As the Himalaya bears the brunt of accelerated warming and erratic monsoons, catastrophic cloudbursts and glacial lake outbursts have transitioned from theoretical models to grim regional realities. Following devastating flash floods in neighbouring Nepal, where transboundary data gaps and sudden wall-of-water events overwhelmed communities, Bhutan faces an urgent reckoning. With …

Close to 400 Bhutanese workers have returned from overseas over the past 12 to 18 months, but the government’s structured efforts to reintegrate them face hurdles ranging from under-registration to inter-agency bottlenecks, according to data from the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship (DoEE). In response to queries from The Bhutanese, …

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR) is pushing forward with ambitious plans to expand renewable energy-powered lift irrigation systems across the country. Aimed at tackling water scarcity in highland farming communities, the initiative bridges clean energy and agricultural productivity. Renewable energy (RE) solar lift irrigation refers to an …

A lucky save for Bhutanese Pilgrims The floods in Nepal and Tibet caused by a massive glacier collapse generating an earthquake of 5.2 magnitude and a wall of water, rocks and mud have led to 579 deaths in Nepal and five deaths in Tibet (China). As of Friday evening, the …

It has been over eight months since the rollout of the National Crop and Livestock Scheme (NCLIS), with a total of 149 households now enrolled under the initiative. As of 6th August, 98 households across seven dzongkhags have insured agricultural commodities, specifically paddy, maize, and potato. Mongar leads registrations with …

The developing social media landscape in Bhutan has spurred the growth of videographers and content creators bringing out immense creativity using audiovisuals. Today, it has also brought confusion among young content creators and videographers that are starting out whether they need a formal license from the national media regulator. The …

Thimphu’s meat market is showing strong signs of real price competition. This shift comes nine months after regulators dismantled a long-running price-fixing cartel. A new investigation by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (CCAA) examined 15 different meat products. Officials surveyed 65 meat shops across Thimphu Town. CCAA wanted to …

In a world increasingly defined by digital noise, 26-year-old Bhutanese artist Tandin Chophel is turning back to the quiet, temporal language of the landscape. His debut solo exhibition, “Where the Winds Meet”, currently on display in Thimphu until 1st October 2026, serves as both a retrospective of his development since …

As social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook evolve into strong channels for doing business, the Department of Trade (DoT) is grappling with the significant challenge of bringing Bhutan’s rapidly transforming informal online economy into the formal sector. While digital entrepreneurship is surging, the DoT admits that tracking and monitoring …

With the implementation of the Third International Internet Gateway (3IIG), the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA), as the regulatory authority, has clarified that the new pathway operates under existing licensing frameworks and will not automatically trigger immediate tariff reductions for consumers. In a written response to media inquiries regarding …