Department of Human Settlement

04/08/2026

Building Permit Issued through CAS Recognized as the Official Construction Approval

The Department of Human Settlement (DHS), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), is pleased to notify all government agencies, financial institutions, utility service providers, and the general public that, with the implementation of the Construction Approval System (CAS), all construction approval processes are now processed electronically through the system.

Effective immediately, the Building Permit issued through CAS shall serve as the official Construction Approval authorizing the commencement of building construction and shall replace the previously issued construction approval document for all subsequent services requiring proof of construction approval.

All concerned agencies are requested to recognize and accept the Building Permit issued through CAS as the valid authorization for processing related services.

Please refer to the attached notification for further details.

04/08/2026

Stakeholders' Consultation Workshop on the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Safe and Livable Urban Centres of Bhutan

The Department of Human Settlement under Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), in partnership with UNDP Bhutan, is conducting a two-day Stakeholders' Consultation Workshop on the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for Safe and Livable Urban Centres of Bhutan under the Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Project (DRIP).

The workshop brings together key stakeholders to review and validate the proposed Theory of Change, domains and indicators, and institutional coordination framework to strengthen monitoring, reporting, and evaluation for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban development in Bhutan.

03/08/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

The Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Enhancing Climate Resilience of the Urban Landscapes and Communities in Thimphu–Paro Region (ECRUL) Project successfully conducted a Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Training on 29 July 2026, followed by a two-day Disability Equality Training (DET) and Accessibility Auditing from 30–31 July 2026 in Thimphu.

The SES training engaged more than 30 representatives from Responsible Parties and contractors, while the subsequent DET and Accessibility Auditing training brought together more than 60 participants, including urban planners, architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and other technical professionals.

Organized by the PMU in collaboration with the Disabled People’s Organisation of Bhutan (DPO Bhutan) and UNDP Bhutan, the training aimed to strengthen the capacity of implementing partners and technical professionals to integrate disability inclusion, accessibility, and universal design principles into housing and infrastructure planning, design, construction, and development.

A key component of the training was a practical accessibility audit of ongoing project sites and public parks. Participants assessed accessibility features, identified barriers, and presented their findings and recommendations. These findings will be shared with relevant agencies to support improvements in ongoing and future infrastructure development.

As highlighted by Ashimta Rai, Civil Engineer, Paro Dzongkhag Administration:
“The training strengthened our understanding of disability from a human rights and social inclusion perspective. We should make all designs inclusive from the beginning, as one day we are all also going to become disabled.”

The training reinforced an important message: accessibility should be considered from the beginning—not added as an afterthought. Inclusive design helps create safer, more equitable, accessible, and resilient urban spaces that work for everyone. 🌏♿

This training was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the ECRUL Project, implemented by the Royal Government of Bhutan in partnership with UNDP Bhutan.

30/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EiLpvmGc6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻

Imagine walking into a building, only to find that you cannot access the next floor or even use the washroom. For people living with disabilities in the country, such barriers are a daily struggle, as most of the infrastructure is not disability friendly. To change this, planners, engineers, architects, contractors, and Civil Society Organisations met in Thimphu to promote inclusive design and ensure that accessibility is considered from the planning stage of every infrastructure project.

https://www.bbs.bt/244718/

29/07/2026

26/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RM5xGZZt6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

After years of complaints about a narrow Bailey bridge and its deteriorating condition, construction of a new permanent bridge has finally begun at Debsi in Thimphu. The new bridge is expected to improve connectivity and road safety for commuters who have long struggled with the old infrastructure. The new bridge will be a 40-metre-long, two-lane structure with pedestrian walkways.

https://www.bbs.bt/244552/

24/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dz7B2ci3N/?mibextid=wwXIfr

21/07/2026

📢 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡!

🏙️ 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Department of Human Settlement, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, in collaboration with UNDP Bhutan and the Disabled Persons’ Organization of Bhutan, is organizing a two-day training from 30–31 July 2026 in Thimphu, under the ECRUL Project.

The training will focus on disability inclusion, accessibility, universal design, and practical accessibility auditing, helping participants identify barriers and promote more inclusive and accessible housing and infrastructure.

👥 Target Participants: Engineers, consultants, urban planners, architects, contractors, and other technical professionals.

📅 Date: 30–31 July 2026
📍 Venue: Thimphu
📝 Registration Deadline: 23 July 2026
👥 Limited Seats: First 15 eligible participants
🎓 Certificate: Certificate of Participation will be provided upon successful completion.

🔗 Register Here: [https://shorturl.at/82MkD]

The Department of Human Settlement (DHS), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, in collaboration with UNDP Bhutan and the Disabled Persons’ Organization of Bhutan (DPO Bhutan), is organizing a two-day training on Disability Equality Training (DET) and Accessibility Auditing from 30–31 July 2...

06/07/2026

𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 / 𝐌𝐢𝐝-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

The Project Management Unit of the Enhancing Climate Resilience of the Urban Landscapes and Communities in Thimphu–Paro Region (ECRUL) Project successfully conducted the Quarter 2/Mid-Year Review Workshop from 1–4 July 2026 in Paro, bringing together all Responsible Parties (RPs).
The workshop aimed to strengthen project implementation through improved financial management and reporting, enhanced monitoring of physical and financial progress, and stronger coordination among RPs.

During the four-day workshop, participants:
✔️Prepared key financial documents, including the Funding Authorization and Certificate of Expenditure and Itemized Cost Estimates to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
✔️Developed, consolidated, and finalized Standard Progress Reports to promote consistency and improve the quality of project reporting across all Responsible Parties.
✔️Presented and reviewed Quarter 2 implementation progress, identified key challenges and bottlenecks, and discussed practical solutions to enhance project implementation during the remainder of the year.

The workshop also featured technical sessions on cross-cutting safeguards and compliance. The Gender Expert delivered presentations on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), the Gender Action Plan, and the Code of Conduct for PSEAH, emphasizing the importance of fostering safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive project implementation. The Social and Environmental Safeguards Expert presented on strengthening the implementation of social and environmental safeguards at ongoing project sites, highlighting key observations from field visits, lessons learned, and recommended mitigation measures.

The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment from all RPs to strengthen collaboration, improve monitoring and reporting systems, address implementation challenges proactively, and accelerate the delivery of project activities to achieve the ECRUL Project's objectives.

30/06/2026

The Department of Human Settlement under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has signed a contract agreement with M/s Penjor Construction Private Limited for the implementation of the Changlam Public Transport Key Corridor project at a contract value of Nu. 305 million.

This significant infrastructure development project will be implemented over a period of 15 months with financial support from the Government of India.