Regional Capacity Development Workshop:

Mainstreaming DRR in Sustainable Development Planning

Bhutan Country Presentation

13-16 September 2016

New Delhi, India

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview

1. Earthquakes

2. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)

3. Floods/Flash floods

4. Landslides

5. Forest fires/Structural fires

6. Windstorms

7. Others

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview (Earthquake)

21st September, 2009 Mongar Earthquake Magnitude: 6.1 (10 km) Time: 2:53 p.m. BST Repeated after-shocks 12 People killed

18th September, 2011 (Sikkim Earthquake)

Magnitude : 6.9 (19.7 km)

Time: 6:41 PM BST

“Reducing Disaster Risks for a Safe and Happy Bhutan”

Earthquake

Bhutan lies in seismically active zone IV & V (accordin to Bureau of Indian Standards)

Year Location of epicenter Magnitude Impact 2003 Gunitsawa, Paro, Bhutan 5.5 Several landslides & minor cracks in some

buildings in Thimphu

2006 The epicenter near Dewathang in

Samdrup Jongkhar struck successively between 2:04 am and

2:07 am local time.

The two earthquakes,

measuring 5.8 and 5.5

126 houses in nine blocks under Trashigang district have suffered damages. Trashigang Dzong also suffered minor damages.

21 Sept.

2009

Narang, Mongar District, Bhutan

6.1

12 people killed Demaged properties worth of Nu. 2501 million (US$ 52 million). Approximately 7,290 people were left without adequate shelter.

18 Sept. 2011

Greater Sikkim Area, mostly affecting Haa, Paro, Samtse and Chhukha Dzongkhags in Bhutan

6.9

Loss of one life due to landslides and 14 injured Damaged properties worth of Nu 1,197.63 million (US$ 24.46 million).

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview (GLOF)

• 677 glaciers and 2,794 glacier lakes

• 25 glacier lakes potentially dangerous

• 21 outburst cases in Bhutan (SATREPS

Project, 2012)

• 17 events between 19th century and the

1970s

• 4 cases of outburst in the last 40 years

“Reducing Disaster Risks for a Safe and Happy Bhutan”

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)

Year Origin Affected Areas Impact 1957 Western Lunana

region Punakha- Wangdue

valley Part of Punakha Dzong destroyed

1960

Eastern Lunana area (burst of Tarina Tsho)

Punakha

Parts of Punakha Dzong destroyed

1968

No Information available

Punakha, Thimphu and Paro valleys

In Punakha valley: several houses washed away, old traditional bridge of Wangdue Phodrang and a house with 12 people washed away. In Thimphu: a few houses, slopes and bridges swept away. In Paro: great damage to both human and aquatic life (eg major area of paddy fields in Dophu areas were completely laden with silt, sand and debris)

1994

Eastern Lunana (burst of Luge

Tsho)

Punakha-Wangdi valley

17 lives lost, 91 households affected, 12 houses damaged, 5 water mills to grind barley washed away, 816 acres of dry land and 965 acres of pasture land damaged(washed away or partially covered with sand and silt), 16 yaks carried away, 36 cowsheds and a full year’s manure washed away, about 6 tonnes of food grain lost, 2,838 pieces of roof shingles and 68 “champs”/beam washed away, 4 bridges washed away, 2 chortens destroyed, 1 temple in Tsojug badly damaged.

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview (Flood)

- Recurrent Event

- Eastern & Southern Region most

vulnerable

Past events

- Phuentsholing & Pasakha – Year 2000

- Eastern Bhutan – Year 2004

- Cyclone Aila – Year 2009 flood

“Reducing Disaster Risks for a Safe and Happy Bhutan”

Floods (Flash)

Floods (Flash): Recurrent during monsson season (June to September)

Year Causes Affected areas Impact

2000

Heavy rains (Flood)

Phuentsholing, Pasakha and other southern cities

49 lives lost many public and private infrastructure and properties were destroyed.

2004

Heavy rainfall (Flood)

Six eastern dzongkhags,

Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and

Samdrupjonkhar being the most affected ones.

9 lives lost, many houses damaged, agricultural land washed away estimated to be lost affecting about 1437 households. Damages to infrastructure and services facilities: 39 irrigation channels damaged, 22 bridges of different types damaged or washed away

May-09

Cyclone Aila

brought unprecedented

rains and flooding to the

country.

17 districts were affected.

