A Green Climate Fund (GCF) delegation began a visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan today to explore how GCF can help the country’s ambitious climate change plans.

Maintaining a minimum of 60 percent of its land under forest cover for all time, in accordance with Bhutan’s Constitution, is central to both the country’s mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Thrimchi Lyonpo Tshering Wangchuk, Bhutan’s caretaker prime minister, said “Bhutan is starting to develop our strategic country programme for GCF to identify priority climate actions.”

The Government of Bhutan hopes to use the GCF country programme, which summarises its climate action agenda and planned activities with GCF, to help it implement the country’s 12th five-year plan. The five-year plan includes a number of key areas designed to strengthen the country’s progress on a low-emission and climate-resilient path.

Pa Ousman Jarju, director of GCF’s country programming division, said GCF is pleased to provide financial support directly to the country’s National Designated Authority (NDA), the Gross National Happiness Commission.

Bhutan will hold a national workshop on 29-30 August in which the GCF delegation will provide support in developing its GCF country programme.

Bhutan is receiving USD 400,000 in GCF readiness support to assist its engagement with the Fund. In addition, GCF is in the final stages of approving a USD 3 million National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for Bhutan, with a focus on the water sector.