NATIONAL DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENTFRAMEWORK
Reducing Disaster Risks for a Safe and Happy Bhutan

Department of Local Governance
Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs
Royal Government of Bhutan0Table of Contents
List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................... 3
ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS & BHUTANESE TERMS ................................................... 3
Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Situation Analysis: Disaster Management Scenario in Bhutan ..................................................... 8
2.1
Disaster Risks in Bhutan .................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1
Hazards ...................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2
Underlying Vulnerabilities....................................................................................... 22
2.2 Existing Institutional and Legislative Arrangements for Disaster Risk Management ....... 24
2.2.1
Institutional Arrangements....................................................................................... 24
2.2.2
Legislative arrangements ......................................................................................... 25
2.3
Recent Developments ...................................................................................................... 26
2.4
Key Challenges and Opportunities for Disaster Risk Management in Bhutan ................ 27
2.4.1
Challenges ................................................................................................................ 28
2.4.2
Opportunities............................................................................................................ 28
2.5
Proposed Institutional Framework ................................................................................... 29
2.5.1
At the national level ................................................................................................. 29
2.5.2
At the Dzongkhag level ........................................................................................... 30
2.5.3
At the Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde levels ........................................................ 31
2.6
Proposed Response Mechanisms ..................................................................................... 31
2.7
Financial Arrangements ................................................................................................... 32a) Disaster Mitigation, Prevention and Preparedness Budget ....................................... 32b) His Majesty’s Relief Fund ........................................................................................ 32c) Major Disaster Fund (Emergency) ........................................................................... 33
Chapter 3 .......................................................................................................................................... 34
Disaster Risk Management Framework (DRM) for Bhutan ............................................................ 34
3.1
DRM Framework ............................................................................................................. 34
3.1.1
Key objectives .......................................................................................................... 34
3.1.2
Scope of the DRM Framework ................................................................................ 34
3.1.3
The consultative process .......................................................................................... 35
3.2
Institutional, legislative and policy frameworks .............................................................. 36
3.3
Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment .................................................................... 38
3.4
Disaster Management System .......................................................................................... 40
3.5
Early Warning Systems (EWS) ....................................................................................... 40
3.6
Disaster Preparedness Plans ............................................................................................. 42
3.7
Mitigation and Integration of Disaster Risk Management in Development Sectors ....... 44
3.8
Public Awareness and Education ..................................................................................... 46
3.9
Capacity Development ..................................................................................................... 47
3.10 Communication and Transportation ................................................................................ 49
Integrating cultural heritage into disaster planning ......................................................................... 52
Chapter 4 .......................................................................................................................................... 53
Implementation Arrangements..................................................................................................... 53
Annex 1: Institutional Profiles ......................................................................................................... 54
1. DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINES (DGM) ...................................................... 54
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2. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION (NEC) ...................................................... 56
3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DoE) .................................................................................. 58
4. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (MoA) ............................................................................. 61
5. STANDARDS & QUALITY CONTROL AUTHORITY (SQCA) ...................................... 63
6. DEPARTMENT OF ROADS (DoR) ..................................................................................... 65
7. DEPARTMENT OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING SERVICES ....... 67
8. DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL SERVICES (DMS) ........................................................... 69
9. DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET & ACCOUNTS (DBA)....................................................... 70
10. BHUTAN TELECOM LTD. (BTLtd) .................................................................................. 71
11. ROYAL BHUTAN POLICE (RBP) ..................................................................................... 72
Annexure 2: ...................................................................................................................................... 73
Disaster Management Plan- Phuentsholing City Corporation ..................................................... 73
Annexure 3: ...................................................................................................................................... 76
ORGANOGRAM A: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM AT THE CENTRE ........................... 76
ORGANOGRAM B: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM AT THE DZONGKHAG,DUNGKHAG, THROMDES & GEWOGS ................................................................................ 78
ORGANOGRAM C: IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM ..................................................... 80
ORGANOGRAM D: RESPONSE MECHANISM ..................................................................... 81

2

List of Acronyms
ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS & BHUTANESE TERMS
CITES
CWC
DDMC
DFID
DGM
DMP
DYT
ECoP
EFRC
ESF
EWS
GDMC
GHG
GIS
GLOF
GNH
GPS
GYT
DRM
HKH
ICIMODINSARAG
JGE
LDCs
NAPA
NCDM
NEC
NEIC
NEOC
NESB
NSB
RAP
RUB
SAARC
SITREP
SQCA
TDMC
UNDP
UNFCCCUNICEF
UTEP
WCDR
WFP
WMO

Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species
Centre for Water Commission
Dzongkhag Disaster Management Committee
Department for International Development
Department of Geology and Mines
Disaster Management Plan
Dzongkhag Yargye Tshogdue
Environmental Code of PracticeEnvironmental Friendly Road Construction
Emergency Support Function
Early Warning System
Gewog Disaster Management Committee
Greenhouse gas
Geographical Information System
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood
Gross National Happiness
Global Positioning System
Gewog Yargye TshogchungDisaster Risk Management
Hindu Kush Himalayan
International Center for Integrated Mountain Development
International Search & Rescue Advisory Group
Joint Group of Experts
Least Developed Countries
National Adaptation Program of Action
National Committee for Disaster Management
National Environment Commission
National Earthquake Information Centre
National Emergency Operations Centre
National Environment Strategy of Bhutan
National Statistical Bureau
Rural Access ProjectRoyal University of Bhutan
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Situation Report
Standards and Quality Control Authority
Thromde Disaster Management Committee
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
United Nations Children's Fund
University of Texas at El Paso
World Conference on Disaster Reduction
World Food Programme
World Metrological Organization

3

BHUTANESE TERMS
Dzong
Dzongchung
Dzongkhag

Fortress or Monastery
Small Dzong
DistrictDzongkhag Yargye Tshogdue

District Development Committee
Administrative Block consisting of a number of villages under aDungkhag or a District
Block Development Committee
Sub-division
City or township

Gewog
Gewog Yargye Tshogchung
DungkhagThromde4

Chapter 1

Introduction
A disaster is a natural or man-made event that negatively affects life, property, livelihood orindustry often resulting in permanent changes to human societies, ecosystems and environment(www.answers.com). In the international context disasters mean a serious disruption of thefunctioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or
environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using
its own resources (www.adrc.or.jp). In the context of Bhutan any man-made or natural calamitythat adversely affects life, livelihood, and property of even a single person or a family will beconsidered as a disaster.
Under the visionary leadership of His Majesty the King, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB)
has set the goal of achieving Gross National Happiness through all-round socio-economic
development as a priority national objective. In view of the geo-physical location of the country in
one of the most seismically active regions of the world and the peculiar geo-climatic conditions
affecting the landmass and its people, the RGOB recognizes the national priority of safeguarding
the painstakingly built developmental gains, the socio-economic infrastructure, the fragile ecosystem and the lives, livelihoods, property and community assets of the people from the vagariesof the destructive forces of nature. The Government has recognized the importance to develop acomprehensive disaster risk reduction strategy for minimizing the impact of both natural and manmade catastrophes.
Acknowledging the umbilical cord between development and disasters, the RGOB is in the processof mainstreaming disaster risk reduction concerns in all development activities and in all walks ofsocio-economic life. It emanates from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable
unless disaster risk management is inbuilt into it and informs all aspects of planning anddevelopment process. For this, the Royal Government is adopting a multi-disciplinary and multisectoral strategy to ensure that every sector can contribute towards promoting disaster-resilience inaccordance with its own mandate, capacity, expertise and strength. Hence, the Framework seeks toensure that all developmental activities align themselves in a way to reduce the risk of disasters.
Adoption of a disaster risk management framework assumes importance due to emerging trends
pointing towards climate change and global warming at an alarming rate. The potential threat fromsome of the existing hazards viz. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), flash floods, landslides,
forest fires etc. is likely to exacerbate. At the same time, the rapid pace of urbanization as
witnessed during the past two decades is causing larger concentration of people and resultant
economic activity in hazard-prone areas further compounding the risk.
The devastating disasters in the South Asian and South-East Asian region and in other parts of theworld in the recent past with their calamitous impacts on the human population and the national
economies have underlined the significance of integrating disaster risk reduction concerns in all
walks of Bhutan’s national and socio-economic life. The Royal Government of Bhutan has been
keenly following the emerging initiatives and strategies at the international level and actively
participated in the deliberations and processes of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction(WCDR) held in Kobe, Japan in January, 2005 and has been consciously working towards
5

devising an appropriate national disaster risk management framework to secure and safeguard thelives and livelihoods of the people and its national development assets. It is striving to establish
synergies of action and convergence of approaches between various administrative structures andMinistries/agencies. Closely observing and drawing upon the international perspectives and thebest practices, the Royal Government has formulated the National Disaster Risk Management
Framework to specifically address the vulnerability and risk profile of the country vis-à-vis natural
disasters within the peculiar context of the needs and aspirations of the people of Bhutan and toachieve the national development objectives outlined in ‘Bhutan 2020: A Vision for Peace,
Prosperity and Happiness”.
In the light of the approach outlined above, the Royal Government of Bhutan is making systematicefforts to move towards adopting a strategy of holistic disaster management involving andencompassing every administrative wing as well as the common people to inculcate a mindset of
disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness in the pre-disaster phase while at the same timedeveloping speedy and effective disaster response capabilities at all levels of administration andamong the common people. The key objectives of the Framework are as under:•To promote a disaster risk management approach instead of an ad hoc reactive approach todealing with disasters;•

To recognize the respective roles of different organizations in disaster risk management andprovide all possible support to their work within the national framework for disaster risk
management; and•To establish linkages between disaster risk management and the other ongoing activities indifferent development sectors.

The steps envisaged to be taken by the Government emanate from the vision enumerated in‘Bhutan 2020: A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness’ and translated into the National
Disaster Risk Management Framework dovetailed towards achievement of the objectives
enshrined therein and covering all aspects of disaster management. The expected inputs, areas ofintervention and Ministries/agencies to be involved at the National, Dzongkhag, Dungkhag,
Thromde and Gewog levels have been identified and listed in the Framework. A concerted effort
would be made to make the processes introduced under the Framework sustainable and community
and/or local government driven. It is hoped that this Framework would provide a common strategy
under-pinning all actions and activities of various participating Ministries, agencies andstakeholders and would serve as a roadmap for initiating well-coordinated, organized andsynchronous disaster risk management activities to move towards a disaster-resilient nation
through optimum utilization of the existing resources and institutions.
The Framework broadly seeks to put the vision into effect through the following initiatives:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Institutional, legislative and policy frameworks
Hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment
Early warning systems
Disaster preparedness plans
Disaster management system
Mitigation and integration of disaster risk reduction in development sectors
6

g)
h)
i)

Public awareness and education
Capacity building
Communication and transportation

The Framework has been drawn up through a wide-ranging consultative process across different
sectors and institutions involving identification of their strengths, resources and capacities. It alsocomes at a time when the process of formulation of the forthcoming 10th Five-Year Plan (20072012) is also likely to commence shortly and it is hoped that the agenda of disaster risk
management highlighted in the Framework would find due reflection in the formulation ofdevelopment proposals for the coming years. The Framework embodies a vision and is hencethematic in character and outline driven by an understanding of the emerging challenges ahead andwould need to be converted into sectoral work plans, strategies, policies and instruments to achieve
its desired outcome for the overall well-being of our people and sustainability of the development
process in Bhutan.

7Chapter 2
Situation Analysis: Disaster Management Scenario in Bhutan
2.1

Disaster Risks in Bhutan

2.1.1

Hazards

A hazard can be defined as a phenomenon that may adversely affect human life, property, activityor the environment to the extent of causing a disaster. Bhutan is prone to multiple natural hazards
that pose varying degrees of risk to the lives and livelihoods of its 634,972 inhabitants. The
country lies in one of the most seismically active zones of the world, GLOFs pose a serious hazard
risk in the country, and flash floods and landslides pose an annual threat to human lives, properties
and livelihoods - especially in the southern and eastern parts of the country. Forest fires, mainly inthe dry winter months cause significant disruption of activity and present a serious threat to theenvironment and livelihoods of local inhabitants. According to some estimations climate change
processes will increase these hazard risks through significant impacts on Bhutan’s mountainous
ecosystem in the near future. In the past, communities in Bhutan have also been affected by minor
outbreak of pest, epidemic diseases and drought. Presently, the influenza pandemic poses aheightened risk.

