National Environment Commission

National Environment Commission Department of Environment and Climate Change and Secretariat to NEC

The National Environment Commission is an independent authority and high-level autonomous decision making body on all matters relating to the environment and its management in Bhutan. The high-level commission consist of Honorable Prime Minister as Chair, four highest ranking officers representing relevant ministries, three representatives of civil society/eminent persons and Head of the Secretari

at as Member Secretary. The Commission also monitors the impact of development on the environment and aims to put in place the necessary controls, regulations and incentives to the private/public sectors to achieve sustainable development through the judicious use of natural resources. The coordination of inter-sectoral programmes, the implementation of policies and legislation with regard to the environment is also another important mandate of the Commission. The NEC is also national focal agency for various multilateral environmental agreements on climate change, biodiversity, protection of the ozone layer, trans-boundary air pollution and trans-boundary movement of hazardous wastes. The NEC Secretariat plays a key role in promoting sound environmental policies and investments. This Secretariat is responsible for ensuring that Bhutan follows a sustainable development path and that all projects be it public or private, take into consideration environmental aspects. The mandates, functions and powers of the NEC and its Secretariat are defined in the National Environment Protection Act of Bhutan 2007, Environmental Assessment Act 2000, Waste Prevention and Management Act of Bhutan 2009, Water Act of Bhutan 2011.

๐“๐ซ๐š๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐„๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‹๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  (๐Œ๐„๐‹) ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐€๐๐š๐ฉ๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งThe Department of Environme...
23/03/2026

๐“๐ซ๐š๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐„๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‹๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  (๐Œ๐„๐‹) ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐€๐๐š๐ฉ๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), with technical and financial support from the NAP Global Network (NAP-GN), has initiated an assessment of existing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems to develop a reliable framework aligned with national priorities and international reporting requirements.

The MEL system aimed to:
1. Facilitate systematic tracking of the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP);
2. Monitor progress in strengthening the countryโ€™s adaptive capacity and climate resilience, thereby contributing to sustainable socio-economic development; and
3. Ensure compliance with reporting obligations under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement.

A well-functioning MEL system enables the systematic tracking of progress, evaluation of the effectiveness of adaptation actions, and generation of evidence on what works and what does not. It also creates opportunities for learning and knowledge exchange among institutions and stakeholders. Through continuous learning and feedback, strategies can be refined, implementation improved, and successful practices scaled up.

Measuring adaptation progress across sectors-from the national to the global level-is essential for monitoring Bhutanโ€™s advancement in implementing both the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). These commitments demonstrate Bhutanโ€™s determination to contribute to global climate action while safeguarding the well-being of its people and ecosystems.

To strengthen stakeholdersโ€™ understanding and capacity in MEL concepts, methodologies, and practical applications, a two-day intensive training workshop was conducted in Gelephu on 19-20 March 2026. The workshop brought together:
- Environment Officers from all Dzongkhags and Thromdes;
- Planning Officers from four Thromdes; and
- Relevant officials from line ministries and other key stakeholder institutions.

Outcome of the Training
1. The training enhanced participantsโ€™ understanding of MEL frameworks and their application in tracking climate change adaptation initiatives.
2. Provided practical knowledge on developing indicators, data collection, and reporting mechanisms, and integrating MEL into sectoral planning and implementation processes.
3. Strengthened collaboration and knowledge exchange among national and local stakeholders, laying the groundwork for a more coordinated approach to monitoring and reporting adaptation actions.
4. The insights and feedback gathered during the training will contribute to the ongoing assessment and development of Bhutanโ€™s national MEL framework for the NAP.

https://www.facebook.com/NAPGlobalNetwork/

We are pleased to announce the Carbon Credit Project Developer Workshop โ€“ โ€œCarbon Credit Development in Practice: From t...
21/02/2026

We are pleased to announce the Carbon Credit Project Developer Workshop โ€“ โ€œCarbon Credit Development in Practice: From the Paris Agreement to Project Deliveryโ€, organized by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) in collaboration with Terrama, Singapore.

๐Ÿ“… 2โ€“4 March 2026

๐Ÿ“ Norkhil Boutique Hotel & Spa, Thimphu

This 3-day capacity-building workshop will bring together policymakers, sustainability professionals, project developers, and practitioners to strengthen understanding of Article 6 carbon markets, Bhutanโ€™s national carbon credit framework, and end-to-end carbon project development.

