Karma TshiteemSecretary

Gross National Happiness CommissionRoyal Government of Bhutan

Climate Change AdaptationExperience of Bhutan

Country Background

Development Context1. Overriding development philosophy of GNH

– 4 pillars (socio-economic development, preservation of culture, environmental sustainability and good governance)

– Bhutan Development Index (BDI)– GNHC

2. Bhutan 2020 – a Vision for peace prosperity and happiness– Long term development strategy for Bhutan– Development targets for all 4 pillars of GNH

3. Democratization process– Constitutional monarchy– First democratic elections and the new government

4. MDGs– Adopted by UN GA in 2000– Bhutan on track to meet most of the targets (already met targets on proportion of

underweight children, access to clean drinking water and access to sanitation)– MDG NA and costing (Bhutan one of the first countries in Asia; resource

requirement of US$ 2.5 billion between 2006 and 2015)5. Five Year Development Plans

– Key national development strategy– Tenth plan mainstreamed MDGs and overarching goal of poverty reduction

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4

Climate Change & Bhutan

• 1992: Signatory to UNFCCC• 1995: Ratified UNFCCC• 2000: Submitted Initial

National Communication and 1st GHG Inventory

• 2002: Acceded to Kyoto Protocol

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Impacts of Climate Change in Bhutan

• Agricultural Sector– 80% of population

• Water Resources– 30,000 MW potential power

generation

• Forests and Biodiversity– 70% forest – high diversity - Eastern

Himalayan hotspot

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Impacts of Climate Change in Bhutan

• Natural Disasters– Glacial Lake

Outbursts Floods – landslides

• Human Health– Increase in

tropical diseases and heat stress

04/19/23Bhutan: NAPA Process 7

1st National GHG Inventory

94.770.05 133.69 19.17

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GHG Emissions by Sources & Sinks Categories

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Bhutan (1994)

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Bhutan (1994)

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NAPA process• Process started in 2004• Submitted to UNFCCC in 2005• Multi-sectoral approach• NAPA Team Composition

• Members of Initial National Communication • Additional members from other sectors including, finance,

planning and NGO…• Sectoral working groups

• Consultative process– 4 regional consultative workshops– Coordinate efforts with NCSA process– Coordinate with other ongoing projects

NAPA: Urgent and Immediate Adaptation Needs

• Disaster Management Strategy• Artificial lowering of Thorthomi glacial lake• Weather forecasting system • Landslide management and flood prevention• Flood protection of downstream industrial and agriculture

area• Rainwater harvesting• GLOF hazard zonnation• Early warning system on Pho chhu basin• Community based forest fire management and prevention

NAPA: Lessons Learnt

• Multi-sectoral approach

• Good cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders

• Good support from government

• Support from LDC Expert Group

• Awareness and advocacy for vulnerable communities important

• 2,674 glacial lakes in Bhutan Himalaya

• 25 potentially dangerous lakes

• 9 lakes in Pho Chu Basin

• GLOFs along Pho Chu in 1958 and 1994

• The “unexpected” 1994 GLOF caused damage to Punakha Dzong, agricultural land, and 21 lives

CC Adaptation in Bhutan

Out of 2794 glacial lakes, 25 has been identified as potentially dangerous lakes.

Pho Chu Sub Basin : 9

Mo Chu Sub Basin : 5

Chamkhar Chu Sub Basin: 3

Kuri Chu Sub Basin: 1

Mangde Chu Sub Basin: 7

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Source: DGM & ICIMOD publication

Potentially dangerous Lakes

• Interconnected glacier and glacial lake systems.

