Six HKH countries commit to low-carbon construction, NbS, and resilient mountain settlements anchored in traditional knowledge. The newly endorsed “Bhutan Roadmap” provides a strategic framework for regenerative, climate-resilient development in vulnerable mountain settlements across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
TFM Desk
With climate change and unchecked development threatening the fragile ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), a new action plan grounded in Bhutan’s philosophy of regenerative development has won regional consensus. The “Bhutan Roadmap,” unveiled at a major regional conference attended by representatives from six HKH nations, promotes building practices that restore rather than deplete the environment, offering a crucial blueprint for the future of mountain settlements.
According to a press statement issued by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 5 December, the two-day conference held in Thimphu brought together senior government officials, researchers, urban planners, and practitioners to confront escalating challenges in the HKH — a 3,500-kilometre region vital to 240 million mountain inhabitants and nearly two billion people in downstream river valleys. Discussions centred on actionable policies for low-carbon construction, scaling Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and securing finance for resilient infrastructure and essential services.
Delegates identified the rapid shift toward concrete-heavy construction and unplanned urban expansion as major threats, driving land degradation, urban heat islands, and water scarcity. The conference emphasised the need to adapt — not abandon — centuries-old sustainable practices embodied in vernacular architecture, which relies on locally sourced materials, traditional techniques, and deep cultural knowledge.
“Our traditional architecture reflects centuries of climate-responsive, low-carbon design,” said Bhutan’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Chandra Bahadur Gurung. “As hazards intensify, we must innovate and scale solutions that honour our past while preparing for the future. True resilience encompasses communities, governance, and the wise use of natural resources.”
Tashi Penjor, Director of Bhutan’s Department of Human Settlement, highlighted the scientific and cultural importance of traditional methods. “Bhutan’s timber, rammed-earth, and stone-masonry construction practices offer valuable lessons for low-carbon development and hazard-sensitive planning,” he said.
Echoing this integration, Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, noted, “We need to blend the old with the new by integrating modern amenities into vernacular design rather than replacing it.”
The call for a unified regional approach was unequivocal. “Regional cooperation is no longer optional; it is the only pathway to safeguard the future of the Hindu Kush Himalaya,” said Debolina Kundu, Director of India’s National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
The conference concluded with the release of three new knowledge products: a strategic roadmap for Bhutan’s regenerative built environment, a compendium of 20 proven Nature-based Solutions from across the HKH, and case studies of innovative sanitation systems from Indian hill cities.
Jointly convened by Bhutan’s Department of Human Settlement, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and NIUA, the event positions Bhutan’s carbon-negative leadership as a guiding model for securing one of the world’s most critical and climate-vulnerable regions.