Hazards in Bhutan
Landslides
Landslide events are closely linked with flooding events, and are also recurrent phenomena in
Bhutan. Slopes in the country are highly susceptible to landslides especially in the rainy season.
Most occur in the eastern and southern foothill belt where the terrain is steep and rocks underlying
the soil cover are highly fractured, allowing easy seepage of water. Contributing factors are theundercutting of slopes by high-energy rivers and streams during a period of heavy rainfall.
Landslides can also be caused by the tremors of an earthquake, as witnessed in the aftermath of the1980, 1988, and 2003 earthquakes. In particular, the urban areas experience secondary affects oflandslides due to the importance of road infrastructure for the dispatch of vital goods. Farmers on
steep slopes and foothills of the south and the eastern region of the country in particular are
regularly affected by the hazard.

8Landslide a common problem in Bhutan (Pema Dorji)

Landslides block a part of the highway between Bumthang and Mongar

9Landslides in Rotpashong, Lhuentse

Jumja landslide in Chukha

10Fires on forest and human settlements
Given the rugged and steep topography with thick ground fuels and erratic wind conditions,
Bhutan is prone to frequent forest fires. In the last decade, there have been severe forest fire
outbreaks in many parts of the country. The risk of fire outbreaks is generally exacerbated in the
dry winter months (November to April). While for most forest fires, the causes have been traced tohuman behavior (burning of agricultural debris, carelessness and short circuit transmissions), theimpact on the natural environment and on local inhabitants’ sources of livelihood is significant. A
total of 803 forest fires damaging an area of 309,181.9 acres were recorded by the Social Forestry
Services Division, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), over the period 1992 to 2004. Based on therecords, Thimphu Dzongkhag in the western region has the highest number of incidents (115)
followed by Mongar (105), Trashigang (90), and Samdrup Jongkhar (85) in the eastern region.
These incidents have had a devastating impact on the environment and the livelihoods ofcommunities. They also pose a persistent threat to houses, infrastructure, human life, livestock andwild life. Incidents of fires on houses and other settlements are also increasing both in the rural
areas as well as in the towns.
In 2002, 25 houses in Yangthang village in Haa were completely razed down by fire. Although
there were no human casualties it caused heavy loss to property. In December 2005, 5 houses wereburnt down in Zhapong village, in Trashiyangtse and in November 2005, 7 shops were burnt downin Chamkhar town in Bumthang causing heavy loss to property.
The forest fire that broke out from Dangme-Gamrichu confluence in Bartsam Gewog inTrashigang Dzongkhag on 27 March, 2006 spread across the villages of Galing, Bartsam andBidung and damaged thousands of acres of forests, destroyed five houses in Bidung Gewog. The
fire also killed 2 people and injured another. The villagers, civil servants, foresters and armed
forces fought the fire for 5 long days till it was brought under control. Reports of similar isolated
incidents continue to flow in from various districts in the country. Heavy use of wood in traditionalbuildings, dzongs, monasteries and other structures of historical significance make them highly
vulnerable to accidents caused by fire.

11Forest fire above Trashigang Town (Kuensel)

Epidemic, pests and diseases
Communities in Bhutan have been affected by outbreak of pest and epidemic diseases in the past.
Malaria has largely affected the southern belt, with a recent dengue outbreak in September 2004 inmunicipal areas in this region. However, the recent influenza pandemic in the region has been acause of concern for Bhutan. Bhutan’s contact with the outside world has increased with theconvenience of both air and surface travel to the countries of the region. Bhutan’s porous borderwith India and frequent exchange of poultry products heighten the risk of infections in theeventuality that India is affected by the pandemic. In response, the National Influenza Pandemic
Plan for Avian Flu has been prepared by the Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, tofacilitate clinical surveillance and testing of animals/ birds with symptoms. The plan has been
submitted to the DLG, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs for incorporation in the national
DRM strategy plan to facilitate national and international coordination in this respect.
Bhutan is also the roosting ground for a large number of black necked cranes and other wild birds
that migrate to Bhutan from across its borders. They can be potential carriers of Avian flu into thecountry.
Earthquakes
Geo-physically, Bhutan is located in one of the most seismically active zones in the world.
Although a detailed and comprehensive seismic zonation of Bhutan is unavailable, its proximity to
the north-eastern parts of India, which is in the ‘most active’ seismic Zone V (according to Bureau
of Indian Standards), indicates that the majority of Bhutan is either in Zone IV or V. Despite thehigh risk of earthquakes occurring in the region, there is little by way of ‘official’ historical records
12tracking earthquakes and consolidating the relevant data. Records suggest that while four greatearthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8 on the Richter scale occurred during 1897, 1905, 1934 and1950, another 10 earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7.5 have occurred in the Himalayan belt during
the past 100 years. In recent years, Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing have witnessed the effects ofthree significant earthquakes. The earthquake of 1980 (6.1 on Richter scale), with its epicenter in
Sikkim (India), have caused several cracks in buildings in Thimphu, Phuentsholing, Gelephu,
Samdrup Jongkhar and Trashigang. There were also reports of some damages caused to houses inthe villages. Also, in its aftermath, the Phuentsholing – Thimphu national highway was blocked bylandslides caused by the tremor. The earthquakes of 1988 (6.6 on Richter scale) and 2003 (5.5 on
Richter scale) with epicenters in the Indo-Nepal border and Bhutan respectively, also caused
similar damages to human settlements, institutional buildings (including schools, hospitals, Dzongsetc) and highways.
The most recent earthquakes that struck eastern Bhutan in the early hours (2:04 am and 2:07 am)of 24th February, 2006 are a reminder for Bhutan’s vulnerability to such disaster. The earthquakes,
each measuring 5.8 and 5.5 on the Richter scale were third in a row to hit Bhutan in less than two
weeks. The first tremor was located about 33 kilometers beneath the eastern surface, near
Dewothang in Samdrup Jongkhar. The second tremor was located between Samdrup Jongkhar andthe border of Assam, India. Although the tremors which lasted for five to six seconds were ofmoderate intensity, damages were caused to the Dzongs and Lhakhangs in the eastern Dzongkhags
of Trashigang, Lhuentse, Pemagatshel and Samdrup Jongkhar. The walls and timber structures ofTrashigang and Lhuentse Dzongs were affected requiring major repairs.

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)
GLOFs are among the most serious natural hazard potentials in the country. Due to the effects ofglobal warming, glaciers in the Himalayas are shrinking rapidly, thus possibly accelerating glacial
retreat in this region. According to a recent study conducted by the Department of Geology and
Mines (DGM) in collaboration with ICIMOD, there are 2,674 glacial lakes in Bhutan, of which
562 are associated with glaciers. The study has identified 24 glacial lakes as ‘potentially dangerous
lakes’ that could pose a GLOF threat in the near future. GLOF has taken place in Bhutan in thepast in 1957, 1960 and most recently in 1994. All of these have taken place in the Pho Chu subbasin. There is virtually no written record of the 1957 and 1960 GLOFs. The 1994 GLOF, which
was caused by partial burst of Lugge Tsho in eastern Lunana, damaged more than 1,700 acres ofagricultural and pasture lands and a dozen houses, washed away five water mills and 16 yaks, anddestroyed 6 tonnes of food grains. Apart from recurrence of GLOFs in the past Pho Chu sub-basin
is a very critical area for GLOF impact mitigation in the future because it hosts one-third of the 24
potentially dangerous lakes in the country. Future threats are likely to encompass regions that fallwithin the Chamkar Chu basin, the Mangde Chu basin, Kuri Chu basin, Mo Chu basin, and Pho
Chu basin. Overall, GLOFs regularly threaten the lives and livelihoods of people living in thevalleys and low lying river plains. Also susceptible to damage are industrial infrastructures such ashydropower projects and low lying bridges along the rivers.

13

Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes in Bhutan

Thimphu

Map indicating potentially dangerous lakes (DGM)

Chamkar Chu

Mo ChuMaghde Chu

Po ChuKurichu

Map of Bhutan with indication of the Five Major GLOF areas (UNDP-Thimphu)

14

IRS1D P AN 3 January 1999

Glacial Lakes (DGM)

Raphsteng Lake and glacier tongue of Thorthormi glacier - Bhutan

1994

1999

1994 December 25

1999 January 3

Developments in Glacial Lakes (DGM)15

Luggi Tsho glacial lake two weeks after the flood of 7 October 1994 (DGM)
Logs in Puna Tshangchu (Wang due Phodr ang
Bridge) br ought down by the flood of 1994
(Hel vetas).

Wangduephodrang Bridge

16

Debris deposition along the riverbed below Lhedi village

Impact of 1994 flood on one of the oldest temples in front of Punakha Dzong(Flash) Floods
Landslides and (flash) floods are recurrent phenomena in Bhutan causing extensive damages
during the monsoon season (June to September). They have been observed to follow a cyclic
pattern of 2 to 4 years with the eastern region being particularly vulnerable. The eastern andsouthern foothill regions of Bhutan, which have intensively dissected terrains with deeply eroded,17

steep and closely spaced gullies, gorges and river valleys, often experience floods caused by heavy
rainfall. Most flood events are flash floods, which are local floods of great volume and shortduration.
The most recent record of flash floods can be traced to the heavy rains (2000 mm) in the areas ofPhuntsholing and Pasakha, along with some southern towns when more than 200 people lost theirproperties. In 2004, flashfloods affected six eastern Dzongkhags, of which Trashigang,
Trashiyangtse and Samdrup Jongkhar were the most affected areas with damages to property andlivestock. The 2004 monsoon floods that occurred in the six eastern Dzongkhags killed 9 people,
washed away 29 houses and 26 houses had collapsed, 107 houses were partially damaged. A total
area of 664 acres of wet and dry farm lands were destroyed. Hundreds of tonnes of maize, paddy
and potatoes were lost and about 2000 orange trees were washed away affecting about 1437
households. Taking into consideration the small population size and limited arable land, the loss
was enormous.

Lungtenzampa town in Trashigang after the 2004 monsoon flood (Kuensel)

18

Destruction of a part of road transportation system by flash flood in Lungtenzampa, Trashigang (DoR)

Flashflood in Tshangkha, Trongsa (DoR)

19

Flashflood damages to motorable roads in eastern Bhutan (DoR)

Natural dam formations and dam bursts
Due to Bhutan’s steep terrain, narrow river gorges, unstable physical structures, and increasing
incidences of landslides during monsoon have led to the incidences of artificial dam and lakeformation on the rivers. In September 2003, there was a dam formation due to rock slide on theTsatichhu, a tributary of Kurichu. An estimated volume of 33 million m3 was formed within 0.3
Km2 of the size of dam body. In May 2004 the dam began to fail leading to dam burst on 10th July
2004 causing downstream environmental impacts. The Kurichu Hydropower Corporation
authorities, however, were able to open the reservoir gates in time to avoid major destruction to thedam and other casualties. Such hazards will continue to prevail in Bhutan’s rivers placing many of
the hydropower plants, farmlands, human settlements, social infrastructures and numerous
properties of cultural, social and historical significance that are located along the country’s large
rivers valleys.

