The Royal Government of Bhutan has officially launched its national reporting process to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) following the successful completion of a week-long technical training workshop held from 13–19 November 2025 at The Four Boutique Hotel, Punakha.
Organized by the National Soil Services Centre of the Department of Agriculture, who is the National Focal Agency for the UNCCD under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the workshop brought together members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) from multiple agencies responsible for land management, agriculture, livestock, forest and environment, biodiversity, climate change, water, hydrometeorology, geology and mines. The training aimed to strengthen national capacity for the preparation of Bhutan’s upcoming UNCCD national report 2026 and to familiarize TWG members with the PRAIS 4 reporting platform.
Over seven days, participants received targeted, hands-on training facilitated by an international expert on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), fielded through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The workshop placed special emphasis on Strategic Objective 1 (SO1) of the UNCCD, which focuses on monitoring and assessing trends in land degradation, land cover, productivity, and soil organic carbon.
The training covered:
- Understanding the UNCCD national reporting framework and cycle
- Detailed orientation on the PRAIS 4 platform
- Methodologies for assessing LDN indicators under SO1
- Best practices on data validation, quality control, and inter-agency coordination
- Practical exercises using Bhutan’s national datasets and global data sources
Speaking at the closing session, the UNCCD National Focal Point expressed appreciation to the FAO and the international expert for their technical support, highlighting the importance of building strong national capacities to produce a high-quality and evidence-based national report. This workshop marks a significant step in strengthening Bhutan’s ability to monitor land degradation and contribute meaningfully to the global efforts under the UNCCD.
Participants also recognized the importance of having quality national datasets and the engagement of stakeholders, noting that the national reporting process is a collective responsibility requiring close collaboration among government agencies, development partners, and technical institutions.
The TWG will continue working together in the coming months to compile, validate, and finalize the national datasets and analyses required for the 2026 reporting cycle. Bhutan’s national report will contribute to global assessments under the UNCCD, informing policy discussions at the Committee for the Review and the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) and the Conference of Parties (COP) sessions and supporting the country’s ongoing efforts to promote sustainable land management and achieve Land Degradation Neutrality.
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