Damages estimated at Nu719million affected mainly public and community infrastructure, agriculture, habitations, government buildings and hydro projects. Rivers and streams reached record levels of the past forty years. The floods resulted in the loss of 12 lives, and the accompanying strong winds left a trail of widespread damages affecting seventeen of the country’s twenty districts.

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview (Landslide)

Year Causes Affected areas Impact/ damages

2000

Seasonal Monsoon

Thimphu, Chukha, Trashigang, Samdrupjongkhar, Mongar,

Lhuentse, Pemagatshel, Samtse, Tsirang, Sarpang, Zhemgang, Wangduephodrang Districts

The main highway between Phuentsholing and Thimphu, the lifeline of the country, was severely disrupted & similler disruption were found on the highways of inbetween many districts At least seven villages destroyed.

21-Aug-

02

The sudden burst of sliding mud and

debris

Thimphu-Tsirang

highway(landslide)

2 school children were killed

1-Sep-03

n/a

Lhuentse Dzongkhag

Tsatichu landslide (Lhuentse Dzongkhag) formed a lake behind the slide mass that threatens the Kurichu hydro power project downstream.

25-Apr-05

triggered by heavy rain

Palamgphu, Mongar-Lhuentse highway (mudslide)

2 buried alive, 1 injured

02-Jul-06 n/a Bemsisi, Thimphu(landslide) A total of 7,150.9 square meters of wetland was affected by the landslide.

17-Oct-06

n/a Guenshari chewog,Punakha More than 26 acres of paddy field belonging to 13 households were destroyed.

18-Sep-11

September 2011 Sikkim earthquake

Haa

Loss of one life due to landslides triggered by the earthquake.

Attributed to seasonal rainfall and flooding events. More recurrent in eastern and southern foothills due to steep & unstable slope.

Key Disaster Impacts: Overview (Fire)

Forest fires

- Annual event

- 99.9 % manmade

Fires on Human Settlement

- Unsafe habits – electrical wiring,

temporary housing

- Use of wood

Other Hazards

1. Windstorms/ Thunderstorms/

Snowstorms/ Hailstorms

2. Epidemics, pests and diseases

Current Status Mainstreaming DRR in Sustainable Development Planning

1. DM Act 2013 (Section 69): Agencies and private sectors shall ensure mainstreaing of DRR into its developmnet plan, policy, program and project.

2. Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), the planning apex body, incorporated ”improved disaster resilience and management mainstreamed” as one of the 16 National Key Result Areas in the 11th FYP (2013-2018).

3. Local Development Planning Manual contains disaster risk reduction and management as one of the criteria to be considered in the GNH Check Planning Tool.

4. The Royal Government of Bhutan’s Protocol for Policy Formulation requires the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues, including disaster risk reduction as appropriate to the policy.

Efforts to Mainstream DRR in Sustainable Development Planning

1. Disaster Management and Contingency planning guidelines developed and distributed to all agencies (2014).

2. National Action Plans for School/Hospital Safety developed – incorporate prioritized risk reduction and preparedness initiatives into the annual plans – engineers trained

3. Incorporated disaster management into curriculum of Sclools/colleges and the Non-Formal and Continuing Education Programme – one year long post literacy programme

4. School DM planning guidelines developed – all schools have functional school disaster managment plans

5. Health Sector Emergency/Disaster Contingency Plan developed – all hospital

staff trained and simulation done

6. National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan developed

7. Budget secured for DRR activities (DM Act, 2013)

Challenges in Mainstreaming DRR in Development Planning

1. Disaster management being a new discipline and multi sectoral in nature, lack of adequate awareness and advocacy on disaster management at all levels

2. Government’s priority (DRR Vs Other sectors’ plans)

3. Lack of disaster information/data, multi-hazard zonation and vulnerability maps which are pre-requisite for planning DRR activities

4. Inadequate capacity at Community/District/Sectoral/ Ministerial levels for planning and implementing & mainstreaming DM activities.

5. Funding/resources constraints

6. Peopls’s attitude

Support Required for Mainstreaming DRR in

Sustainable Development

Realised the priorities as enshirned in the Sendai Framework - 2015 to 2030, components of DM Act of Bhutan, 2013:

Sensitization on DM Act, 2013, Rules and Regulation of DM to Districts/Sectors/Communities

Training of DM & Contingency planning guidelines to all district planning officers and disaster management officers & other officials from relevant sectors

Ensure DRR activities mainstreamed into respective districts/sectors 12th FYP

Thank you & Tashi Delek!