20

Tsatichu landslide dam above Kurichu due to landslide on one of its tributaries

The Kurichu Hydropower reservoir located downstream of the Tsatichu artificial lake

Windstorms/snowstorms/hail storms/droughts
Due to global climate changes recent climatic variations around the world have been highly
unpredictable. This has also resulted in extreme natural events such as dry weather, excessive rains
and other devastating natural calamities such as typhoons, floods and droughts etc that haveaffected many people around the world. Similarly Bhutan is also witnessing extreme variations in
its climate and weather patterns. The winter of 2005-2006 had experienced unusually dry winterwith no rain and snow. The majority of Bhutanese communities must rely on timely rainfall as
21

priorities of land and water have to be adjusted on it. Regular precipitation and timely farming
practice determines the livelihood of our communities. Although Bhutan has not experienced large
scale destructions due to windstorms, snow and hailstorms and droughts, education and awarenessamong the communities that are likely to be affected must be brought about. The complexity of thefactors that determine the vulnerability and the capacity to cope with such natural hazards
necessitates policies, scientific interventions and good decision making by the authorities
concerned. Strategies that address immediate, medium and long terms must be in place to addressthese issues.
2.1.2 Underlying Vulnerabilities
Bhutan is exposed to a range of natural hazards but it is the underlying vulnerabilities thatintervene in the translation of this physical exposure to hazards into disaster risks. A complex
interplay of social, economic and cultural factors determines these vulnerabilities and is increasing
the impacts of hazard events over the years.

A crowded weekend market day in Kuru town in Punakha. Located on the banks of Puna Tsangchu
Khuru is vulnerable to GLOF flooding.

Some of the underlying vulnerabilities in Bhutan
Unsafe construction practices: Lack of incorporation of adequate disaster risk reduction elements
in construction renders the physical infrastructure in both the public as well as the private domain
susceptible to hazards. In addition, there is insufficient technical expertise among engineers,22architects, masons and other building artisans of disaster-resistant construction practices. The factthat there has not been a major disaster in the country in recent memory has bred certain
complacency among the people at large.
Rapid urbanization: In recent decades, there has been a spurt of urbanization in Bhutan and more
often than not, this growth has been unplanned and haphazard. For example, the population of thecapital city Thimphu has increased five times in the past twenty years and an urban earthquake islikely to have a far more devastating impact today than a few years ago. The increasing populationand other demographic changes especially in the two largest urban centres such as Thimphu,
Phuentsholing and other emerging townships of Paro, Wangdue, Punakha, Gelephu, Gedu,
Chimalakha, Samdrup Jongkhar, Tala, Mongar, Gyalpoizhing and Trashigang have redefined thehazard and risk profile in the country.

Thimphu, the capital is one of the fast growing urban towns in Bhutan

Pressure on land and settlements: A vast majority of the people is dependent on agriculture andforestry products for livelihood which in turn requires more and more areas to be brought undercultivation and denuding of hill slopes rendering them vulnerable to landslides, mudslides andflash floods during the rainy season. The problem is further compounded by the geo-physicalstructure of the area. So far, the process of sitting of habitations has not been taking into accounttheir vulnerability to hazards. For example, the development of townships does not consider
whether the area is prone to landslides or flash flooding at the inception stage thereby necessitatinglarger amounts of resources at a subsequent stage to reduce the risk to inhabited areas.
Socio-economic factors: The socio-economic conditions are perforce compelling the common
people to adopt livelihood patterns which tend to cast an adverse impact and vest the country witha high vulnerability profile. People settle in hazard-prone areas such as steep slopes or flood-proneriver beds in search of sources of sustenance and are exposed to a high degree of risk.
23

Lack of awareness: At the general level, there is an inadequate incorporation of disaster risk
reduction concerns in the planning and development process especially in the private sector and at
the community level. The overall lack of awareness that something can be done to reduce the risk
further compounds the scenario.
Environmental degradation: The pressure exerted by increasing population on the environment isleading to its rapid degradation and denuding of hills threatening the human settlements
downstream as well as the national infrastructural assets viz. dams, hydro-electric plants, road andcommunication network etc. which are the lifeline of the national economy. Environmental
degradation is leading to a high rate of siltation in the dams and reservoirs, necessitating timely
interventions before the situation becomes precarious.
Insufficient enforcement of building by-laws: There is an insufficient and slack enforcement ofbuilding by-laws and codes in the urban areas due to a lack of expertise and trained humanresources to enforce the same. The compliance among the common people is also low due to a lackof awareness and general apathy to disaster risk management issues.
Lack of preparedness planning: There is a general lack of disaster preparedness and response
planning not only at the administrative level but also at the community level with the result that thecapacity to mitigate the impact of disasters and to generally respond to them in a speedy andeffective manner is also non-existent.
2.2
2.2.1

Existing Institutional and Legislative Arrangements for Disaster Risk Management
Institutional Arrangements /212111

We believe that Bhutan has not suffered from any major disasters due to the blessings of theprotective deities of the country. A few disasters which were caused due to fire, flooding andlandslides have been attended to personally by His Majesty the King. His Majesty the King has
been personally involved in the welfare and rehabilitation of affected communities and even down
to individuals where ever there has been accidents and natural disasters like house fire, destructionof homes and farmlands by flash floods and landslides, loss of crops to pests or bad harvests due tofailure of crops, or vehicular accidents involving public transports. Although such informal
arrangements have worked well for small scale disasters it is important that the institutional
response mechanisms are established to oversee larger disasters.
In the past Bhutan has been able to respond to disasters quite effectively through optimum
harnessing of the resources in spite of no integrated disaster risk management mechanism.
Although, over the years, the response mechanism has been found to be quite robust and effective
to meet the exigencies of the situation, yet the constraints remain in terms of adequate institutionalarrangements with capacity for meeting the challenges of natural disasters.
The establishment of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs (MoHCA) as the nodal agency by
the Royal Government of Bhutan is an important step in the overall framework for disastermanagement in Bhutan primarily because the country’s administrative units like the Dzongkhags,
Dungkhags and the Gewog administrations fall under the administrative functioning of the24Ministry. Furthermore the Ministry facilitates the pursuance and implementation of national
policies and interests by local governments in the overall interest of promoting good governance inthe country. Therefore the Ministry is well set to ensure that the programmes are planned well andimplemented with a greater degree of efficiency and effectiveness. The Ministry has a wellestablished line of communication and coordination with Dzongkhags and other administrative
units in times of emergency. In view of this the Royal Government of Bhutan has designated theMinistry of Home and Cultural Affairs as the nodal agency for disaster management in the
country.
As the coordinating agency, the Ministry will assume responsibilities that have larger policy
implications and also coordinate emergency responses. However, the MoHCA will refrain frominterfering in the ongoing risk reduction and preventive activities that are being initiated by thevarious government, public and private sectors especially where technical and professional
expertise are involved. Disaster management is a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary
responsibility that ensures that every sector can contribute towards promoting disaster resilience
within its own mandate, capacity, expertise and strength.
While MoHCA will be the focal agency at the national level, the Dzongkhags, Dungkhags,
Gewogs and the Thromdes (Municipalities) at their respective levels will be given the
responsibility to implement disaster risk management activities. The DLG, MoHCA has also been
entrusted to directly coordinate disaster management programmes and activities at the Dzongkhags
and in other administrative units.
-

A detailed profile of sectoral initiatives in disaster management/ response activities anchoredby these (and other) institutions in Bhutan is listed in Annex 1 [‘Institutional Profiles’].

2.2.2

Legislative arrangements

Although no laws, statutes or any other legal framework dealing specifically with disastermanagement exist, Article 8(6) of the Draft Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan provides that itis the responsibility of every Bhutanese to provide help to victims of accidents and in times ofnatural calamities. The Environmental Acts and Policies, the Mines and Minerals Management
Act, the Bhutan Water Policy, the Land Act and the Bhutan Building Rules indirectly support
disaster management. The Royal Bhutan Police Act has provisions for the RBP to provide help intimes of disasters. Similarly the other branches of the Armed Forces must take part as and when
they are called upon to do so. The Gewog Yargay Tshogchung (GYT) and Dzongkhag Yargay
Tshogdu (DYT) Chathrims also state that the GYT has the administrative powers and functions toorganize relief measures during natural disasters/ emergencies and the DYT to mobilize voluntaryactions in times of natural catastrophes and emergencies.
As far as the legislative mechanism is concerned, while there is no legislation/Act that specificallyaddresses disaster risk management, elements supportive of and addressing disaster risk
management concerns albeit in an elementary form can be found in some Acts/ Rules andRegulations existing in various sectors. Past legislations from the environmental and building
sectors in particular, need to be reviewed and analyzed in view of the key components of theemerging National DRM Framework so that avoidable overlaps/conflicts with existing policies andrules and regulations may be obviated. The objective will be to integrate these existing regulations
25

with the National DRM Framework, thus establishing disaster risk management as a cross-cutting,multi-sectoral development priority. Some of the legal enactments are mentioned below:-

Environment Assessment Act, (2002), along with a series of other instruments pertaining to theenvironment, guide development project components through the process of acquiring anenvironmental clearance. The process is aimed at mitigating and preventing the undesirable
impacts of developmental activities on the country’s environment.

-

Bhutan Water Policy (2003), underlines the need to “develop a national adaptation strategy forclimate change, including a national flood management and mitigation strategy” (section 35)
and stresses the importance of an integrated approach in water resources management ingeneral and in monitoring, early warning and mitigation measures in relation to GLOFs inparticular.

-

Bhutan Building Rules (2002) deal with the process of grant of building permits and Building
Code of Bhutan (2003) lays down a set of minimum standards for the construction of public
works buildings and housing settlements.

With regard to risk transfer mechanisms, at present, the Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan(RICB) provides risk insurance facility to every household [permanent and semi-permanent houses
at differential premium] in the rural areas mandatorily and fire insurance is extended to the urbanhouseholds in cases where the houses are constructed with assistance from the financial
institutions. However, it would be appropriate to develop national risk transfer mechanisms
covering large-scale natural disasters as well as the small individual/personal disasters too in
keeping with the Royal Government’s endeavors to secure Gross National Happiness for its
citizens and to cover the risk posed to the community at large.
In view of the proposed National Disaster Risk Management Framework, these sector-specificActs, guidelines, rules and regulations and other developmental schemes need to be reviewed fromthe perspective of mainstreaming disaster risk management concerns therein. An Inter-Ministerial
Committee or an Inter-Agency Task Force may need to be constituted to analyze the existing legal
instruments and recommend appropriate measures to streamline the same in the light of the NDRM
Framework.
It would thus be apparent that elements of a national disaster risk management system do exist
within the administrative machinery. However, the need for a properly coordinated approach andwell-delineated action plan covering all sectors under a uniform national framework, with various
agencies implementing their mandates with their sector-specific work plans, has been felt and theGovernment realizes the need to promote a more pro-active approach to managing disaster risks
rather than a reactive approach concentrating only on managing their aftermath.
2.3

Recent Developments

In order to give an impetus to initiation of disaster risk management activities in the country and to
draw a National Disaster Risk Management Framework in a consultative and interactive process,the Department of Local Governance had recently organized two consultations with active
participation of all concerned sectors and stakeholders. The first consultation was held in
Phuentsholing on 22-23 November, 2005 and the other in Thimphu on 23rd February, 2006. The
26

inputs and the presentations made by the participating sectors helped identify the needs and assess
the gaps in disaster risk management. The consultation process led to the formulation of the firstdraft of the Framework which was shared with the participating Ministries/agencies for theirreview and comments and has now been drawn up for adoption.
In between, a study tour to India was organized for Bhutanese officials and other stakeholders in
the month of January, 2006 during which they were familiarized with the systems, institutions andmechanisms developed for disaster risk management in that country.
It may also be noted that recently the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
has included disaster management as one of the thematic areas for cooperation and exchange
among the countries of the region and a SAARC Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management isalso proposed to be set up in Delhi. As a member of the SAARC the role of the Royal Governmentof Bhutan is expected to increase in the area of disaster management especially that relates totrans-boundary disaster issues. A joint group of experts on flood management has been formed
between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of India to discuss and assess theprobable causes and effects of the recurring floods and erosion in the southern foothills of Bhutan
adjoining the plains of India and recommend to both Governments, appropriate and mutuallyacceptable remedial measures.
The first meeting of the Joint Group of Experts (JGE) was held in Thimphu/Phuntsholing from 1-5
November, 2004.The meeting decided on a set of flood mitigatory studies to be done by both
Bhutanese and Indian experts. The fund for conducting the meeting has been projected in thebudget for the fiscal year 2005-2006. The fund for actual works would be known only after the
preparatory works are completed.
In addition, some of the Ministries/ sectoral agencies are implementing or have completed
implementation of certain projects with institutions/organizations in the region viz. Asian Disaster
Preparedness Centre (ADPC), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD), International Search & Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), Centre for Water
Commission (CWC) etc. and the sufficient experience and learning has already been garneredfrom these interactions.
The Royal Government of Bhutan has also initiated the process of consultation with theinternational humanitarian organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World
Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with a view to learn
from the international experience, perspective and best practices evolved in different countries andin countries facing disaster risk management challenges similar to Bhutan and has sought tocontextualize them in conformity with the needs, challenges, opportunities and aspirations of the
our people.

