A growing cloud of concern hangs over the settlements near Samtse’s Norbugang Industrial Park and the Daina area, as residents and local observers flag periodic, heavy plumes of smoke billowing from newly established factories. What began as a viral social media warning about an area “grappling with severe air pollution” …

In the remote highlands of Nubri, when a Himalayan wolf preys on a livestock calf, 24-year-old Ugyen Lham no longer waits weeks to report it. With a quick tap on her phone using the NoteCam application, coordinates and time-stamped images of the incident are sent directly to the Paro Divisional …

Recent data from the National Water Resources Inventory Report has laid bare a growing environmental challenge in Western Bhutan, revealing that multiple surface-water sources in Paro and Thimphu are either drying up or showing severe signs of depletion. During the 31st Meet-the-Press session, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources …

As climate change accelerates the melting of Himalayan glaciers and extreme weather across the region, Bhutan is facing heightened scrutiny over the vulnerability of its mega hydropower projects situated along hazard-prone river basins. With memories of catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in neighboring countries underscoring the stakes, the Ministry …

As global climate models project a near 100 percent certainty that a super El Niño phenomenon will persist until February 2027, Bhutan is bracing for a volatile stretch of weather for the rest of the month. According to the latest El Niño updates from the National Center for Hydrology and …

Government will review the existing weighbridge system and cross-verification arrangements for aggregate exports following concerns over alleged manipulation of weighbridge slips and inaccurate reporting of export consignments in Phuentsholing. The issue was raised during the 31st Meet-the-Press, after concerns were raised about some aggregate exporters allegedly not taking vehicles to …

During the 31st Meet-the-Press session, Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay reiterated that the government has been monitoring high-risk river basins and potentially dangerous lakes for years, long before recent regional disasters, and continues to do so with new investment and contingency plans. These efforts aim to establish Early Warning Systems …

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 …