Source: Google Earth 2008

Glacial Lakes in Lunana

Punatshang Chu

PUNAKHA

LUNANATARINA

TSHOJU

PHO CHU

WACHEY

CHUNAMI

MO CHU

TSENDA GANGMASAGANG

GANGCHEN TA

Project Document Signed in Dec 2006

Activities implementation: Jan-Dec 2007

Total Budget allocated: US$ 180,000/-

Submission of Prodoc to GEF: Dec 2008

GEF Sec Approval: March 2008

GLOF Project

Project signed in April 2008

PDF B Phase Full Size Project: 2008-2012

Total Budget: US$ 7.48 million

Activity Implementation: May 2008

NAPA (2004-05)

• Total Budget: US$ 7,481,274

• LDCF : US$ 3,445,050

• PDF B: US$ 180,000

• RGoB : US$ 2,680,000

• UNDP: US$ 396,224

• Austrian Government: E 600,000

• WWF Bhutan: US$ 30,000

Budget: GLOF Full Size Project

1. GLOF hazard zonation and vulnerability assessment

• Lunana to Khuruthang town, Punakha: Austro-

Bhutanese (1999-2002)

• Khuruthang-Lhamoizingkha (Indo-Bhutan Border):

DGM under Netherlands Climate Assistance

Program (NCAP, 2007)

• Chamkhar valley, Bumthang: DGM in 2007 funded

by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Adaptation Measures

Punakha

DzongWangdi Dzong

Kamichu

Sonkosh

Lhamoizinkha

VTI

Bridge

Veg. Market

Khuruthang Town

Zangdopelri

2. Artificial Lowering of lake water level

• Raphstreng Tso (1996-1998): Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs-- funded by the Government of India

• Thorthormi Lake (2008-2012): Currently implemented under UNDP/GEF Project with funding from LDCF and cofinancing from Government of Austria, UNDP, WWF Bhutan and RGoB

Adaptation Measures (Cont’d)

• Thorthormi Lake Mitigation work: Objective and Progress– Goal: To lower the lake level by 5m– Progress:

• Institutional arrangements for implementation set up

• Project Board and Technical Support and Advisory Team already met twice

• Engineering and safety plan for mitigation work completed

• Environment Impact Assessment for mitigation work completed

Adaptation Measures (Cont’d)

• Engineering and safety plan at Thorthormi Lake carried out from August-October 2008

• Topographic survey of the area at 1:5000• Geotechnical assessment

– Mapping of slide, stability assesment of moraine dam

– Sample collection to determine cohesion, friction angle, soil classification and the permeability

• Geophysical Investigation– Seismic refraction– Electrical resistivity

Engineering and Safety Plan

• Civil Engineering – Identification of appropriate location for outlet

channel excavation– Engineering design for the mitigation work– Estimation of volume of materials to be excavated

• Bathometric Survey– To measure the depth of lake

• Safety Measures– Communication setup– Appropriate safety gears– Onsite medical facility– Emergency arrangements

Engineering and Safety Plan (Cont’d)

Excavation Plan

40m

60m

140m

• Total Volume of materials to be excavated with 2% bed slope: 34209.74 m3

•Excavated materials to be dumped in the subsidiary lake

• The maximum side slope of the proposed channel should not exceed 1:1.5 (V:H) at any phase

• Channel width of 10 m wide to provide sufficient working space for the workers as well as for diverting the discharge from the lake (base flow only) through its half width during the execution of the work

Early Warning System• Existing manual system operated by the Flood

Warning Unit, Department of Energy• Initial plan to install a pilot EWS in Punakha-

Wangdue Valley by DGM (warning system and site assessment conducted by DGM in 2007)

• The project will install a comprehensive EWS system with additional funds from RGoB

Adaptation Measures (Cont’d)

Early Warning System Sensor

54 mins

1 hr 24 mins

1 hr 40 mins

2 hrs 14 mins

GLOF Risk Awareness

• Awareness and Advocacy (Department of Disaster Management)

– DRM framework already in place– National level workshop in Thimphu– DRM bill ready for adoption– Community level awareness conducted covering

Punakha, Wangdue, and Dagana districts– District level/as well as community level planning and

training on disaster risk management ongoing

Adaptation Measures (Cont’d)

• The artificial lowering of Thorthormi Lake to began from June 2009 and complete by 2012

• Work at site: June-October every year• The mitigation measures are very challenging and

expensive• Remoteness of the area• Excavation has to be done manually and reduces output

drastically• About 300 workers to be recruited • The labourers should be provided incentives on top of the wages• Communication, safety and emergency arrangements

Conclusion

PROJEC HOME PAGEhttp://www.mti.gov.bt/dgm/DGM-UNDPGEF/main.html