Insight Session: Bringing Nature Back into Bhutan’s Urban Future
How can municipalities grow while not only protecting nature, but actively helping to regenerate it?
As Bhutan’s towns and municipalities continue to grow, they face the challenge of accommodating urban development while preserving the country’s strong environmental legacy. Urban heat, flooding, habitat loss and changing relationships between people and nature are making new approaches to urban development increasingly important.
In this virtual Connective Cities Insight Session, the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) will share how Nature-based Solutions and eco-regenerative development can help create greener, healthier and more climate-resilient urban areas.
Drawing on practical and emerging initiatives from across Bhutan, the session will explore how biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, green-blue infrastructure, recreation and community development can be integrated into urban development.
A particular focus will be the planned Eco-Regenerative Park at Rinchending, Phuentsholing, where biodiversity conservation, green space, nature interpretation, sustainable recreation, wellness, regenerative tourism and benefits for local communities are being brought together. Further examples from Samdrup Jongkhar and the Gelephu Mindfulness City landscape will illustrate how ecological restoration and nature-based experiences can contribute to more resilient and liveable urban areas.
The session will feature
- Nawang Norbu, Executive Director, Bhutan Ecological Society
Setting the Scene: Nature, Climate Resilience and Bhutan’s Urban Future - Namgay Dendup, Nature-based Solutions Specialist, Bhutan Ecological Society
Bringing Nature Back into Bhutan’s Urban Future: Nature-Based Solutions in Practice
The presentations will be followed by an open discussion and exchange with participants, offering municipalities and practitioners from different regions an opportunity to reflect on Bhutan’s experiences and share how Nature-based Solutions are being translated into practical and locally appropriate urban interventions in their own contexts.
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
Time: 10:00–11:00 CEST
Format: Online
Language: English
More information and registration: https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/1616
© Rui T Guedes, iStock
Date Range:
22.10.2026, 10:00 - 11:00 (CEST)