) which includes accessing the global fund for climate change. “SAARC countries need to take a common stand in terms of accessing the global fund for climate change,” he said.
He said that the need for transparency in terms of allocating the global financial resources for the member countries will be one of the common stands. “Right now some countries feel that before they realize, the fund is already spent. So transparency is needed,” said Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho.
He also stressed that there was a need to build trust among the member states. He mentioned that during COP15 at Copenhagen, the developed countries committed to provide a fund (fast start finance) of US$30bn for enhanced action on mitigation, adaption, technology development and transfer and capacity building.
However, the money never made it to the developing countries. “When some countries approached for this finance they were told the money was already spent,” said Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho.
“We need to ask for transparency and this is one position we will think about,” added Lyonpo.
The mechanism to get better access to funds from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other international sources will also be looked into.
There will also be several other common stands which the SAARC Secretariat will collect from various member countries, put together and present it at the 17th SAARC summit in Maldives later this year. Once it is endorsed it will be taken to COP 17 in Durban, South Africa.
The meet also endorsed the terms of reference (ToR) for four initiatives under the Thimphu Declaration. The four initiatives which include the monsoon initiative, marine initiative, mountain initiative and climate related disasters initiatives will be implemented with the support of the regional centers.
The SAARC metrological center will support the monsoon initiative, marine initiative by the Coastal zone management center and SAARC forestry center will support the mountain initiative while the SAARC disaster management center will support climate related disasters.
Another important decision taken by the meeting is to extend the timeline for the SAARC action plan for climate change which was initially proposed for a period of three years (2009-2011). This period will now be extended by three more years to 2014.
The Director of the SAARC department with the foreign ministry, Sonam Tshong, said this was because some components of the action plan were still under implementation. “Three years is too short, extending the action plan gives opportunities to modify or continue the implementation,” said Sonam Tshong.
For the convention on cooperation on environment to move forward all the member states have to endorse it. While four member states have already ratified the Convention, the meeting urged the remaining member states to expedite the ratification process to enable its entry into force.
In a statement by the Secretary General of SAARC, Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, she said the Convention and the Thimphu Statement are important milestones to strengthen regional cooperation in the area of environment and climate change. “I urge the member states that have not yet done so, to ratify the Convention at an early date to enable its entry into force,” read the statement.
This meet marks the last high level meeting to be hosted by Bhutan before the chairmanship of SAARC is handed over to Maldives in November.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
changing weather patterns might affect water sources
The agriculture ministry has taken several measures to ensure that wetlands in the country are protected
The water resources in Bhutan could be affected due to the changing weather patterns which in turn will lead to shifts in seasonal stream and river flows. This will also have an impact on the drinking water supply for rural communities as well as the ecosystem.
The recent climate change vulnerability assessment of the Wangchuk Centennial Park by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed that climate change might affect the water resources in the Park.
The conservation program director of WWF Bhutan, Vijay Moktan, said the seasonal flows of rivers might change with climate change. “Climate change might affect the flow of rivers which will probably change the existing diversity within the river systems as well as the source of water for many,” said Vijay Moktan.
The flow in the main river Chamkhar chu has decreased over the past 10-20 years, as has the flow of the Nikachu chu in Sephu gewog and the Mandge chu in Nubi gewog.
The conservation program director also said that due to climate change the rainfall pattern has also changed leading to various problems.
The report states that monsoons are expected to start later and end earlier. “It is likely that the monsoon component will intensify around June-September peak,” states the report.
“Monsoon rain is very useful for recharging the ground water which again comes out as spring water,” said Vijay Moktan.
He said if rainfall pattern changes, the ground water will also be affected which in turn will affect communities depending on spring waters.
The report states that some water sources in Sephu gewog in Wangduephodrang dzongkhag became dry around 10 years ago.
The report also states that pressure on existing water sources is also experienced through growing population which puts increased pressure on existing drinking water systems.
