The NECS is mandated to safeguard the negative environmental impact from all the developmental activities. As per the National Environment Protection Act (NEPA) 2007, the Water Act (WA) 2011 and its Regulation 2014, it is mandatory to maintain a minimum E-Flow for any diversion of natural water flow to maintain healthy ecosystems. Building on the outcomes of Phase-I, the Phase-II project is aimed to further institutionalise the E-Flow utility beyond run of the river hydropower plant development –hydropower peaking, abstraction and diversion of natural watercourses such as for drinking and irrigation– as well as building and integrating the study and analysis of E-Flows into the curriculum of educational institutes and establish robust institutional capacities.

The National Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS) is coordinating and managing the project “Study on Minimum Environmental Flow for Hydropower Projects in Bhutan – Phase II”, funded by the Austrian Development Agency.