2.4

Key Challenges and Opportunities for Disaster Risk Management in Bhutan

Institutionalization and mainstreaming of disaster risk management agenda in the national andsocio-economic life of any country is beset with its own challenges and obstacles while at the same27

time affording unique opportunities. Some of the key challenges and opportunities can beenumerated as follows:2.4.1

Challenges

Lack of Resources: The government systems with regard to disaster risk management are still at
an evolution stage and as such there is a lesser degree of understanding of issues connected
therewith leading to inadequate allocation of resources for initiating holistic disaster risk
management activities in the country. The government would be required to mobilize resourcesfrom across the national sectors or forge partnerships with international organizations for disasterrisk management. In this context, it necessitates building on existing resources, strengths andinitiatives. Therefore, it is important that efforts to build disaster risk management capacities in the
country take a pragmatic, low-cost approach and build on the work of other sectors to the
maximum extent possible.
Low to moderate technical capacity: Effective disaster risk management requires synthesis oftechnical as well as organizational capacities across a range of sectors. While Bhutan has a fairly
elaborate organizational structure connecting national, intermediate (Dzongkhags) and Dungkhags
and the local levels (Gewogs and Thromdes) that have proved to be very effective in responding todisaster events, technical capacities in areas such as meteorology, climatology, geophysics,
seismology, geotechnical engineering and earthquake engineering is fairly limited. The
administrative system is fairly strong but it has low technical capacity. There is also a need todevelop capacities at the Dzongkhag and below levels for basic disaster risk management work.
Competing development priorities: A developing country like Bhutan has its own sectoraldevelopmental priorities and intra-sector development plans accord priority to building andexpanding sector-specific services and infrastructure without mainstreaming disaster risk reduction
elements. The health, education, infrastructure etc. are some of the sectors where greater priority isgiven to creating assets viz. hospitals, schools etc. without paying adequate attention to their ability
to withstand natural hazards. Hence, it is a critical challenge to intertwine disaster risk
management concerns while determining developmental priorities.
Multi-sectoral coordination: It has also been experienced that different wings of the Government
and agencies have undertaken independent disaster management initiatives pertaining to theirsector. However, these have not been properly coordinated leading to duplication/overlap ofefforts. A properly coordinated mechanism would have led to confluence of competence, expertiseand resources to achieve optimum results. In order to pave the way for a well-coordinated andwell-devised national strategy for holistic risk reduction, the Department of Local Governance,
MoHCA has been designated as the co-coordinating agency for Disaster Management. Under thiscoordination arrangement it is hoped that the disjointed and disparate efforts that exist today
among the various sectors will be reduced.
2.4.2

Opportunities

His Majesty the King has already laid a firm foundation of a strong civil and public administrative
system that offers opportunities for many new development initiatives. Today government, public
28and private sectors have adequate technical, managerial know how and capacity to meet challenges
in disaster management. Since the sectoral initiatives are still isolated from each other concerted
effort should now be made towards an integrated multi-stake holder approach.
Plethora of existing initiatives: A number of initiatives and activities are underway with various
Ministries/agencies which though specific to their respective sectors have the potential to address
disaster risk management issues. These existing programmes can be built upon and disaster risk
management concerns interwoven into them. For example, some hazard zonation work has been
done by the Department of Geology and Mines which can be further expanded and applied for risk
mitigation. Similarly, other initiatives under National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA), GLOF
mitigation, early warning systems etc. can also contribute towards this end. The need is tosynthesize and consolidate these currently disparate and disjointed activities under one mechanism
to strengthen the disaster management capabilities in the country.
Sound civil administration system: The civil administration system in the country is very strong
and extensive and some core personnel in each sector have undergone training within and outside
the country and their expertise can be harnessed for developing wholesome capacities in the
countries. Similarly, the administrative structures at Dzongkhag, Dungkhag, Gewog andMunicipality levels are also quite well delineated and linkages can easily be established throughproper coordination to mainstream risk management concerns.
Multi-stakeholder approach: The social, economic and cultural strands in the country indicate astrong mindset of inter-dependence and cohesive social system. The traditional way of life coupledwith strong religious moorings validate a multi-stakeholder approach. The Constitution of thecountry also seeks to inculcate a spirit of mutual assistance in times of need and natural disaster.
Moreover, there are a number of national and international organizations which are implementing
projects in partnership with Government agencies and have developed mutual confidence andmechanisms to jointly address the concerns and share experiences. These processes can be built
upon to implement successful and wide-ranging partnerships across a whole range of actors at thenational and local level including technical experts, institutions of learning and excellence,
corporate sector, academia, community leaders, media and other significant players in the nationaland socio-economic life of the country.
The Royal Government of Bhutan is striving to convert the challenges into an opportunity to usher
in a disaster-resilient and safer nation through the implementation of the National Disaster Risk
Management Framework.

2.5
2.5.1

Proposed Institutional Framework
At the national level

In order to secure synergies of action and confluence of strategies and resources for
implementation of disaster risk management agenda in the country, it is essential that a welldefined structure/mechanism is put in place at all administrative levels. An underlying principle ofan effective administrative structure is that different administrative rungs reflect the national visionand objectives to achieve commonality of approaches, harmonization of efforts and effective
harnessing of national capabilities and resources.
29With His Majesty the King at the apex level, the Cabinet with the Prime Minister as the
Chairperson shall be the highest decision-making body. It shall take a holistic view of the disastermanagement scenario in the country and shall lay down appropriate institutional, legislative andpolicy mechanisms addressing an entire gamut of issues relating to disaster prevention, mitigation,
preparedness and response. The Cabinet shall set-up the requisite funding mechanism for disasterrisk management. It shall decide the corpus for the National Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness
Budget to finance hazard-specific risk mitigation projects/schemes and to strengthen the response
capabilities at all administrative levels, including the community, and for providing succor to theaffected people through appropriate relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in theaftermath of any disaster. The Cabinet shall report to His Majesty the King for directions.
The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) shall be the highest executive
body chaired by a Cabinet Minister on a rotational basis for a period of one year. The Secretariesof the Ministries including representatives of Dratshang Lhentshog and the Armed Forces shall be
the members of the Committee. The Home Minister shall be the vice Chairperson. The Department
of Local Governance (DLG) shall function as the Secretariat to the Committee. The Committee
shall supervise/assess various disaster risk reduction initiatives/ projects and oversee theeffectiveness of response mechanism. It shall approve different sectoral risk management andresponse strengthening proposals/schemes and give directions to line Ministries/agencies formobilizing resources, manpower and expertise and take such suitable steps as may be deemednecessary. It shall provide regular inputs to the Cabinet as required by it or during a situation of anational emergency. It shall cause for requisite steps to be taken at national, Dzongkhag,
Dungkhag, Gewog and/or Thromde level to meet the exigencies of a situation as may be deemednecessary by it in the event of a disaster and shall meet regularly to review the relief operations
and extend all possible assistance to the affected areas.
The Department of Local Governance, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs shall be nodal
Ministry for coordinating the national disaster risk mitigation, response, relief and rescue
endeavors. It shall formulate schemes/programmes for incorporating disaster risk reduction
measures in the development process as also in the public domain. Through the National
Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), it shall maintain continuous disaster surveillance,
tracking and ensure real-time warning dissemination to the Dzongkhags, Dungkhags, Gewogs andThromdes likely to be impacted by an impending disaster and shall keep the NCDM and the
Cabinet informed regularly about the gravity of the situation. It shall also be mandated torequisition resources, manpower and assistance from other Ministries/agencies in an emergency
situation, shall give directions to the local administrations and shall closely monitor the entire
process of disaster response including recovery and reconstruction.

2.5.2

At the Dzongkhag level

At the Dzongkhag level, a Dzongkhag Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) shall be
constituted under the Chairmanship of the Dzongda. The Dzongkhag DMC shall implement crosssectoral risk reduction initiatives at the Dzongkhag level and develop capacities to respond todisasters in their respective areas. It shall also maintain and manage a Dzongkhag Disaster
Management Fund to raise resource for the activities aimed at risk reduction and set-up a
Dzongkhag Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC). It shall maintain continuous contact with30

the National EOC and disseminate information to the Dungkhags, Gewogs and Thromdes in caseof an emergency. A SITREP (Situation Report) shall be regularly sent to DLG/NEOC during acrisis situation. The Dzongkhag DMC shall assess the requirements, mobilize/summon resources
and manpower to respond to a disaster and extend all assistance to the Dungkhags, Gewogs andThromdes within its jurisdiction.
2.5.3

At the Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde levels

Similarly, City/Thromde Disaster Management Committee (TDMC) and Gewog Disaster
Management Committee (GDMC) shall be constituted to discharge a similar set of responsibility
for their respective areas. The two municipal areas of Thimphu and Phuentsholing shall have
independent disaster management plans in operation. However disaster management linkage
modalities for the Gewogs lying within the peripheries of designated Thromdes may need to betaken into consideration
2.6

Proposed Response Mechanisms

The institutional arrangements proposed above shall also continue to discharge their
responsibilities in both the pre-disaster phase [by conceptualizing, formulating, approving andsupervising implementation of national and sectoral disaster risk management measures] as also inthe post-disaster situation [to address speedily the relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery
needs of the affected populace and the region].
In the eventuality of a disaster of national proportions or a situation where the localized disaster isof such magnitude that it is beyond the coping capacity of one or more Dzongkhags, the Cabinet
shall cause such steps to be taken to effectively respond to the situation and shall continuously
monitor the response endeavor. The National Committee on Disaster Management (NCDM) shallcause to mobilize the requisite assistance to the affected areas and give directions/advisories to thecentral ministries/agencies as also to the Dzongkhags, Dungkhags, Gewogs and Thromdes tosummon their resources and take necessary steps to meet the exigency. Where appropriate theservices of the Armed Forces should be called in.
The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) shall be the hub for maintaining a
constant vigil on the emerging disaster situation and coordination of response endeavors. It shallmaintain regular contact with Dzongkhag Emergency Operation Centres (DEOCs) and assess theirrequirements and provide regular situation reports to the NCDM and the Cabinet.
At the Dzongkhag level, the Dzongkhag EOC and the Dzongkhag Disaster Management
Committees shall have the responsibility of supervising the disaster response and shall report on aregular basis to the National EOC or DLG about the requirements and needs in the affected areas
and extend such assistance as shall be required by the Dungkhags, Gewogs and the Thromdes.
At the National, Dzongkhag, Geog and Thromde levels inter-sectoral co-operation and coordination shall be sought to ensure effective management in times of disasters. The Royal
Government of Bhutan is confident that the institutional arrangements being set-up at different
administrative levels shall go a long way in streamlining and coordinating the initiatives andefforts being made by various constituents of the administration and shall lead to a synchronous,
31

harmonious and efficacious functioning of disaster risk management mechanism and shallsubstantially contribute towards strengthening the disaster response capacities across the country ina systematic and steady manner over the coming years. These institutional mechanisms shall help
achieve a vision of creating a disaster-resilient nation.

