India, May 25 -- Climate change is increasingly forcing people to leave rural areas in Bhutan, leading to what researchers describe as the "emptying" of villages, according to a new study the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and the Royal University of Bhutan.

Homes and villages, mainly in eastern Bhutan, are being abandoned. This is because climate-related challenges like erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and natural disasters are making agriculture and livelihood harder. This is pushing people towards urban areas or even abroad, according to the study.

Bhutan is known as the world's first carbon negative country. But it is disproportionately affected by climate change, including rising temperatures, shifting rainfall pat...