On 17 February, Christine Jantscher was awarded the Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria for her many years of commitment to Austrian development cooperation and for her outstanding work in the Association of Friends of Bhutan. The award is also a recognition of the indispensable role of civil society organisations in Austria’s international relations.
Thanks are also owed to the members of the Association of Friends of Bhutan, whose generous support makes the work of the association at all possible. Read more
On 17 February 2025, Dasho Kinzang Wangdi, our counterpart and local representative of the Association of Friends of Bhutan Austria, handed over working equipment, sewing machines and weaving seets worth 5,000 euros to the 
Together with the Society Switzerland Bhutan, the Association of Friends of Bhutan Austria is supporting the construction of a classroom and a library at the Gayshing Gaon Primary School in Phuntshopelri Gewog in Samtse. This will also enable children with special needs or disabilities to have equal access to school education. 
Bhutan is famous for its pristine forests, covering almost 70 percent of its area, its abundant water resources and its rich biodiversity. Bhutan is also known as the first carbon-negative country of the world, with its forests absorbing three times more CO2 emissions than it emits. Bhutan’s consistent and rigorous protection and conservation measures and appropriate legal regulations have not only preserved its natural treasures so far. The country wants to remain a globally recognised champion of the environment. However, these efforts are not without challenges. With development imperatives placing increasing pressure on the natural environment and resources, also Bhutan faces the critical challenge of balancing conservation with development.
The project targeted female mountain farmers in the districts of Lhuentse and Trashigang in Bhutan, most of whom have to manage the work in the fields on their own. The aim of the project was to enable 35 economically disadvantaged female mountain farmers, who only practise subsistence farming, to increase their agricultural productivity and thus their income opportunities by mechanising the extremely costly and labour-intensive cultivation of their fields and terraces through access to microloans.
With a grant from the 
Friends of Bhutan Austria, together with the