Karma Tshiteem Secretary Gross National Happiness Commission Royal Government of Bhutan

1. Climate Change Adaptation Experience of Bhutan Karma Tshiteem Secretary Gross National Happiness Commission Royal Government of Bhutan

2. Country Background

3. Development Context • Overriding development philosophy of GNH • 4 pillars (socio-economic development, preservation of culture, environmental sustainability and good governance) • Bhutan Development Index (BDI) • GNHC • Bhutan 2020 – a Vision for peace prosperity and happiness • Long term development strategy for Bhutan • Development targets for all 4 pillars of GNH • Democratization process • Constitutional monarchy • First democratic elections and the new government • 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) • Five Year Development Plans • Key national development strategy • Tenth plan mainstreamed MDGs and overarching goal of poverty reduction

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

5. 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

6. Impacts of Climate Change in Bhutan • Natural Disasters • Glacial Lake Outbursts Floods • landslides • Human Health • Increase in tropical diseases and heat stress

7. 1st National GHG Inventory NE Bhutan: NAPA Process

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. CC Adaptation in Bhutan • 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

12. 14 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 Out of 2794 glacial lakes, 25 has been identified as potentially dangerous lakes. Source: DGM & ICIMOD publication

13. Glacial Lakes in Lunana • Interconnected glacier and glacial lake systems. Source: Google Earth 2008

15. TSENDA GANG Punatshang Chu TSHOJU MASAGANG CHUNAMI LUNANA TARINA GANGCHEN TA WACHEY PHO CHU MO CHU PUNAKHA

16. GLOF Project NAPA (2004-05) Full Size Project: 2008-2012 PDF B Phase Project Document Signed in Dec 2006 Submission of Prodoc to GEF: Dec 2008 Activities implementation: Jan-Dec 2007 GEF Sec Approval: March 2008 Project signed in April 2008 Total Budget allocated: US$ 180,000/- Total Budget: US$ 7.48 million Activity Implementation: May 2008

17. Budget: GLOF Full Size Project • 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

18. Adaptation Measures 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)

20. Punakha Dzong Wangdi Dzong VTI Khuruthang Town Kamichu Veg. Market Zangdopelri Bridge Sonkosh Lhamoizinkha

22. Adaptation Measures (Cont’d) 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

26. 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

27. Engineering and Safety Plan • 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

28. Engineering and Safety Plan (Cont’d) • 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

31. Excavation Plan 140m 60m 40m

32. 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

33. Adaptation Measures (Cont’d) 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

34. Early Warning System Sensor 54 mins 1 hr 24 mins 1 hr 40 mins 2 hrs 14 mins

35. Adaptation Measures (Cont’d) 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

36. Conclusion • 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

37. PROJEC HOME PAGE http://www.mti.gov.bt/dgm/DGM-UNDPGEF/main.html