Restructuring The Governance & Management of Water in Bhutan

Between 2020 and 2021, The Hague Academy developed an Orange Knowledge training programme with the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement in Bhutan. Although water resources are abundant in Bhutan, there is a shortage of drinking water which has become a national concern. Hence, the government has identified drinking water as a flagship program in the current Five Year Plan, which aims to provide a 24×7 drinking water supply to every household in Bhutan by 2023. The Ministry of Works and Human Settlement manages this Water Flagship. In this context, the staff of the ministry was trained on water governance, and water and change management. 

Main Goal

Strengthen the capacities of the staff of the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement in Bhutan on water governance, water management and change management. 

Objectives

After completing the training programme, participants will be able to:

• Define and describe the concepts of good water governance;
• Analyse the current water governance system in the country and identify the main issues that are hampering its good performance;
• Analyse the linkages between the management and governance of irrigation and drinking water;
• Discuss the success factors of international good practices of water governance;
• Design an action plan to restructure the institutional set-up for drinking water and irrigation, and to create a separate water agency initially responsible for drinking water and irrigation; and
• Assess the possibility of including the management and governance of other water activities, such as sanitation, under the mandates of the new agency that will be created.

Partners