๐ŸŽฏ Participants will gain:
โ€ข Practical knowledge on international & national carbon market frameworks
โ€ข Hands-on experience in project design, MRV, and registry processes
โ€ข Tools, templates & real-world case studies
๐ŸŽ“ Certificates of participation, idea pitching sessions, and exciting prizes for winning teams will make the workshop both engaging and rewarding!

๐Ÿ‘‰ Interested participants can register through the link provided below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IP4t3mCNvHkS5qKDW2AH8TL_lNa6mz3cxY-N7LE_x5g/edit?usp=sharing
We look forward to meaningful discussions and strong collaboration toward advancing Bhutanโ€™s carbon market readiness.

๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐‹๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐‹๐‚๐ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐š๐งโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐ƒ๐‚ ๐Ÿ‘.๐ŸŽThe Department of Environment and Climate Cha...
17/02/2026

๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐‹๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐‹๐‚๐ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐š๐งโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐ƒ๐‚ ๐Ÿ‘.๐ŸŽ

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, convened a High-Level Sensitization Workshop on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) on January 23, 2026, at Thimphu with technical support from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) under its Targeted Expert Assistance programme.

The workshop engaged senior policymakers and decision-makers to highlight the strategic importance of SLCP mitigation for maintaining Bhutanโ€™s carbon neutrality, improving air quality and public health, and supporting implementation of Bhutanโ€™s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0). Discussions covered SLCP baseline findings, sectoral mitigation opportunities, policy and institutional pathways, and integration of SLCP priorities into sectoral Low Emission Development Strategies.

The policy dialogue highlighted the need to move from planning to implementation by strengthening SLCP integration, prioritizing waste management, improving data and MRV systems, enhancing institutional coordination, and leveraging climate finance to support Bhutanโ€™s NDC 3.0 implementation. The workshop concluded with agreement on next steps, including finalization of the SLCP baseline and mitigation analysis, strengthened institutional coordination and data systems, and advancement of Bhutanโ€™s National SLCP Action Plan and National Methane Roadmap.

The event was attended by senior officials from government ministries and agencies, local governments, research and academic institutions, private sector and civil society organizations, development partners, and national and international experts.

๐’๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ž๐ซ ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐š๐ฉ๐š๐œ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐‹๐‚๐ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐š๐งโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐ƒ๐‚ ๐Ÿ‘.๐ŸŽThe Department o...
17/02/2026

๐’๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ž๐ซ ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐š๐ฉ๐š๐œ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐‹๐‚๐ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐š๐งโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐ƒ๐‚ ๐Ÿ‘.๐ŸŽ

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, conducted the Second Stakeholder Consultation and Capacity-Building Workshop on integrating Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) into Bhutanโ€™s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) on January 22, 2026, at Thimphu, with technical support from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

The workshop reviewed findings from the national SLCP baseline assessment and gap analysis, discussed sector-wise mitigation measures, strengthened understanding of SLCP inventories and Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) reporting, and examined institutional and policy gaps to support effective implementation.

The event concluded with agreement on next steps, including finalization of the SLCP baseline, targeted follow-up consultations to address data gaps, and continued integration of SLCP priorities into sectoral policies, sectoral Low Emission Development Strategies, and upcoming national initiatives such as the National SLCP Action Plan, Methane Roadmap, and National Clean Air Action Plan.

The workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, sectoral ministries, local governments, academic and research institutions, private sector organizations, civil society organizations, development partners, and national and international consultants.

๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐€๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐›๐จ๐ง ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐ค๐ž๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐ฌhttps://www.moenr.gov.bt/?page_id=15514
16/02/2026

๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐€๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐›๐จ๐ง ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐ค๐ž๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐ฌ
https://www.moenr.gov.bt/?page_id=15514

๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐„๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž (๐ƒ๐„๐‚๐‚), ๐Œ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐œ๐ž๐ฌ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐š ๐•๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐–๐จ๐ซ...
05/02/2026

๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐„๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž (๐ƒ๐„๐‚๐‚), ๐Œ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐œ๐ž๐ฌ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐š ๐•๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ๐„๐‹ ๐’๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐š๐ง

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR), with support from the NAP Global Network, organized a one-day validation workshop on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) on 30 January 2026.

