Governance – Strengthening health systems including through digital transformation

·      Introducing mobile cardiotocography to accelerate the health outcomes of all mothers and children, in partnership with Ministry of Health (MoH). This initiative will provide remote services to pregnant women and hence minimize exposure to infections including COVID-19. The 46 project sites cater to over 50% of pregnant women in the country.

·      Supplementing MoH’s efforts to equip frontline health workers and waste handlers providing collection services from quarantine facilities with essential safety gears.

·      Supporting procurement and establishment of incinerators to manage hazardous waste, capacity building of medical waste handlers and exploring partnerships with the private sector to ensure safer and more efficient medical waste management.

Social Protection- Uprooting Inequalities

·      Supported Rapid Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 on Bhutan’s Tourism Sector for timely and targeted interventions for an estimated 50,000 people working in the tourism and affiliated sectors.

·      Through the Loden-UNDP COVID-19 Response Fund, ten young entrepreneurs execute green business ideas to help communities navigate the COVID-19 crisis, directly creating employment opportunities for 57 individuals, including single mothers, youths and those whose jobs were impacted by COVID-19, and overall contributing to building back better efforts and climate action.

·      Empowering survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV)and women working in the entertainment sector, LGBTQ, Youth with Substance Abuse Disorders (including recovering), People Living with HIV and other marginalized groups through capacity building and skills development in collaboration with local CSOs.

·      Advancing inclusive risk communications and advocacy targeted at elderly and hard-to-reach populations, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and survivors of GBV, in collaboration with MoH and local CSOs.

Green economy – rebalancing nature, climate, economy

·      Supporting diversification of energy mix to enhance energy security with the implementation of 180 KW Solar Power pilot project. The project will demonstrate the potential of solar as a viable alternate energy source to hydro power and create green jobs.

·      Working with the Ministry of Agriculture to promote commercial farming in Paro District. Tourism workers affected by COVID-19, 17 farmers groups and cooperatives and 445 individual farmers are being engaged in large scale vegetable production on 3,439 acres of land. The intervention not only provides immediate jobs to the affected but also enhances Bhutan’s food production and self-sufficiency.

·      Protecting the livelihoods of 170 people and their families by engaging them in the enhancement of existing tourism facilities and upskilling and reskilling programs as part of our support to the Government’s Economic Contingency Plan on Tourism Resilience.

·      Contributing to Tourism of Council of Bhutan’s (TCB) efforts to promote Brand Bhutan amid COVID-19. The partnership provides immediate livelihood support to the affected and boost the resilience of the sector to such future shocks.

·      Strengthening the government’s macro-economic framework for policy impact analyses, while also providing support to improve the Cottage and Small Industries (CSIs) through a value chain analysis of essential products and identifying appropriate business solutions.

Digital Disruption and Innovation for Speed and Scale  

·      Provided ICT equipment to support MoH in the roll out of COVID-19 emergency IT solutions enabling real-time data collection to effectively monitor and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

·      Partnering with the Judiciary of Bhutan to initiate e-litigation to ensure access to justice and uninterrupted essential social service during the pandemic.

·      Working with the Parliament of Bhutan in developing a Comprehensive Plan on Parliament Functionality during emergencies.

·      Supporting the establishment of Bhutan Innovation Hub and in identifying a strategic direction for the country’s innovation eco-system and contribute towards building a future-ready Bhutan.