The study concluded that climate change projections indicate that snow melt contribution to stream flow will decrease. The snowfall season will also begin earlier according to the report.
A recent study by a team of specialist from the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) titled, “Monitoring of Snow Cover in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya,” revealed that snow covered areas in Bhutan decreased by an average of 1.74% over the past decade.
Speaking earlier to Business Bhutan, Deo Raj Gurung, the remote sensing specialist of ICIMOD, said that snow covered areas in Bhutan have been decreasing prominently during spring and summer. “There are various factors that contribute for the decrease in snowfall. One obvious example is climate change but we cannot be very conclusive only on the climate change,” said Deo RajGurung.
The report says that climatic trends such as increased intensity of rainfall events, erratic precipitation, a shift in the onset and end of the monsoon, and changes in snowmelt will have impacts that are unevenly distributed over space and time.
“It is expected that earlier an increased snowmelt, particularly in the western portion of the park, could have implications for the two hydroelectric projects being planned immediately downstream of WCP,” states the climate change vulnerability assessment report.
Such reports bode ill for hydropower projects, as it will also be affected due to the change in climate.
Recently the Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, in an interview with AFP, said that climate change could have a great impact on Bhutan’s plans to be a world leader in hydropower. “The glaciers are retreating very rapidly, some are even disappearing. The flow of water in our river system is fluctuating in ways that are very worrying,” Lyonchhen was quoted as saying in AFP. “The climate is changing, global warming is real and the impact on our hydrology is very severe.”
The water resources in Bhutan could be affected due to the changing weather patterns which in turn will lead to shifts in seasonal stream and river flows. This will also have an impact on the drinking water supply for rural communities as well as the ecosystem.
The recent climate change vulnerability assessment of the Wangchuk Centennial Park by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed that climate change might affect the water resources in the Park.
The conservation program director of WWF Bhutan, Vijay Moktan, said the seasonal flows of rivers might change with climate change. “Climate change might affect the flow of rivers which will probably change the existing diversity within the river systems as well as the source of water for many,” said Vijay Moktan.
The flow in the main river Chamkhar chu has decreased over the past 10-20 years, as has the flow of the Nikachu chu in Sephu gewog and the Mandge chu in Nubi gewog.
The conservation program director also said that due to climate change the rainfall pattern has also changed leading to various problems.
The report states that monsoons are expected to start later and end earlier. “It is likely that the monsoon component will intensify around June-September peak,” states the report.
“Monsoon rain is very useful for recharging the ground water which again comes out as spring water,” said Vijay Moktan.
He said if rainfall pattern changes, the ground water will also be affected which in turn will affect communities depending on spring waters.
The report states that some water sources in Sephu gewog in Wangduephodrang dzongkhag became dry around 10 years ago.
The report also states that pressure on existing water sources is also experienced through growing population which puts increased pressure on existing drinking water systems.
The study concluded that climate change projections indicate that snow melt contribution to stream flow will decrease. The snowfall season will also begin earlier according to the report.
A recent study by a team of specialist from the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) titled, “Monitoring of Snow Cover in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya,” revealed that snow covered areas in Bhutan decreased by an average of 1.74% over the past decade.
Speaking earlier to Business Bhutan, Deo Raj Gurung, the remote sensing specialist of ICIMOD, said that snow covered areas in Bhutan have been decreasing prominently during spring and summer. “There are various factors that contribute for the decrease in snowfall. One obvious example is climate change but we cannot be very conclusive only on the climate change,” said Deo RajGurung.
The report says that climatic trends such as increased intensity of rainfall events, erratic precipitation, a shift in the onset and end of the monsoon, and changes in snowmelt will have impacts that are unevenly distributed over space and time.
“It is expected that earlier an increased snowmelt, particularly in the western portion of the park, could have implications for the two hydroelectric projects being planned immediately downstream of WCP,” states the climate change vulnerability assessment report.
