Assessing Water Resource Management in Bhutan from a Whole-of-Government Approach

A Perception Study

Abstract

Bhutan is known for its abundant water resources. Bhutan Water Vision 2025 envisages water as the most important natural and self-sustaining resource of the country. Similarly, Water Policy 2007 emphasises on an integrated approach to water management to address balanced development and thereby contributing to the national goal of Gross National Happiness (GNH). However, management of water is resulting in complexity with the proliferation of water-related agencies. The need to address water management issues from a system perspective stemmed from the Organisational Development Exercise (ODE) of the Royal Civil Service Commission (2014-2017) during the review of agencies’ mandates followed by other subsequent reports. Therefore, this study focused on assessing the emerging water management issues in Bhutan from a whole-of-government approach. The survey findings strongly supported the existence of a fragmented approach in water management and urged the need for collaboration in the future. In general, it is found that there is no dearth of policy frameworks and guidelines but the issues revolve mostly around lack of effective implementation. Majority of the respondents supported the idea of establishing a central agency to synchronise the efforts of water management agencies. The water flagship programme initiated by the government during the twelfth five-year plan is expected to address many of the existing cross-sectoral issues which, however, will require tweaking in the existing policy and subsystems, to some extent, besides the change in mindsets to work in a new collaborative culture.