2.7

Financial Arrangements

It is essential for the success of the national and sectoral initiatives for disaster risk management
and response capability strengthening that appropriate funding mechanisms to support and sustain
the activities are also created. The envisaged funding mechanism shall also provide financial
support to disaster risk management activities at the Dzongkhag, Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde
levels.
a) Disaster Mitigation, Prevention and Preparedness Budget
It is proposed that the Royal Government of Bhutan shall constitute a national budget
designated as the Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness budget. It shall be coordinated by the
Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs and the programmes/ activities/ sectoral initiatives
addressing disaster management concerns approved by the National Committee for Disaster
Management shall receive appropriate disbursement from the budget. The budget shall financehazard-specific risk mitigation projects/schemes/programmes formulated at the national level.
It shall also extend suitable financial assistance for such programmes/schemes undertaken at
the Dzongkhag, Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde levels. Every Ministry/agency of theGovernment shall review its developmental guidelines and activities and formulatecomponents for addressing disaster risk reduction elements therein and make suitableallocations from their regular annual budget.
b) His Majesty’s Relief FundOver the years His Majesty the King has been personally attending to the welfare of theaffected individuals and families in the times of disasters. His Majesty’s relief grants to theaffected families are given in the form of ration, building materials and in some cases cash to
enable them to reconstruct their homes. At present, except for His Majesty’s personal
intervention there is no regular fund to provide timely and adequate relief and rehabilitation toindividuals and families affected.
In view of increasing incidences of disasters that occur in the country and in particular thosethat affect poor and vulnerable rural communities whose response capabilities are minimal, aregular fund need to be established. The Royal Government of Bhutan has therefore instituted“His Majesty’s Relief Fund”. The Fund shall be administered by the Department of Local
Governance, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. The corpus of the Fund shall be
determined by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. The resources under the Fund shallbe utilized to complement and strengthen disaster response systems and capabilities at various
administrative levels and for mounting a speedy, timely and efficacious disaster response andto address relief, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction needs of the affected areas andpeople. Utilization of this fund must be approved by His Majesty the King. This fund shall bemobilized through voluntary contribution made by the private sectors, civil societies, NGOs,
supplemented by annual budget of the government.
32c) Major Disaster Fund (Emergency)
The Royal Government will also institute a Major Disaster Fund to finance response and relief
operations in the country in the event of a major disaster in the country and its immediate
aftermath. The corpus of the fund will be decided by the Cabinet and coordinated by the
Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs in association with Ministry of Finance. Approval for the
release shall be sought from His Majesty the King. The fund will be used for immediate relief;
restoration of essential infrastructure; and restoration of public assets in the social sector.
The MoHCA shall seek funds from international agencies through the Cabinet. Private andpublic sectors will also be involved if need for such support arises in times of major disasters.
In case of a major disaster, the affected Dzongkhag will submit a detailed report of the disasterto the Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs along with estimates of damages. The MoHCA
will then form a central investigating team with the Director General, DLG as the team leader.
The central team shall go to the affected place, assess the damages and recommend to the
Cabinet for release of fund.

33

Chapter 3
Disaster Risk Management Framework (DRM) for Bhutan
3.1

Disaster Risk Management Framework

The Royal Government of Bhutan recognizes the need for promoting a risk management approachto dealing with disasters rather than only a reactive approach that deals with the aftermath ofdisasters in an ad hoc manner. In this context, Disaster Risk Management has been defined as the“systematic process of using administrative decisions, organizational and operational skills andcapacities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of communities to lessen theimpacts of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters. This comprises
all forms of activities, including structural and non-structural measures to avoid (prevention) or tolimit (mitigation and preparedness) adverse effects of hazards” [International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (ISDR) Secretariat, 2004].
While primary responsibility of formulating a DRM framework lies with the government, its
effective implementation will require active participation of all stakeholders including
communities, volunteers, religious organizations, local governments, academia and scientific andtechnical institutions.
3.1.1

Key objectives

As mentioned in Chapter 1, the key objectives of this framework are:•

To promote a disaster risk management approach instead of an ad hoc reactive approach todealing with disasters;•

To recognize the respective roles of different organizations in disaster risk management
and provide all possible support to their work within the national framework for disasterrisk management; and•To establish linkages between disaster risk management and the other ongoing activities indifferent development sectors.

3.1.2

Scope of the DRM Framework

This Framework includes all the elements of a risk management framework including: establishing
the context; risk identification; risk analysis; risk evaluation; risk communication; risk reduction(through both anticipatory and compensatory means) and continuous monitoring and evaluation.
The Framework covers these elements of disaster risk management through the following distinct
but inter-related components:•

Institutional, legislative and policy frameworks
34

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Hazard, vulnerability and risk assessments
Disaster management system
Early warning systems
Disaster preparedness plans
Mitigation & integration of disaster risk reduction in development sectors
Public awareness and education
Capacity building
Communication and transportation

The Framework outlines all the key outcomes that need to be achieved under each of thecomponents and indicative activities that need to be carried out to achieve these outcomes over the
short, medium and long term. However, as the implementation of this Framework commences,detailed programmes will have to be developed covering all the components. In this respect, thisframework presents the ‘breadth’ of actions that need to be undertaken over the next ten years but
does not cover the ‘depth’ of analysis and programming that needs to be undertaken to carry out
these activities. This will be done by the respective lead institutions for each of the components
when the implementation begins.
3.1.3

The consultative process

These components have been developed through a consultative process and have drawn upon key‘good practices’ in disaster risk management from around Asia. The process began with a national
consultative workshop organized in the run up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction(held in Kobe, January 2005), which produced a report on status of disaster risk management in the
country. Subsequently, a ‘National Consultative Workshop on Instituting an Integrated Disaster
Risk Management Strategy’ was held in November 2005 in Phuentsholing, which provided aforum to review the overall disaster management context in Bhutan and assess the existing gaps
and potential opportunities for integrating local and national response and risk reduction strategies.
As a follow on to the November 2005 workshop a draft Framework was developed and sharedwith all stakeholders. Another consultative meeting held in February 2006 provided feedback on
the draft Framework.
Simultaneously, various other processes have contributed to this Framework such as the study tourof Bhutanese officials to selected institutions in India in January 2006.

The National Consultative Workshop in Phuentsholing in Nov. 200535

2nd Consultative Workshop in Thimphu in Feb. 2006

The Components of the Framework:
3.2

Institutional, legislative and policy frameworks

The objective of this component is to design and implement an appropriate institutional andlegislative framework for disaster risk management in Bhutan. This will help define the mandates
and inter-relationships of respective organizations across sectors as well as across different
administrative levels. Appropriate financial arrangements to meet the various disaster risk
management needs (disaster risk reduction, disaster response and local level risk reduction) of thecountry will be designed under this component. Under this component, the government will also
begin to articulate its policies on different aspects of disaster risk management (such as recovery,
rehabilitation). Adequate investments will have to be made in capacity building at different levels
to ensure the effectiveness of this component. There are potential synergies with otherdevelopment activities such as the ongoing efforts to build capacities of the local governments anddecentralization.

36

Component 1: Institutional, Legislative and Policy Frameworks
To establish an appropriate institutional and legislative framework defining the mandates and inter-relationships ofvarious organizations across sectors and administrative levels.
Expected Outputs

Activities/Areas of Intervention

Timeline
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting institutions

1.1 Institutional Framework
Coordination mechanisms
established at the nationallevel

Establish following key mechanisms:
Cabinet with Prime Minister as chair.
National Committee on Disaster Management(the highest executive body Chaired by the
Minister, MoHCA to oversee disaster risk
management activities)

Coordination mechanisms
established at theDzongkhag, Gewog and/or
Thromde levels

(S)

(S)

DLG, MoHCA

DLG within the MoHCA to coordinate andfacilitate disaster mitigation and preparedness
as well as disaster response activities acrossdifferent sectors/Ministries and at Dzongkhag,
Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde levels(S)

Establish Disaster Management Committees
at Dzongkhag, Dungkhag, Gewog andThromde levels responsible for implementing
disaster risk management initiatives atdifferent levels(S)

DLG, MoHCA

Constitute a Working Group of legal
practitioners, policy makers (with technicalsupport from disaster risk management
experts) to draft the bill.

(S)

DLG, MoHCA andorganizations concerned(Legislative agencies)

Submit the draft to the Cabinet forconsideration and approval of the same in thenational assembly.

(S)

Constitute a working group to start
articulation of Government’s policy on
different aspects of disaster management viz.
guidelines for relief, recovery, rehabilitation,
enforcement of codes etc.

(S)

DLG, MoHCA, in
consultation with otherrelevant Ministries/sectors
including Planning
Commission forprioritizing the activities.

(L)

MoHCA in consultation
with sectors concerned.

1.2 Legislative and Policy Framework
National Disaster Risk
Management Act

Enunciation of a National
Disaster Management Policy

1.3 Capacity Building of National Focal Institution
Capacities of the national
focal institutions (MoHCA,
DLG) strengthened

Conduct needs assessment and formulate atargeted capacity building programmes
Develop skills, provide equipment andsystems in the relevant departments
Training of human resources37

1.4 Financial Arrangements
His Majesty’s Relief Fundestablished

Develop guidelines for the utilization of His
Majesty’s Relief Fund to strengthen response
capabilities at national, Dzongkhag and otheradministrative levels.

(S)

National Disaster Mitigation
and Preparedness Budget

Develop guidelines for financing local leveldisaster mitigation and preparedness projects/
schemes(S)

DLG, MoHCA, Ministryof Finance, Private andPublic sectors

DLG, MoHCA andMinistry of Finance andDzongkhags.

Propose corpus at the national, Dzongkhag
and other administrative levels for theapproval of the Cabinet.
Major disasters (Emergency
Fund)Work out financial modalities(S)

DLG, MoHCA, Ministryof Finance, Private andPublic Sectors

Risk Transfer Mechanisms

Constitute a working group involving theRoyal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan(RICB)
Review and analyze the existing risk transfer
and insurance mechanisms
Although property insurance exists,
compensation of valuable properties lost due
to disaster must be made mandatory througha insurance scheme(S)

DLG, MoHCA,
Ministry of Finance,
Royal Insurance
Corporation of Bhutan &concerned sectors.

3.3

Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

The objective of this component is to improve access to synthesized information on disaster risks
for policy and decision makers across different sectors and administrative levels. In the absence ofsuch information, policy and decision makers have to make disaster risk management decisions(such as where to invest in risk control measures, where to locate emergency response assets,
where to locate critical facilities), in an ad-hoc or at best intuitive manner, which may not make themost optimal use of scarce resources. This component will synthesize existing information on
hazards, vulnerabilities and risks that is available with different organizations in such a form that it
can be utilized for decision making for disaster risk management. At the same it will identify
critical gaps in existing information and work towards filling those gaps in a prioritized manner.
Under this component a geo-referenced disaster database will be set up that will capture disaster
impacts at the Gewog level in order to track existing and emerging patterns of disaster risk.