Such reports bode ill for hydropower projects, as it will also be affected due to the change in climate.
Recently the Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, in an interview with AFP, said that climate change could have a great impact on Bhutan’s plans to be a world leader in hydropower. “The glaciers are retreating very rapidly, some are even disappearing. The flow of water in our river system is fluctuating in ways that are very worrying,” Lyonchhen was quoted as saying in AFP. “The climate is changing, global warming is real and the impact on our hydrology is very severe.”
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
remaining carbon neutral means sacrificing potential revenue
A conspicuous fallout to Bhutan’s commitment to remain carbon neutral for all times to come, that was made at the 15th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is that it may result in potential revenue loss for the country.
A recent report ‘Bhutan National Human Development Report 2011, Sustaining Progress: Rising to the Climate Challenge’ revealed that Bhutan’s declaration to remain carbon neutral comes at a cost. The report says that Bhutan will lose out in terms of revenue foregone from logging and timber extraction, reduced returns from farming and loss of revenue from mining of mineral resources and adopting non-intrusive forms of tourism.
“Fulfilling the commitment to remain carbon neutral means activities that could potentially harm the environment such as use of pesticides, logging and mining, and mass tourism would be controlled even if they represent better economic opportunities,” states the report.
It also says that the cost of maintaining ecological balance against rising population, agricultural growth, urbanization and industrialization, and the cost of conservation will be some of the challenges.
“The country will need to bear the additional cost of maintaining ecological balance against a rising population and the agricultural growth, city infrastructure and industrialization needed to meet its needs,” stated the report.
The global community holds a defined responsibility to come forward with a mechanism to reward Bhutan’s resolve and support appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures.
“In this regard Bhutan requires the global community to come forward with a mechanism to reward the country’s resolution and support Bhutan in undertaking appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures as well as adapt to climate change,” states the report.
The report also highlights some of the initiatives that are needed to support Bhutan to remain carbon neutral.
One of the initiatives is technology transfer. It says that as Bhutan is dependent mainly on hydropower, extension of grid to far flung and remote areas is an expensive option and therefore it is worthwhile to examine other renewable energy technologies.
While most Bhutanese in rural areas uses wood for cooking and heating purposes thereby affecting the environment, efforts to provide improved stoves that not only reduce fuel wood consumption but also offer health benefits must continue. The report also suggests an introduction of fuel efficient vehicles.
Other initiatives include innovation and public involvement, and ending energy poverty.
According to the report, the commitment to remain carbon neutral requires two approaches. The first is by creating ways to keep absorbing carbon. And second, the need to engage on sustainable pathways of human development that are low carbon based.
“The expansion of income, health, education, and other social and political achievements in Bhutan should be built on low-carbon trajectories,” the report read.
Slowing and altogether ending the future effects of climate change is an endeavor that binds all nations and people.
“The reality is that maintaining zero or net carbon sink budget for Bhutan will not shift global climate change trajectories but the implications of the commitment are far reaching, for Bhutan and globally,” states the report, adding that changing the understandings of economic growth is critical in Bhutan.
remaining carbon neutral means sacrificing potential revenue
A conspicuous fallout to Bhutan’s commitment to remain carbon neutral for all times to come, that was made at the 15th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is that it may result in potential revenue loss for the country.
A recent report ‘Bhutan National Human Development Report 2011, Sustaining Progress: Rising to the Climate Challenge’ revealed that Bhutan’s declaration to remain carbon neutral comes at a cost. The report says that Bhutan will lose out in terms of revenue foregone from logging and timber extraction, reduced returns from farming and loss of revenue from mining of mineral resources and adopting non-intrusive forms of tourism.
“Fulfilling the commitment to remain carbon neutral means activities that could potentially harm the environment such as use of pesticides, logging and mining, and mass tourism would be controlled even if they represent better economic opportunities,” states the report.
