Water for Women - Bhutan

Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH Services in Rural Bhutan

Water for Women partners with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and partners to accelerate progress in rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access for 88,246* people living in the districts of Dagana, Zhemgang and Trashigang, Bhutan.

Bhutan is the world’s first carbon negative country and a global biodiversity hotspot, however its location in the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas makes it highly vulnerable to climate change. Increasing trends in temperature and rainfall increase the risk of flash floods, glacial lake outburst flooding, landslides and droughts in the future.^[1] Although Bhutan’s water supply is abundant, recent studies reveal the threat of water sources drying up and water availability becoming a greater challenge for communities, with increased probability of dry periods and heatwaves and unpredictable rainfall.^[2]

The World Bank projects above-average warming, droughts and heatwaves, which will severely impact the lowlands.^[3] Rising temperatures and precipitation could also change the transmission pattern for vector-borne diseases.^[4] Most of the country’s agricultural land and infrastructure is in drainage basins and highly vulnerable to monsoon rains, increased snow melt, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods and changing patterns of river discharge and water availability.

Freshwater in Bhutan is sourced mostly from streams, springs and wetlands, which in turn are fed by glaciers and monsoon rain. The projected increases in temperature, greater mean annual rainfall, and greater variation in surface water flow between wet and dry seasons will impact significantly on Bhutan’s water sources.

Across Bhutan, it is reported that 35% of the water sources are drying up^[5] and most of the rural water schemes have no water safety plans.^[6] This fact, combined with limited water management arrangements, increases water insecurity, and if not addressed, can undermine and reverse the gains achieved over the past decade.

Bhutan's location in the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas makes it highly vulnerable to climate change (SNV Bhutan / Upasana Dahal of Oopz Production)

Climate-related risks to water, sanitation and hygiene

Climate change effects people in different ways, but Bhutanese women face multiple negative impacts; 71% of women are responsible for unpaid domestic care work, including household water and WASH duties, but are underrepresented in decision-making platforms. An SNV study in May 2022^[7] identified Bhutanese children, people with disability and women at highest risk due to climate change. These groups are dependent on support for access and safe use of WASH, have lower coping capacity and higher hygiene needs.

“The project is timely with Bhutan achieving 100% ODF/access to improved sanitation. Through the project, linkages to sanitation, hygiene and water will be strengthened, while leveraging on the government’s huge investment in water supply investments to develop [a] comprehensive management model to build in climate resilience and inclusion in water management. It will also contribute to post-ODF with safely managed sanitation facilities through [an] institutionalised monitoring system.”

Ugyen Rinzin, SNV Bhutan Project Leader

The project districts of Dagana, Zhemgang and Trashigang represent the three climatic zones of the country – alpine, temperate and sub-tropical.^[12] Each zone faces challenges, as wet periods become wetter and dry periods drier.

Aim

The Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH Services in Rural Bhutan project aims to accelerate progress in rural WASH in Dagana, Zhemgang and Trashigang by strengthening the adaptive capacities of stakeholders, including rights holder groups and communities, to ensure sustainable service delivery and achieve quality and equity at scale.

Building on the successes and achievements of SNV’s Water for Women project, Beyond the Finish Line – Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All, completed in 2022, this project is addressing emerging challenges and needs, with technical advisory services, evidence-based advocacy, strategic partnerships, multi-stakeholder processes, gender and social inclusion mainstreaming, and knowledge, learning and exchange integrated in the program approach.

From 2023-2024, this project aims to deliver lasting impact through:

• Improved capacity of two national and 10 subnational government agencies in planning, delivering, monitoring and targeting of investments in climate-resilient inclusive WASH services that adapt to climate risks and water security challenges
• Increased capacity of two national and 10 subnational government agencies in designing, investing, implementing, and monitoring social and behaviour change communications that respond to climate-driven health risks and increase disaster preparedness
• Improved performance of 30 rural water supply operators (Water Users’ Committees) and strengthened adaptive post-construction support services delivering climate-resilient inclusive WASH services
• Strengthened consumer supply chains and finance to deliver affordable market-based solutions for changing consumer needs, climate resilience and service levels, including for potentially disadvantaged groups
• Strengthened leadership, agency and voice of women, people with disabilities, potentially disadvantaged groups and civil society actors
• Documenting and sharing of climate-resilient and gender, disability and socially inclusive evidence and practices with other CSOs, national/subnational sectors and international WASH and water sector actors.

Handwashing with soap in the highlands, Laya (SNV Bhutan / Tashi Dorji). View more photo updates from our work in Bhutan.

WASH-related climate challenges for this project

• With water sources drying up, declining spring water and a lack of water safety plans for the rural water schemes, water security is a major concern across the three project districts.
• Climate change is already impacting the functionality of the predominantly pour flush toilets, which rely on a sufficient water supply to meet daily household WASH needs.
• Wastewater treatment and discharge accounts for around 87% of total waste-related greenhouse gas emissions nationally.^[13]
• Safe sanitation management practices are still not well understood and the use of data from monitoring systems to adjust approaches is limited.
• Climate-related events and crises, such as floods and landslides, threaten the integrity of WASH infrastructure, including sanitation systems, and thus the quality and availability of water for consumption and hygiene.
• Although water is abundant, access to safe water at all times across seasons and after extreme weather events remains a challenge.

“The current focus of our drinking water supply programme has been on the expansion of physical infrastructure and little attention given on post-construction management support system at the subnational levels. As such, imminent sustainability concerns aggravated by key climate risks of flooding, landslides and droughts [are] presenting different yet interlinked challenges, the rethinking, reforming, and strengthening [of] water management and governance is of utmost importance.”

Dechen Yangden, Chief Engineer, Water and Sanitation Division, Ministry of Works and Human Settlement

A Bhutanese woman stands by her pour flush latrine, which has become difficult to maintain due to scarce water supply (SNV / Aidan Dockery)

SNV’s projects focus on improving access to equitable and sustainable safely managed sanitation and hygiene services. Climate projections indicate that temperatures and wet season rainfall are increasing in these rural communities, while dry season rainfall is decreasing in Bhutan. Climate hazards – floods, droughts, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods – are already impeding WASH services in the project areas. The most vulnerable people, including women, girls, people with disabilities and those that live in remote areas, will likely face the highest burden from climate change impacts.

Outcomes

The Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH Services in Rural Bhutan project aims to reach the following beneficiaries by the end of 2024:

Direct beneficiaries: 88,246*

• women and girls: 42,746
• men and boys: 45,500
• people with a disability: 7,676

Indirect beneficiaries: 477,507*

Feature photo: A woman accesses water from a tap stand in rural Zhemgang (SNV Bhutan / Tobden)

*Project targets are based on partner Civil Society Organisations (CSO) baseline studies. Project targets are updated periodically in response to changes in context as appropriate. To see our latest progress towards targets, see our progress.