38

Component 2: Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
To identify the probability of occurrence of various hazards in a specified future time period, as well as the intensity and area of impacts.
Outputs
Activities
Time Line
Lead/Responsible
1-2 yrs (S)Agencies/sectors with
3-5 yrs (M)supporting institutions
6-10 yrs (L)2.1 Hazard AtlasFirst version of a multi-hazard
atlas of Bhutan produced

Compile existing hazard maps from different
sources for each district of the country(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DGM,
(MTI), and Dept. of Survey
(MoA)

(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DGM(MTI), and NEC(M)

DLG (MoHCA)

Using the best available technical informationand expert judgment determine hazard risk foreach hazard for each district (if possible smaller
administrative levels)
Produce the first version of an easily
understandable and usable hazard atlas in print aswell as digital format
Compile maps related to settlements, population
density, land use etc. and to the extent possible
prepare overlays with the hazard maps
2.2 Hazard zonation for all major hydro-meteorological and geological hazards
Hazard maps for all hazards(landslides, floods, GLOFS,
earthquakes, forest fires)developed further in aprioritized manner

Identify gaps in existing hazard maps fordifferent hazards in terms of coverage as well as
quality (appropriate scale for use in decision
making, presentation etc.)
Prioritize areas for hazard based on exposure interms of human settlements, criticalinfrastructure and other assets
Prepare a multi-year plan for hazard mapping
based on the above
Constitute suitable implementation teams andbegin hazard mapping

2.3 Disaster databases
A geo-referenced national
database of all disaster events
captured at Gewog level andtheir impacts established

Define key disaster types to be captured in thenational disaster database
Identify and evaluate key disaster data sources
for building a historical dataset
Train relevant staff at the MoHCA in amethodology to develop disaster datasets
Build historical dataset from archival sources,
and institutionalize a system for prospective datacollection and analysis

392.4 Multi-hazard maps for human settlements
Multi-hazard maps developed
as an input to the developmentof new townships andexpansion of the existing ones

Review plans for new settlements as well as
expansion of new settlements(M)

DLG (MoHCA)

Constitute a multi-sectoral working group to
develop multi-hazard maps for these newsettlements

MoWHS

Develop multi-hazard maps at an appropriate
scale for the use of urban planners anddevelopers.

DoE (MTI)

2.5 Seismic Zonation Maps
Seismic hazard maps
developed for Bhutan
Set up permanent seismic
monitoring network for thecountry

Develop initial seismic hazard maps based on
existing scientific information from national andinternational sources and empirical evidence(M)

DGM (MTI)

Drawing upon the experience of pilot seismic
networks established earlier, establish apermanent seismic (telemetred) network
Establish a seismic monitoring cell in DGM andtrain staff to regularly analyze the data received
from the seismic network and progressively
enhance the understanding of seismic hazard in
the country

3.4

Disaster Management System

The National Disaster Risk Management Framework envisages the development of a holistic
approach designed to manage disasters in more proactive basis involving various sectors, it is feltthat a strong disaster management system should be put in place so that the sectors will be fully
accountable in the long run. Plans, programmes and procedures relating to disasters must be
institutionalized. This will ensure timely and coordinated actions at all spheres of administrative
levels and at the communities during a major disaster. The MoHCA as a coordinating agency shallsee that the disaster preparedness and response system is built into all government, public, private,
corporate sectors and civil societies by incorporating plans, adequate financial arrangements and aset of practical measures in their development plans.

3.5

Early Warning Systems (EWS)

The objective of this component is to work towards development of a coherent, end-to-end EWS
that has both broad spatial coverage (covering all vulnerable areas) and a broad multi-hazard focus
to reduce risk from all natural hazard events. The promotion of community-based and peoplecentered approaches to disaster risk management will be part and parcel of this process. Various
agencies in Bhutan are organized according to specialized tasks for different hazards, withrelatively little information sharing or partnerships with other agencies. It is these gaps that thiscomponent seeks to address by bringing together all concerned agencies. It will begin to establish a40

policy dialogue so that appropriate standards for end-to-end early warning systems are developed,
implemented and institutionalized at the national level. This will have linkage with
Communication and Transportation components that will address issues related to the lack ofcommunication lines/ networks and especially their unavailability during times of emergency. The
local and national level support activities will also be designed to integrate with regional andinternational early warning system development efforts.
A local approach to EWS also needs the direct participation of those who are likely to be exposed
to such hazards. Involvement of local communities in all stages of EWS will reinforce public
understanding of the whole range of risks they face thus strengthening the desired preparedness
actions and warning response.

Component 3: Early Warning Systems
To generate advance warnings and thus improve capacity of decision-makers to take required action prior to the occurrence of adisaster
Outputs

Activities

Time line
Lead/Responsible
1-2 yrs (S)Agencies/sectors with
3-5 yrs (M)supporting institutions
6-10 yrs (L)
3.1 Design and implementation of end-to-end GLOF/ Flood Early Warning Systems in some of the vulnerable flood basins

End-to-end early
warning systems for
GLOF/ Floods
established in the mostvulnerable river basins

Identify the river basins most vulnerable to flash
floods and GLOF
Taking stock of existing capacities, design an endto-end early warning system for these river basins
including monitoring, warning formulation, warning
dissemination and local response mechanisms towarning systems
In a prioritized manner, strengthen different
components of early warning systems in these river
basins(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DGM, DoE(MTI) and other related sectors.

Identify the most vulnerable glacial lakes.
Install systems for monitoring the water levels inthese lakes and the risk of their outburst
Link the GLOF Monitoring system with the overall
early warning systems for flash floods and GLOFs
in respective river basins(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DGM (MTI),
DoE (MTI) and other related
sectors.

Identify sites that are most vulnerable to landslides
and have significant potential for causing damage
downstream (e.g. impact on human settlements,
infrastructure, formation of artificial dams)
Install systems for monitoring the water levels inthese lakes and the risk of their outburst
Link the GLOF Monitoring system with the overall
early warning systems for flash floods and GLOFs
in respective river basins(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DoA (MoA),
DGM, DoE (MTI) and otherrelated sectors.

3.2 GLOF monitoring

GLOF Monitoring
systems Web enabled
databases and capacityfor voice and data traffic
established

3.3 Landslides monitoring

Landslide monitoring
systems established in
the most vulnerable
locations41

3.4 Training of local administrative officials
Officials at Dzongkhag
Develop training modules on issues related to Early
and other levels of
warning dissemination and response
administration trained on Deliver these training programmes to the local
issues related to Earlyadministration officials
Warning systems
3.5 Strengthening Meteorological services(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DGM, DoE(MTI) and other related sectors.

Meteorological services
strengthened(M)

DLG (MoHCA), MoA,
DoE (MTI) and related sectors.

(M)

DLG (MoHCA), DoE (MTI) andrelated sectors.

(M)

DLG, MoHCA, DoE, DGM(MTI) and related sectors.

Review the earlier assessments of themeteorological services and draw up a plan for
better coordination between the meteorologicalcapacities at the Ministry of Agriculture and Dept.
of Energy as well as overall enhancement of theircapacities in a prioritized manner

3.6 Improving hydrological observation network

Hydrologicalobservation network
strengthen

Identify the most flood vulnerable river basins in
the country and assess the current hydrologicalobservation network in these river basins
Strengthen this hydrological network in a prioritizedmanner over a period of 4 years

3.7 Information flows and coordination mechanisms

Information network andcoordination mechanism
strengthened

3.6

Streamline information flows and coordination
mechanism to ensure effective vertical andhorizontal linkages across all stakeholders involved
in EWS.

Disaster Preparedness Plans

The objective of disaster preparedness planning is to minimize the adverse effects of a hazard
through adequate preparedness and response planning to ensure timely and coordinated action atadministrative and community levels to meet the exigencies arising out of a natural catastrophe.
Preparedness involves development and regular testing of warning systems (linked to multi-hazard
EW Systems) and plans for evacuation or other measures to be taken during a disaster alert period.
It also involves education and training of officials, intervention teams and communities.
Establishment of policies, standards, organizational arrangements and operational plans to be
applied following a disaster are also crucial.
Disaster preparedness planning at all administrative levels is essential to ensure proper assigning ofroles and responsibilities and conduct of mock-drills to test the efficacy of the plan. It also requires
systematically building capacities for immediate response and recovery across all levels. The
plans clearly define the roles of concerned agencies in order to avoid mismanagement, overlaps
and gaps and emphasize coordination of all sectoral agencies, sensitizing the media and ensuring
development of relevant information mechanisms.
42

Component 4: Disaster Preparedness Plans
To prepare multi-hazard disaster preparedness and response plans at national, Dzongkhag, Dungkhag,
Gewog and Thromde levels to ensure requisite levels of preparedness and functioning of sectoral response
plans
Expected Outputs

Activities/Areas of Intervention

Timeline
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting institutions(S)

DLG (MoHCA) and allother concerned
Ministries/sectors anddistrict and local level
administrations

4.1: National Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan
Development of disaster
preparedness and responseplans at the national,
Dzongkhag, Dungkhag,
Gewog and Thromde levels

To conduct hazard, vulnerability and risk
assessment in various administrative units.
To develop multi-hazard preparedness andresponse plans in a prioritized manner atnational, district and local levels to deal withlarge-scale disasters in hazard-prone areas.
To draw up multi-disciplinary plans inconjunction/ consultation with Ministries/
sectors/agencies entrusted with disaster risk
management mandates.
To establish linkages with plans at otheradministrative levels.
Training a cadre of officers at various levels
for undertaking plan preparedness.
To test sectoral preparedness at regularintervals.
To assign roles and responsibilities to different
sectors and individuals and checkpreparedness levels.
Sharing of plan with all relevant actors.

National Emergency
Operations Center (NEOC)

To design and set up a National Emergency
Operations Center to meet the multi-hazard
operational requirements.
To constitute a multi-sectoral experts team toassess requirements of infrastructure,equipments and trained man-power.
To develop Emergency Support Function(ESF) Plans to ensure timely and effective
intervention by all sectoral agencies.
The NEOC to build on existing capacities
Training and capacity building of the staff inemergency response and protocols.
To have adequate communication systems
with stand-by facility and redundancy.

Inventory of disaster
response resources

To develop a geo-referenced web-enabledinventory of resources, equipments and trained
man-power available at national, Dzongkhag,
Dungkhag, Gewog and Thromde levels forfacilitating easier access and mobilization
during an emergency.
To constitute a team of IT skilled
professionals for developing the portal
Procurement of appropriate hardware andsoftware support.
To provide training in developing andoperationalizing the portal to the IT
professionals.

43

(M)

(S)

DLG (MoHCA) and othersectoral
Ministries/agencies
entrusted with disaster
response as per disaster
preparedness plan

DLG (MoHCA) and allline Ministries/ sectors/
agencies at national,
Dzongkhag, Dungkhag,
Gewog and Thromde
levelsCommunity based Disaster
Preparedness Planning(CBDP)

3.7

To enhance community capacity in multihazard risk management and preparedness invulnerable administrative units in a prioritizedmanner.
To focus on building the skills and aptitude of
the community including vulnerable groups
Capacity building and training in developing
disaster preparedness plans at the community
level.
To provide support to the people to develop
the plans.
To tap expertise from relevant organizations tofacilitate the process.
To rehearse preparedness planning at
community levels at regular intervals to ensuresustainability of the process and to ensure
updating of the plan.

(M)

DLG (MoHCA),
Administrations of
Dzongkhags, Dungkhags,
Gewogs and Thromdes, allline Ministries/ sectors/
agencies especially theones with Emergency
Support Function (ESF)plans to be part of theplanning process

Mitigation and Integration of Disaster Risk Management in Development Sectors

The objective of this component is to reduce loss of life and property in the event of potential
hazard occurrences. The primary aim is to reduce the risk of death and injury to the population.
Secondary aims include reducing damage and economic losses to public sector infrastructure andreducing private sector losses in as far as they are likely to affect the community as a whole. The
objectives are likely to include encouraging people to protect themselves as far as possible.
Any mitigation strategy is likely to include a range of measures. A set of actions that includes
engineering measures, spatial planning, and a degree of economic management and community
participation will be needed to bring about effective mitigation. A mitigation programme thatconcentrates solely on any one of these five aspects will be unbalanced and is unlikely to achieve
its aims.
Disaster Mitigation investment has to be seen in terms of the price of protecting existing and future
infrastructure. The spending of a few percent extra on a new facility to build it a little stronger andprotect it against a future threat is usually seen as prudent. The level of investment that is justified
to protect society, its economic activities and its built environment is a matter of political decision
making, and the economics of risk. Decision making on appropriate levels of investment indisaster mitigation depends on how likely the hazard is to occur, and what would be the impact of
the hazard if it does occur. The costs and benefits of alternative investment strategies need to becarefully evaluated. The use of a systematic framework of risk assessment to establish whichhazards are most likely to occur and the probable effects will help define the priorities of
mitigation programmes.