It also says that the cost of maintaining ecological balance against rising population, agricultural growth, urbanization and industrialization, and the cost of conservation will be some of the challenges.
“The country will need to bear the additional cost of maintaining ecological balance against a rising population and the agricultural growth, city infrastructure and industrialization needed to meet its needs,” stated the report.
The global community holds a defined responsibility to come forward with a mechanism to reward Bhutan’s resolve and support appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures.
“In this regard Bhutan requires the global community to come forward with a mechanism to reward the country’s resolution and support Bhutan in undertaking appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures as well as adapt to climate change,” states the report.
The report also highlights some of the initiatives that are needed to support Bhutan to remain carbon neutral.
One of the initiatives is technology transfer. It says that as Bhutan is dependent mainly on hydropower, extension of grid to far flung and remote areas is an expensive option and therefore it is worthwhile to examine other renewable energy technologies.
While most Bhutanese in rural areas uses wood for cooking and heating purposes thereby affecting the environment, efforts to provide improved stoves that not only reduce fuel wood consumption but also offer health benefits must continue. The report also suggests an introduction of fuel efficient vehicles.
Other initiatives include innovation and public involvement, and ending energy poverty.
According to the report, the commitment to remain carbon neutral requires two approaches. The first is by creating ways to keep absorbing carbon. And second, the need to engage on sustainable pathways of human development that are low carbon based.
“The expansion of income, health, education, and other social and political achievements in Bhutan should be built on low-carbon trajectories,” the report read.
Slowing and altogether ending the future effects of climate change is an endeavor that binds all nations and people.
“The reality is that maintaining zero or net carbon sink budget for Bhutan will not shift global climate change trajectories but the implications of the commitment are far reaching, for Bhutan and globally,” states the report, adding that changing the understandings of economic growth is critical in Bhutan.
remaining carbon neutral means sacrificing potential revenue
A conspicuous fallout to Bhutan’s commitment to remain carbon neutral for all times to come, that was made at the 15th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is that it may result in potential revenue loss for the country.
A recent report ‘Bhutan National Human Development Report 2011, Sustaining Progress: Rising to the Climate Challenge’ revealed that Bhutan’s declaration to remain carbon neutral comes at a cost. The report says that Bhutan will lose out in terms of revenue foregone from logging and timber extraction, reduced returns from farming and loss of revenue from mining of mineral resources and adopting non-intrusive forms of tourism.
“Fulfilling the commitment to remain carbon neutral means activities that could potentially harm the environment such as use of pesticides, logging and mining, and mass tourism would be controlled even if they represent better economic opportunities,” states the report.
It also says that the cost of maintaining ecological balance against rising population, agricultural growth, urbanization and industrialization, and the cost of conservation will be some of the challenges.
“The country will need to bear the additional cost of maintaining ecological balance against a rising population and the agricultural growth, city infrastructure and industrialization needed to meet its needs,” stated the report.
The global community holds a defined responsibility to come forward with a mechanism to reward Bhutan’s resolve and support appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures.
“In this regard Bhutan requires the global community to come forward with a mechanism to reward the country’s resolution and support Bhutan in undertaking appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures as well as adapt to climate change,” states the report.
The report also highlights some of the initiatives that are needed to support Bhutan to remain carbon neutral.
One of the initiatives is technology transfer. It says that as Bhutan is dependent mainly on hydropower, extension of grid to far flung and remote areas is an expensive option and therefore it is worthwhile to examine other renewable energy technologies.
While most Bhutanese in rural areas uses wood for cooking and heating purposes thereby affecting the environment, efforts to provide improved stoves that not only reduce fuel wood consumption but also offer health benefits must continue. The report also suggests an introduction of fuel efficient vehicles.
Other initiatives include innovation and public involvement, and ending energy poverty.
According to the report, the commitment to remain carbon neutral requires two approaches. The first is by creating ways to keep absorbing carbon. And second, the need to engage on sustainable pathways of human development that are low carbon based.
