Bhutan
Bhutan Kickoff Meeting
Bhutan, selected as one of six countries to participate in Phase II of the Nature4Health (N4H) initiative, officially kicked off its Scoping Stage on 13 May 2026. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, with support from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Finance, Bhutan’s successful Expression of Interest is a recognition of Bhutan’s strong national commitment to advancing a One Health approach that recognises the inseparable links between people, animals, and ecosystems. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on One Health and the Bhutan One Health Secretariat, both formal mechanisms to coordinate broader One Health initiatives in Bhutan, have played a pivotal role in bringing this initiative to Bhutan by strengthening cross-sector collaboration.
Over the next nine months, the Core Team, comprising representatives from agriculture, livestock, public health, environment, forests, and wildlife sectors, will undertake a systemic inquiry via national consultations (4 regional workshops) covering all 20 districts of Bhutan, to develop a feasible, sustainable implementation project document grounded in Bhutan's national priorities and commitments in its 5th National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as convening partner, will facilitate evidence-based design, strengthen cross-sector alignment, and bridge government, development partners, and financing streams to ensure N4H translates into actionable, scalable outcomes.
As Bhutan faces growing risks from zoonotic diseases, climate change, biodiversity loss, and intensifying human-wildlife interaction, N4H offers a critical platform to strengthen prevention and resilience. The Scoping Stage will focus on high-risk geographies and priority diseases while integrating biodiversity and ecosystem health into national health security planning—bringing together government agencies, communities, and development partners to co-design solutions that advance pandemic prevention, climate resilience, and human wellbeing as part of one shared future.
Quotes
“Nature-based prevention is not only an environmental priority — it is also a development priority. Investments in prevention strengthen resilience, improve livelihoods, support food security, and reinforce health systems while advancing climate and biodiversity goals.”
““(Today)… marks the beginning of a new chapter in Bhutan’s One Health journey — one that recognises that pandemic prevention, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and human wellbeing are not separate agendas, but part of the same shared future. With that, I wish the Core Team and all participants a productive, thoughtful, and collaborative process in the days ahead.””
Moments from the Meeting
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Moments from the Meeting *