44

Component 5: Mitigation and integration of DRR in development plans
Time line
Outputs
Activities
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)
5.1 Integrating Disaster Impact Assessment into all development projects
Mechanisms (such as
mandatory risk
assessments) developed toincorporate disaster risk
concerns (mitigation
measures) in all
development projects

Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting
institutions

Review existing environmental
impact assessment guidelines andexplore the possibility of either
integrating disaster risk assessment
components to it or developing new
set of disaster risk assessment
guidelines for all new development
projects
Appropriate budgetary allocation forministries/departments involved in
mitigation/prevention
Evolve a robust risk transfer system
to mitigate losses and damages(M)

DLG (MoHCA), NEC,
Planning Commission,
MoF and SQCA
(MoWHS)

Review and adapt building codes ofother countries to the Bhutan context
Review byelaws to examine possible
gaps, and review ordinances which
are not being implemented(M)

DLG (MoHCA),SQCA (MoWHS)

5.2 Earthquake risk mitigation
Building codes/guidelines
developed for earthquake
resistant construction

5.3 Hazard-specific (landslide, flood, GLOF, fire etc.) mitigation measures developed and implemented in vulnerable
locations
Some of the mostvulnerable sites identified
and hazard specificmitigation measures
implemented

Identify the most vulnerable
locations (with regards to GLOF,
floods and landslides) that require
structural mitigation measures on an
urgent basis(L)

DLG (MoHCA),
MoWHS

(L)

DLG (MoHCA)
Dzongkhags,
Dungkhags, Gewogs
and MoWHS

Develop detailed mitigation plans forthe above
Implement the mitigation measuresin a prioritized manner
5.4 Local level mitigation action plans developed and implemented
Mitigation assessments andprogrammes in risk prone
areas

Identify some of the most vulnerable
communities.
Locate high and moderate disasterrisk sites around these communities.
Undertake detail assessments todetermine the most suitable andeconomically viable mitigation
measures.
Implement recommendations at the
local level.

45

3.8

Public Awareness and Education

Building awareness among the people about the hazards, vulnerabilities and disaster risks and thesteps that can be taken for mitigating the same is a sine qua non for building their knowledge,
aptitude and skills for effective disaster risk management. Incorporation of disaster risk
management issues in the school, college and technical curricula will facilitate creation of ageneration alive and sensitive to risk reduction and amounts to a wise investment for mitigating
and managing future risks. Cross-sectoral partnerships and concerted efforts at disseminating theagenda of disaster management to the younger generation through school curricula and throughconduct of preparedness drills at regular intervals will go a long way in inculcating a culture ofdisaster safety and risk management among people at large.
Component 6: Public Awareness and Education
To establish partnerships with media and community organizations for dissemination of disaster risk management
agenda and incorporation of the same in education curricula to promote a people-centric approach to mitigating
disaster risks

Expected Outputs

Activities/Areas of Intervention

Timeline
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting institutions(M)

DLG (MoHCA), National
media- Kuensel /BBS andprivate newspapers/media
and concerned
institutions/sectors(L)

DLG (MoHCA),
Curriculum Department(MoE), RUB and otherrelevant agencies

6.1: Generating Public AwarenessInitiating a national publicawareness generation
programme for disastermitigation and preparedness

Formulating a national awareness generation
strategy
Developing public awareness generation
programmes for hazard-specific campaigns
Establishing partnerships across the spectrumof print and electronic media and sociocultural and religious organizations forharnessing their reach for dissemination ofdisaster management agenda.
Constituting a working group of professionals
and experts to devise the campaign.
Launch of an informative website containing
information on different hazards and possible
mitigation, preparedness and response
measures.

6.2: Incorporation of disaster management in school and college curricula
Introduction of modules on
disaster management inschool and college curricula

Constitution of a Working Group to assess theschool curricula and develop appropriate
disaster risk education materials in school
curricula
Introduction of practical trainings and conductof mock-drills in educational institutions
Development of interesting hazard-specificreading materials for children by an expert
group
Training of teachers
Constitution of working group to assess
disaster risk, education materials in tertiary
institutions especially in engineering
institutions.

46

3.9

Capacity Development

Effective implementation of disaster risk management necessitates development of an appropriate
human resource with technical, managerial and communication skills. Training and capacity
building is a continuous process necessitating familiarization with latest thought-processes anddevelopments in the field of disaster risk management. On the one hand, the training programmes
would seek to build a better understanding of disaster management scenario in the country and on
the other it shall also be ensured that sector-specific training modules are available to develop
requisite technical skills in concerned Ministries/sectors.
The Department of Local Governance shall strive to formulate a comprehensive, prioritized multiyear training and capacity building policy for up-grading and developing the knowledge and skillsof disaster management practitioners at various administrative levels on the basis of capacities andneeds assessment. Requisite partnerships and linkages with institutions of excellence and training
academies in the region as well as with international organizations would be forged to facilitate
training of disaster management professionals.

47

Component 7: Capacity Development
To create a cadre of trained and skilled professionals and disaster management practitioners with requisiteknowledge and capacity to initiate and implement disaster risk management programmes
Expected Outputs

Activities/Areas of Intervention

Timeline
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting institutions

7.1: Human Resource Development
Capacities and needs
assessment carried out at
the national, Dzongkhag,
Dungkhag, Gewog andThromde levels

To conduct a systematic training needs
assessment/ analysis for identifying the criticalareas, the gaps and prioritization of training
needs.
Assess capabilities of administrative andtechnical officers for addressing disaster risk
management issues.
To develop a national human resource plan.
To develop a prioritized multi-year capacity
building programme for supporting thefunctionality and effectiveness of theinstitutional and legal system.

(M)

DLG (MoHCA) in due
consultation with relevant
sectors /R.C.S.C fordeveloping sector-specifictraining programmes

Training of officers, cadres
and agencies entrusted withdisaster mitigation,
preparedness and response
related activities

Draw up suitable training capsules to meet
sector-specific training needs.
Training of Trainers (ToTs).
Incorporating capsules on disastermanagement in entry-level and refresher
training programmes for government officers
in all administrative units viz. police, fire,
health, education, works and humansettlements etc.
Training of Dzongkhag, Dungkhag, Gewog
and Thromde level administrative officers.
Up gradation of equipments, machinery, tools
and infrastructure for continuous skill
development.

(M)

DLG (MoHCA) in
consultation with sectoral
agencies like RCSC fordeveloping suitabletraining programmes andcapsulesForging partnerships withnational, regional andinternational institutions forcapacity building support

Developing linkages and signing MOUs withinstitutions of excellence, learning [distance]
and training.
Linking up with information sharing networks
in the region.
Exposure visits to facilitate learning from theexperiences and capacities of other countries
and institutions.
Twinning arrangements with technicalinstitutions/agencies.

(L)

48

DLG (MoHCA), MFA in
consultation with othersectoralagencies/Ministries

3.10

Communication and Transportation

Communication is the first casualty in the aftermath of a disaster. It has been experienced that thetraditional telecom connectivity of the affected areas becomes largely dysfunctional and flow oftimely and correct information from the affected regions is severely hampered. The absence offirst-hand information constricts the disaster managers’ ability to assess the magnitude of thesituation and leads to an avoidable delay in launching a suitable disaster response. This
underscores the need to design and develop multi-modal communication networks with adequate
back-up facility.
The transportation networks are also at times severely disrupted with roads getting washed away or
getting buried under a landslide or debris. This assumes greater importance in the context of
Bhutan with its hilly and rugged terrain affording only limited access to many regions and thecriticality of mounting a speedier and timely response puts a lot of strain on the available modes oftransportation. It is not only critical to build disaster-resistant road networks in the country but also
to formulate a long-term plan to build alternate routes to various Dzongkhags, Dungkhags,
Gewogs and Thromdes so as to ensure adequate connectivity at all times.
Since the villages in Bhutan are well connected by mule tracks a location wise (Gewog) inventoryof mules and horses should be maintained in all Dzongkhags.

Mules and horses are Bhutan’s most efficient means of transportation in the remote areas.

49A remote village in Dagana.

Component 8: Communication and Transportation
To develop capacities for communication with sufficient redundancy to meet the connectivity needs
during a disaster and to build an adequate transportation network for speedier disaster response
Expected Outputs

Activities/Areas of Intervention

Timeline
1-2 yrs (S)3-5 yrs (M)6-10 yrs (L)Lead/Responsible
Agencies/sectors withsupporting institutions(L)

DLG (MoHCA), DoR(MoWHS), MoIC, otherrelevant sectoral
agencies viz. Bhutan
Telecom Ltd. DoI,
Armed Forces, MFA.

8.1: Disaster Communication Network
Design andimplementation of adisaster communications
network

To review current capacities and draw up
a communication plan, obtain requisite
sanctions and put the communication
network in place in a phased manner.
To develop plans for inter-linking ofvarious administrative units with the
National Emergency Operations Centerwith a disaster fail-safe communication
network.
To establish telecom, wireless broadband
and satellite based communication
networks with sufficient redundancy in aphased manner within all administrative
units.
To develop standard operatingprocedures (SOPs)

50

Developing protocols for
emergency
communications

Protocols for dissemination of warning toadministrative units and communities.
To establish linkages with networks inneighboring countries and institutions forcommunication and dissemination
support.
To develop systems for masscommunications.

8.2: Emergency Transport Connectivity
Establish better transport
connectivity andtransportation
arrangements

To develop emergency transport systems
by taking into account in-country assets.
To plan creating alternate routes to multihazard and hazard-prone areas in aprioritized manner.
To establish protocols for logistics
support from neighboring countries.
To establish protocols with international
agencies [eg. UN Joint Logistics Center]for utilizing their logistical assets andcapacities.
To develop aerial modes of transportationand landing capacities.
To develop appropriate mechanisms andprotocols for securing international
assistance in mobilizing resources andmaterials during a crisis situation.

Traditional Modes ofcommunication andtransportation

To maintain database of existingmechanisms of communication andtransportation in hilly and inaccessible
areas in a region-specific manner.
Mapping of mule tracks and inventory ofmules and horses in gewogs.

51

(L)

DLG (MoHCA),
MoIC, DoR (MoWHS),
MFA and other relevant
agencies/ oganizations,
Civil Aviation andArmed Forces.

(M)

DLG (MoHCA)
DoR (MoWHS),
Dzongkhag, Dungkhag,
Gewog Administrations
and other concerned
agencies/sectors.

Integrating Cultural Heritage into Disaster Planning
Bhutan has experienced many natural disasters in the past. Several structures of historical and cultural
significance have been lost to fires, earthquakes, flash floods etc. One of most sacred temples, theTaktshang established in the 8th century A.D by Guru Rimpoche was completely destroyed by fire on 19
April, 1998. One of the oldest Dzongs in the country the Punakha Dzong has a long history and recurring
instances of earthquakes and fires. The fire accidents of 1780, 1789, 1802, 1831, 1849, 1897 and 1986
destroyed many historical documents and artifacts of great historic and religious significance. Similarly
Jakar Dzong in Bumthang and Drukgyel Dzong in Paro were destroyed by earthquake and fire of 1897 and1951 respectively. By their location along the downstream river valleys many important structures such as
the Dzongs, temples, and monasteries are at great risk. The 1994 Glacial Lake Outburst Flow (GLOF) of
the Lugge Tsho in Lunana region washed away some properties in Punakha and Wangdue. The historicDzongchung was partially washed away and the Punakha Dzong itself was put at high risk.
Many of the past disasters that have struck Bhutan have been of less destructive nature in terms of humancasualty and loss of properties. The people attribute this to their unwavering faith in the country’s powerfulprotective deities and their blessings which safeguard people and properties against such misfortunes.
All Dzongs, monasteries and other buildings housing arts, artifacts and other materials of cultural
importance must have a comprehensive disaster prevention, preparedness and response plan. Concerned
authorities and staff must be trained in mitigation, protection and recovery of the artifacts. A list of artifacts
available and prioritization of artifacts to be recovered along with location in case of a disaster must also be
maintained.
In times of disasters, it is the usual practice that emergency management commonly prioritize and focus onhumanitarian and other strategic concerns and cultural issues receive very little attention. Fundamentallysome degree of awareness and education must be imparted to generate support for such effort. Bureaucrats
and administrators should be adequately educated to initiate protection and conservation of culturalproperties from disasters.
The Department of Culture, Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs is responsible for safeguarding andconservation of Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage. An inventory of cultural properties should be followed by
activating mitigation and protection measures against disasters. It is essential to assure inclusion of cultural
heritage sites, structures, and monuments as well as museums, libraries, archives and their contents into
strategies that address mitigation, relief and preparedness at the national and local levels. Non-structural
mitigation measures is an important step in safeguarding many important artifacts located in the Dzongs,
museums and other store houses. For instance, a fire protection plan in all vulnerable structures should be
mandatory. Fire detection and response must be fast to be effective, such as less than 5 minutes for fireservice response. Water sprinkler systems as safe and reliable fire protection in Dzongs, monasteries,
archives, libraries must be installed. An important task ahead for the department will be to create a national
strategy for integrating cultural heritage into disaster planning, mitigation and relief, at local and national
levels in the context of regional and international cooperation.