“The expansion of income, health, education, and other social and political achievements in Bhutan should be built on low-carbon trajectories,” the report read.
Slowing and altogether ending the future effects of climate change is an endeavor that binds all nations and people.
“The reality is that maintaining zero or net carbon sink budget for Bhutan will not shift global climate change trajectories but the implications of the commitment are far reaching, for Bhutan and globally,” states the report, adding that changing the understandings of economic growth is critical in Bhutan.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
bhutan’s graduation from ldc could hamper flow of funds to fight climate change
Bhutan has declared to remain carbon neutral provided that support is forthcoming
If Bhutan graduates from the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the country will not be able to access financing meant only for the LDCs like the LDC fund of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The head of Bhutan’s Environment Monitoring Division of the National Environment Commission, Thinley Namgyel, said graduating from LDC status does not make Bhutan’s efforts to combat climate change any different.
LDCs are given certain privileges to combat climate change. Under the UNFCCC, special consideration for the needs of LDCs is defined under Article 4.9 which states that, “The Parties shall take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology.”
Another special consideration given to LDCs is the more relaxed timeline within which LDC Parties to the UNFCCC can submit national reports to the UNFCCC.
Thinley Namgyel said if Bhutan graduates from LDC status, it will not have access to LDC fund of the UNFCCC but there will be access to other funds like the Adaptation Fund (under the Kyoto Protocol), Special Climate Change Fund (under the UNFCCC), bilateral and multilateral donors, and also in the future the Green Climate Fund.
Bhutan has so far accessed US$3.4mn from the LDC Fund to implement the National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) project to reduce the risk of Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) at Thorthormi Lake and to establish an early warning system in the Punatsangchhu valley.
“Recently with increase in donations to the LDC Fund, the ceiling was raised to US$10m for each LDC. Since we already accessed $3.4m there is about $6.4m with which we can implement the remaining projects identified in our NAPA,” said Thinley Namgyel.
He said many other LDCs are still trying to access the LDC Fund but are having difficulty either due to capacity or technical issues.
“The LDC classification is an economic one and not indicative of our vulnerability to climate change. We will still remain vulnerable as small developing country with a very fragile mountainous landscape,” he said.
“One important factor to keep in mind is that even if we graduate from LDC status it does not mean we are suddenly able to afford all the costs of dealing with climate change,” he added.
He explained that as a small country, the use of per capita income in the LDC classification is misleading. “We may have the highest per capita income in South Asia but that is mainly due to hydropower projects funded through loans, and the fact remains that we still have one of the smallest economies.”
He said Bhutan has made significant socio-economic progress over the past decades but climate change has the potential to reverse many of the gains especially as the hydropower sector on which the country is banking on to help graduate from LDC status is highly vulnerable to climate change.
During the United Nations Conference on LDC in Istanbul, Turkey, the Istanbul Program of Action committed to halve the number of least developed countries by 2020 which puts further pressure on Bhutan which is already regarded as one of the top contenders for graduation.
To be an LDC, a country’s per capita income should be less than US$ 905. However, Bhutan’s per capita income has already reached around US$ 2,154.90 which means it has doubled the LDC rate and has to technically graduate.
Speaking earlier to Business Bhutan during the UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, the chief of the international organizations under the foreign ministry’s multilateral department, Kinzang, said: “The only thing holding Bhutan back from graduating is its human asset index like infant mortality rate (40 per 1,000 live births), literacy rate (59.5%), poverty rate and economic vulnerability of being landlocked country heavily dependent on exports, limited economic activities and vulnerability to climate change and other crises”.
The economic affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, who led the Bhutanese delegation at the UN Conference on LDCs in May this year, called for continuous assistance to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) including Bhutan.
Speaking at the conference, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk said Bhutan as a small landlocked and least developed country, with very fragile mountain ecosystem was highly vulnerable to catastrophic glacial lake outburst, floods, drying water sources, increasing landslides and flashfloods, freak windstorms, decreasing snowfall and unpredictable rainfall patterns.