The workshop aimed to validate key findings of the assessment on Bhutanโ€™s MEL system and to gather inputs on gaps, challenges, and opportunities for establishing a robust and effective MEL framework. Participants also identified priority activities and timelines and enhanced their understanding of MEL concepts and practices.

Participants emphasized that the absence of a structured MEL system makes it difficult to monitor and track the progress of development plans and programmes. They noted that strong collaboration among ministries and agencies is essential to developing a pragmatic and functional MEL system.

The workshop was attended by representatives from various ministries and government agencies.

๐…๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐Œ๐ž๐ž๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ˆ๐Œ๐’๐“๐„๐‚ ๐‰๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐†๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐„๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐žThe 4th Meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Work...
17/01/2026

๐…๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐Œ๐ž๐ž๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ˆ๐Œ๐’๐“๐„๐‚ ๐‰๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐†๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐„๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž

The 4th Meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Environment and Climate Change (JWG-ECC) was held on 15โ€“16 January 2026 in Thimphu, Bhutan. The Meeting finalized the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the JWG-ECC, reviewed activities under the Action Matrix of the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Environment and Climate Change, discussed mobilization of climate finance, and explored initiatives to further advance the BIMSTEC Environment and Climate Change Sector. The representatives from seven member states (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka) participated in the two-day meeting.

Environment and Climate Change is one of the seven sectors of BIMSTEC Cooperation and Bhutan is the lead country.

22/12/2025
๐™‹๐™ง๐™š๐™จ๐™จ ๐™๐™š๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™จ๐™šThe Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) successfully conducted the Final Validation Worksho...
12/12/2025

๐™‹๐™ง๐™š๐™จ๐™จ ๐™๐™š๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™จ๐™š

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) successfully conducted the Final Validation Workshop on the Revision of the National Waste Management Strategy 2019 (NWMS) from 11-12 December 2025 in Thimphu with key stakeholders, including representatives from government agencies, Local Governments, private sector entities, and civil society organizations. The workshop provided the final platform to review and validate the updated strategic pillars, action plans, and implementation framework, ensuring that the revised NWMS reflects national priorities and strengthens Bhutanโ€™s collective pathway toward a zero-waste future.

As part of the program, participants also undertook a site visit to the Memeylakha landfill, allowing them to observe firsthand the realities and operational challenges of waste management in Thimphu. The visit reinforced the urgency and national importance of a strengthened, practical, and forward-looking strategy. The workshop concluded with support from all stakeholders to advance an integrated, effective, and sustainable waste management system.

๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—”๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜!โš ๏ธ
04/12/2025

๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—”๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜!โš ๏ธ

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒThe Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) conducted a pre-validation workshop on 24th Novembe...
25/11/2025

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) conducted a pre-validation workshop on 24th November 2025 for the Revision of the National Waste Management Strategy 2019 (NWMS) with key stakeholders, including representatives from Local Governments, relevant government agencies, private sector entities, and civil society organizations. The workshop served as an important platform to present the revised strategy, gather final inputs, and ensure its alignment with national waste management priorities and Bhutanโ€™s long-term vision of achieving a zero-waste society. Participants reviewed and validated the proposed strategic pillars, thematic action plans, and implementation pathways, while also providing substantive feedback to further strengthen the strategy prior to its formal endorsement. The engagement enhanced cross-sectoral coordination, deepened stakeholder understanding, and reinforced a unified national commitment to addressing Bhutanโ€™s evolving waste challenges through a more integrated, practical, and sustainable waste management approach.

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒThe Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) conducted two back-to-back Sensitization Workshops ...
24/11/2025

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) conducted two back-to-back Sensitization Workshops on NDCs, Climate Change and the Environment in Paro from 18โ€“21 November 2025. The first workshop engaged representatives from NGOs, CSOs, private sector entities and youth groups, while the second brought together officials from all 20 dzongkhags and four thromdes. The workshops enhanced participantsโ€™ understanding of Bhutanโ€™s commitments under the UNFCCCโ€” including the Paris Agreement, NDCs and BTRsโ€” and strengthened awareness on waste management, environmental clearances and their importance for sustainable and climate-resilient development. The sessions featured presentations, discussions and interactive activities aimed at building capacity and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders in Bhutanโ€™s climate and environmental initiatives.

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Chhodzong Lam
Thimphu
11002

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