Climate change drives 'emptying' of rural Bhutan

Climate change drives 'emptying' of rural Bhutan

Homes are being abandoned as climate change accelerates migration out of rural Bhutan, new research shows. The mountain kingdom is the world's first carbon-negative country—through exporting zero-carbon hydropower energy. But it is disproportionately affected by climate change, including rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and glaciers retreating.

Climate change drives ‘emptying’ of rural Bhutan

The researchers find that, while migration in Bhutan is primarily done for economic, professional and aspirational reasons, climate change is a “background stressor” that drives migration by making rural livelihoods increasingly precarious.