𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐅 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐭—𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐭? 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟏% 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?

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By Yeshey Dolma

Bhutan is celebrated worldwide for its climate leadership. As a carbon-negative nation rich in biodiversity and guided by the philosophy of Gross National Happiness, it is often held up as a model for sustainable development. Yet beneath this international acclaim lies an urgent question: how safe are children in Bhutan from the growing threats of climate change?

The UNICEF Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) identifies countries where children face the highest risks from climate-related hazards such as extreme heat, floods, cyclones, and drought. While seven countries in West and Central Africa top this list, However, Bhutan was ranked 111 in the 2021 CCRI and is expected to be ranked again in September 2025. But where would it rank now?

With over 41 percent of its population under 18, Bhutan’s youth are not only its future but also its most vulnerable. The country’s mountainous terrain, scattered settlements, and limited infrastructure increase exposure to unpredictable weather and natural disasters. Although Bhutan contributes little to global emissions, its children already live with the impacts of a warming world.

Global UNICEF data shows that between 2016 and 2021, 43.1 million children were displaced within their countries by weather-related disasters. In 2024 alone, extreme weather events disrupted about 242 million school days worldwide. While Bhutan’s numbers may be smaller, the experiences of its young people tell a similar story of disruption, health risks, and uncertainty.

Pema, 15, from the remote village of Laya, spoke during a UNICEF youth consultation about changing weather patterns. She said winters are shorter, snowfall comes later, and flash floods occur more often. “Sometimes our school runs out of water, and it feels like everything is changing too fast,” she said. Similar stories come from across Bhutan, from heat-stressed classrooms in Mongar to roads blocked by landslides in Pemagatshel and flooded rice fields in Sarpang.

In 2024, UNICEF Bhutan and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development launched a wide youth consultation. Over 639 children and young people shared their views to help update Bhutan’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), a key climate policy. Their input influenced climate education, youth empowerment, and resilience-building efforts, aiming to make climate action more inclusive.

“This is not symbolic participation,” said Rushnan Murtaza, UNICEF Representative in Bhutan. “We often say children are the future, but they are living with climate impacts now. In my work across countries, I have seen climate change disrupt children’s lives- especially girls- forcing many out of school due to health risks, poverty, and loss of livelihoods. In places like Afghanistan, families displaced by climate shocks struggled to rebuild and re-enroll their children.”
This highlights an important but often overlooked reality for Bhutanese children, especially girls and those from marginalized communities. They face health risks, interrupted schooling, and economic hardship, often worsened by lack of climate-resilient infrastructure.

Euthra Tashi Lhazin, a student at Paro College of Education, said, “We are asked for our opinions, but real decisions still happen without us. Youth want to be seen as partners in the climate fight not just passive participants.” This call for meaningful engagement reflects a wider demand for greater youth inclusion in climate decision-making.

Some policymakers are responding. Kinzang Wangchuk, Member of Parliament and Environment and Climate Change Committee member, acknowledged, “Youth engagement must be deeper and more structured. I have seen young people step up, and as leaders, we must match that energy with opportunity.” His words signal a hopeful shift toward inclusive governance.

Bhutan’s climate adaptation efforts are advancing. Climate education is being added to school programs, green school certification schemes are emerging, and youth-led projects like tree planting and sustainable farming are growing across districts. Bhutan’s NDC 3.0 is among the few global climate policies to formally include children’s voices, a pioneering move in inclusive climate governance.

Yet challenges remain. In areas such as Kalapang and Chali, schoolgirls report missing lessons because of poor water and sanitation, problems worsened by climate change. Landslides and floods often block roads, isolating communities and cutting off services. Waterborne diseases rise during dry seasons when untreated water is used, threatening children’s health. These are not isolated cases but signs of the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure that protects Bhutan’s youth.

If Bhutan was included in UNICEF’s CCRI, it would face a difficult but important opportunity. Formal ranking would raise awareness, help target resources, and focus national efforts on protecting the most vulnerable. Above all, it would show the country’s commitment to its children, who face the longest future of climate risks.

Bhutan’s moral and philosophical leadership on climate is clear. But as climate extremes increase globally, true leadership will be measured by the country’s ability to protect its youngest citizens now, through concrete local action, not just international promises.

To maintain its place as a climate leader, Bhutan must make youth participation in climate governance a permanent part of its policies, improve climate education across the country, and invest faster in child-friendly climate-resilient infrastructure. Bhutan’s future depends not only on its landscapes but also on the resilience, health, and empowerment of its children.

The urgent question remains: If Bhutan was included in the Children’s Climate Risk Index, where would it rank?