The first dedicated air quality dashboard for Bhutan (AQ Watch – Bhutan) was launched on 30 October 2025 in Thimpu, Bhutan. The dashboard was handed over to the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR), Royal Government of Bhutan by ICIMOD on the same day.
The AQ Watch – Bhutan developed by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), Bhutan was jointly launched by Sonam Tashi, Director, DECC, and Ashish Tiwari, Action Area Lead, Air ICIMOD.
Following the successful completion of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Quality Assurance (QA) processes, AQ Watch – Bhutan has been made live, enabling real-time visualisation and analysis of air quality across the country.
The dashboard provides a unified interface to monitor recent and archived air quality datasets from multiple sources, including in-situ air quality observation stations, satellite products, reanalysis datasets and air quality forecasts.
Key parameters include:
PM2.5 (fine particles) and PM10 (coarse particles), comprising tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air,
Ozone (O₃): a harmful gas on the ground level mainly formed when sunlight reacts with exhaust gases from vehicles and industries,
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): gaseous pollutant mainly emitted from vehicles and industries,
Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂): emitted mainly from industrial processes and the burning of sulphur-containing fuels such as coal,
Carbon Monoxide (CO): generated by incomplete combustion of fuel,
Black Carbon (BC): fine soot particles released from incomplete combustion of fuels and biomass
The interactive map on the dashboard allows users to select any region on the map and analyse the pollution trend over the time. It also allows users to select the multiple pollutants in the same region and same pollutant in different regions. This helps researchers, analysts and policy makers to make informed decisions on air pollution management. The AQ Watch – Bhutan includes an Archive section that allows users to view air quality data from the past seven days, and a Forecast tab that displays expected air quality levels for the next 48 hours, helping the user stay informed about pollution levels.
Speaking at the event, Sonam Tashi, Director, DECC, highlighted the role of reliable and accessible data. “This AQ Watch – Bhutan plays a pivotal role in ensuring that reliable air quality data are accessible to guide informed decisions to improve air quality. Regional cooperation and technology driven solutions are critical in addressing the intricate challenges posed by air pollution".
Ashish Tiwari, Action Area Lead, Air, ICIMOD, emphasised the policy relevance of the initiative. “The successful launch of AQ Watch – Bhutan will derive evidence-based policies and bridge the ambient air quality monitoring data gaps in Bhutan to understand the population exposure, hotspots and emission sources which help in designing actionable plans”.
This work has been carried out with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UK under the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) programme.
This dashboard is a key outcome of ICIMOD's broader regional initiative to enhance air quality data sharing and visualisation across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) regions.
In the future, the platform is expected to evolve through potential enhancements, including expanded analytical capabilities and exploration of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) validation through ground-based observations and satellite cross comparison to further enhance data reliability and decision support.
The Bhutan-specific module represents a significant milestone in this effort, designed to support national-level air quality monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and public awareness.
