A top UN climate official will visit Bhutan from tomorrow to discuss the challenges faced by the Himalayan nation due to climate change.
UNFCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will call on Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and discuss the progress in responding to the challenges during her visit from May 1 to 3.
The Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change states that Bhutan already faces significant challenges for development but climate change threaten the achievements made thus far.
Bhutan, with its population of around 740,000, arouse global interest because of its search for gross national happiness (GNH) and not the servile desire for economic growth at any cost.
In the short run Bhutan will experience rapid melting of glaciers and risk more frequent Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) events that would result in significant loss of lives and property, experts say.
Bhutan would also experience unusual weather patterns thereby affecting agriculture and food production, they add.
Bhutan is implementing a project under the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) to reduce the risk of GLOF from one of 25 dangerous glacial lakes.
Experts say mitigation measures must be taken up simultaneously but they are more difficult to implement since they require political commitment from within and outside to have meaningful reduction of carbon emission.
