Rainfall and temperature rising in Bhutan (Kuensel, March 2021)
2020 was one of the warmest years on record globally. According to Bhutan state of climate 2020 report published by NCHM, the country received near to normal average temperature compared with the long-term average from 1996 to 2019. Similarly for the monsoon rainfall, most of the stations received slightly above the normal rainfall against the long-term average 1996-2019.
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First ever Bhutan climate report predicts a hotter and wetter Bhutan (The Bhutanese, March 2021)
The most significant impact of climate change in Bhutan is the formation of supra glacial lakes due to the accelerated retreat of glaciers with increasing temperatures, according to the report on the Analysis of Historical Climate and Climate Change Projection by National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM). The findings of the study indicate future increases in temperature and rainfall for Bhutan under future climate scenarios based on two scenarios called Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5.
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Climate change impacts become more pronounced (Kuensel, November 2020)
Warming in Bhutan has increased from 0.8 °C in the 1910 to 1.5 °C in 1960, and 2.8 °C since the 1990s. Experts have projected that by 2040-2069, the mean annual temperature in the country will increase by 2.1-2.4 °C while the mean total precipitation is expected to decrease. Several impacts of climate change have been observed in our nation over the past few decades, including a rise in forest fires, decrease in land cover cases such as in the glaciers, rock bare land, grassland pasture land, forest, and agricultural land, negative annual water balance of major land use system and decrease in population of few wildlife animals.
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More need to be done (Kuensel, November 2019)
Climate-induced risks are increasing by the day. Sitting in the heart of the Himalayas, we are acutely aware of our vulnerabilities due to climate change. As global temperatures continue to rise and eat the glaciers away at a dramatic rate, we have only to prepare to minimize the impact on lives and properties downstream.
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Country's economy heavily dependent on climate sensitive sectors (BBS, March 2021)
Bhutan’s vulnerability to impacts of climate change continues to increase amid rising global temperature. Impacts are manifesting in various forms from drying water sources to a rise in pests and diseases in plants. These have a direct effect on agriculture, one of the backbones of the Bhutanese economy.