“The irony of climate change is that it’s devastating impacts are being felt more by the developing countries that are least responsible for causing the problem and has the lowest capacity to adapt and mitigate,” said the minister then.
If Bhutan graduates from the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the country will not be able to access financing meant only for the LDCs like the LDC fund of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The head of Bhutan’s Environment Monitoring Division of the National Environment Commission, Thinley Namgyel, said graduating from LDC status does not make Bhutan’s efforts to combat climate change any different.
LDCs are given certain privileges to combat climate change. Under the UNFCCC, special consideration for the needs of LDCs is defined under Article 4.9 which states that, “The Parties shall take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology.”
Another special consideration given to LDCs is the more relaxed timeline within which LDC Parties to the UNFCCC can submit national reports to the UNFCCC.
Thinley Namgyel said if Bhutan graduates from LDC status, it will not have access to LDC fund of the UNFCCC but there will be access to other funds like the Adaptation Fund (under the Kyoto Protocol), Special Climate Change Fund (under the UNFCCC), bilateral and multilateral donors, and also in the future the Green Climate Fund.
Bhutan has so far accessed US$3.4mn from the LDC Fund to implement the National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) project to reduce the risk of Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) at Thorthormi Lake and to establish an early warning system in the Punatsangchhu valley.
“Recently with increase in donations to the LDC Fund, the ceiling was raised to US$10m for each LDC. Since we already accessed $3.4m there is about $6.4m with which we can implement the remaining projects identified in our NAPA,” said Thinley Namgyel.
He said many other LDCs are still trying to access the LDC Fund but are having difficulty either due to capacity or technical issues.
“The LDC classification is an economic one and not indicative of our vulnerability to climate change. We will still remain vulnerable as small developing country with a very fragile mountainous landscape,” he said.
“One important factor to keep in mind is that even if we graduate from LDC status it does not mean we are suddenly able to afford all the costs of dealing with climate change,” he added.
He explained that as a small country, the use of per capita income in the LDC classification is misleading. “We may have the highest per capita income in South Asia but that is mainly due to hydropower projects funded through loans, and the fact remains that we still have one of the smallest economies.”
He said Bhutan has made significant socio-economic progress over the past decades but climate change has the potential to reverse many of the gains especially as the hydropower sector on which the country is banking on to help graduate from LDC status is highly vulnerable to climate change.
During the United Nations Conference on LDC in Istanbul, Turkey, the Istanbul Program of Action committed to halve the number of least developed countries by 2020 which puts further pressure on Bhutan which is already regarded as one of the top contenders for graduation.
To be an LDC, a country’s per capita income should be less than US$ 905. However, Bhutan’s per capita income has already reached around US$ 2,154.90 which means it has doubled the LDC rate and has to technically graduate.
Speaking earlier to Business Bhutan during the UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, the chief of the international organizations under the foreign ministry’s multilateral department, Kinzang, said: “The only thing holding Bhutan back from graduating is its human asset index like infant mortality rate (40 per 1,000 live births), literacy rate (59.5%), poverty rate and economic vulnerability of being landlocked country heavily dependent on exports, limited economic activities and vulnerability to climate change and other crises”.
The economic affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, who led the Bhutanese delegation at the UN Conference on LDCs in May this year, called for continuous assistance to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) including Bhutan.
Speaking at the conference, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk said Bhutan as a small landlocked and least developed country, with very fragile mountain ecosystem was highly vulnerable to catastrophic glacial lake outburst, floods, drying water sources, increasing landslides and flashfloods, freak windstorms, decreasing snowfall and unpredictable rainfall patterns.
“The irony of climate change is that it’s devastating impacts are being felt more by the developing countries that are least responsible for causing the problem and has the lowest capacity to adapt and mitigate,” said the minister then.
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