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Chapter 4

Implementation Arrangements
It is considered essential to create a mechanism for supervising, monitoring and evaluating theefficacy and proper implementation of various disaster risk management programmes/schemes by
various sectors. A project proposal formulated by the Department of Local Governance or any
other sectoral initiative shall be examined by an Inter-Ministerial Task Force [a sub-group of the
National Committee for Disaster Management], constituted for a specific task/purpose, comprisingof the officials of the Ministries of Home and Cultural Affairs and Finance. The Hon’ble Lyonpo,
Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs shall Chair the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Task
Force and Hon’ble Lyonpo, Ministry of Finance shall be the Co-Chair.
The Inter-Ministerial Task Force shall be assisted by an independent Technical Advisory
Committee [consisting of experts from different fields’ viz. earthquake engineering, management,
finance, information management, technical experts etc.]. The Technical Advisory Committee
shall examine the proposals relating to risk reduction activities submitted for funding from the
National Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness Fund and report its recommendations directly to theInter-Ministerial Task Force/Steering Committee for approval/suitable modification/rejection of
the proposal. This will ensue objectivity in assessment and evaluation of all initiatives andactivities.
The Disaster Management Division (DMD) within the Department of Local Governance (DLG),MoHCA, shall provide guidance and direction on a regular basis for efficacious
execution/implementation of different initiatives. The division shall identify critical areas, needs
and gaps requiring specific attention and guide the programme implementation on a continuous
basis to ensure that the same meet their desired objectives.

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Annex 1: Institutional Profiles

1. DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINES (DGM)
The main roles of the Department of Geology and Mines under the Ministry of Trade and Industry include geologicalmapping, exploring mineral resources, providing engineering geological services, ensuring environment friendly
exploitation of economic mineral resources, and carrying out scientific studies and monitoring of natural hazards like
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), earthquakes and landslides which are prevalent in the Himalayan environment.
The Department also acts as crucial link between Bhutan and the geological organizations of other countries forexchange of information and technology.
The risk of GLOF has been a major threat in Bhutan. The glaciers in Bhutan are important water resources for hydropower generation, drinking, irrigation and other domestic uses but they are also a potential source of geo-hazards suchas rock fall, landslides and flashflood if preventive and mitigation measures are not in place. According to the recent
study carried out by the DGM in collaboration with International Center for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD), Nepal, there are 667 Glaciers and 2674 glacial lakes in Bhutan alone out of which 24 glacial lakes arepotentially dangerous. The study was done to monitor the GLOF events and hazards using GIS and satellite imagery
and also to establish early warning system to reduce GLOF hazards on lives and properties.
There is no documented evidence of past GLOF incidents in Bhutan except for the GLOF incident on 7th October 1994
from the partial burst of Luggi Tsho in eastern Lunana. This flood caused extensive damage to properties along
Punakha-Wangdi valley. The Dzongchung or small Dzong was partly destroyed.
The study by the DGM along with the Institute of Geology, University of Vienna, Austria warned of possible hazard
potential of combination of Raphstreng and Thorthormi Tsho which could result in more then two times the volume of1994 Luggi Tsho outburst. If this is true then the consequences can be very devastating.
Some elderly people still remember the flooding from GLOF in 1957, which affected Punakha-Wangdi valley
destroying part of the Punakha Dzong that was caused by the outburst of Tarina Tsho in Western Lunana.
The Himalayan region has been categorized as one of the seismically active zones in the world. During the past 100
years the region has witnessed four great earthquakes with M>8 that devastated the region bringing huge losses andmisery to millions of people. The Bhutan region on the other hand never experienced any major events.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by DGM
Due to the enormous threat posed by the glaciers and glacial lakes in Bhutan, the DGM with organizations in othercountries have so far carried out numerous studies to monitor the developments in the glacial lakes. They have also
provided some mitigation measures to minimize the impacts of possible GLOF.
In 1967, identification of potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Lunana region was carried out. The Geological Surveyof India carried out Aerial reconnaissance survey of the Lunana region. The Joint DGM and GSI conducted the
Lunana expedition in 1986. The expedition to Lunana by Indo-Bhutanese team to identify the causes and effects of1994 GLOF was conducted in 1995. The multi-disciplinary team from National Environment Commission, DGM,
Department of Roads and Bhutan Survey conducted an expedition to Roduphu glacial lake. The mitigation measuresfor Raphstreng Tsho were carried out in collaboration with the Government of India from 1996-1998. The Joint JapanBhutan project for Hazard Risk Assessment for GLOF was done in 1998. The Risk Assessment of Upe Tsho andTsokar Tsho at the source of Chamkhar chhu in Bumthang was conducted by the DGM in 1999. Finally in 1999-2001
a Joint Bhutan-Austria Project for the risk assessment of glaciers and glacial lakes was completed.
The Austrian Government also assisted Bhutan in monitoring and GLOF hazard analysis of Lunana for down stream
effects of Phochu.

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Apart from the many expeditions made to GLOF sources the DGM also monitor the developments in glaciers andglacial lakes through the use of satellite images, time series data and hardcopy maps. The DGM has also done acomprehensive Hazard Assessment of the Lunana glacial lakes and prepared a Hazard Zonation Plan for these lakes inorder to reduce the possible impacts on lives and properties in the event of a GLOF.
With regard to earthquake threat in Bhutan, the DGM is working closely with the University of Texas at El Paso andUniversity of Colorado to understand the earthquake and tectonic characteristic of Bhutan Himalayas. The
collaborative Project between DGM and UTEP resulted in training of one Bhutanese student in the field of earthquakeand exploration geophysics and another one in research on neo-tectonics of Bhutan region. The collaborative work
between DGM and UTEP installed 5 temporary seismic network stations for one-year period in January 2001 tounderstand the Seismicity of the country for the very first time. The preliminary results showed that over a six month
period the network recorded over 1600 tremors of which 642 were regional/local events.
The Department has been carrying out geological risk assessment along the national highway. They are preparing alandslide hazard map for the stretches already covered in their field work. On the Phuntsholing-Thimphu Highway
such studies were also carried with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. Inclinometer and piezometer had been
installed at Kharbandi slide to monitor the movement of the slide in collaboration with the Norwegian Government
Fund.
The collaborative work between the DGM and the University of Colorado at Boulder involved in understanding thetectonic and earthquake hazards using the GPS technology capable of measuring deformation rate up to +/- 3mm. This
deformation rate is the key to the size and damages of earthquake in Bhutan. Numerous GPS points were measured
during Oct-Nov 2003 along Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway, Punakha-Laya, and Bumthang-Zhemgang highway.
Besides, two permanent GPS stations were installed at Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology in Phuentsholing andThimphu to determine the convergence rate.
The Department is also carrying out a project through SDS fund on the slope stability and environment assessment incollaboration with ITC, Netherlands. In this project three batches of foresters and engineers were trained in the field ofengineering geology especially addressing the problems of slope stability and environment.
It has also been actively associated with the foundation studies for various infrastructural development and also risk
assessment. It has also been providing geotechnical advice and laboratory services to both the private and public
sectors.
The Department of Geology and Mines plans for the future are:•Proposals have been put up to set up a seismic network for the entire country.

•

Seismic hazard zonation map for the country will be prepared and the collection of information onseismic activity in the country is under process.

•Prepare land slide hazard zonation map for the country.

•

Based on regular monitoring of glacial lakes, suggest mitigatory measures and early warning systems forthe flood prone areas.

•

Continue to provide geotechnical services for infrastructure development and slope stability among othersubsurface stability related problems.

•Efforts shall be made to collaborate with ICIMOD, Katmandu and other institutions that are involved inmonitoring seismic activities and behavior in the Himalayas.

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2. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION (NEC)The National Environment Commission in Bhutan is one important agency which looks after the overall legislationand legal framework on environment sectors in Bhutan to ensure that the socio-economic development is consistent
with the ‘middle path’ of sustainable development. They have published the Environment Assessment Act in 2000 andmany other publications such as Environment Code of Practices and sectoral guidelines on environment which cover abroad spectrum of developmental activities like roads and highways, hydropower plants and transmission lines andother infrastructure constructions. Besides, the NEC also conducts research, monitoring and awareness onenvironment. It is also a focal point on various International conventions to which Bhutan is signatory.
Realizing the damage that can be caused by unplanned and uncontrolled development the Royal Government of
Bhutan has taken the “middle path” of sustainable development, in order to raise the living standards of the present
population without compromising the country’s cultural integrity, historical heritage or the quality of life for future
generations. Due to the strong exemplary environment practices in the nation, environment degradation is not a major
contributing factor to disasters in the country although at some point of time the pressure of economic development
may prove too great to maintain the fragile ecological balance. In early 1974 the National Assembly passed a strong
resolution mandating the country to maintain at least 60 percent of its total area under forest cover for all times tocome.
At the international level Bhutan is signatory to many regional and international conventions on environment such as
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity (UNCBD), Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES), World heritage Convention
and Basal Convention.
With regard to climate change, Bhutan stands out as one of the very few countries in the world with greenhouse gas
sequestration capacity which can be credited to its vast forest cover, limited industrialization and use of clean energy
sources. But global warming and climate change due to increased GHG production from human activities around theworld makes Bhutan vulnerable as climate change may disrupt the delicate balance of the mountain ecosystem. The
NEC is the focal agency for the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The adverse effects of climate change
will lead to variability in weather patterns, and threats of glacial lake outburst floods.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by NEC
The NEC has come up with many sectoral guidelines on environment assessment, air and water quality standards andother Environment Codes of Practice which take care of major environment degradation at the project implementationlevel. However the impacts of climate change will be felt in Bhutan due to increased Green House Gases (GHG)
generation around the world. The financial and technological constraints in Bhutan are a major obstacle to prepare
itself against the consequences of climate change.
Although global warming and climate change will affect all the countries, the least developed countries will beaffected the most due to lack of financial and technical resources to adapt to climate change. As a means to help the
LDCs adapt to climate change the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC started to help the LDCs prepare its National
Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) in its Seventh session in 2001.
The NEC is currently working on NAPA Project which is funded by the Global Environment Facility through UNDP.
The Project started in June 2004 and is expected to be completed by June 2006. During 2005, the project carried out anassessment of the possible impact of climate change on various sectors: health, agriculture, forest and biodiversity,
water and energy, infrastructure and disasters. Subsequently, a Plan of Action for Adaptation to Climate Change,
prioritizing immediate and urgent needs was developed by a multi-sectoral team, coordinated by the NEC. The Action
Plan includes the following nine projects of highest priority:
•
•
•
•
•

Disaster management strategy
Artificial lowering of Thorthomi Glacial Lake (GLOF)
Weather forecasting system to serve farmers and agriculture
Landslide management and flood prevention (Pilot scheme in critical areas)
Flood protection of downstream industrial and agricultural areas

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•
•
•
•

Rainwater harvesting
GLOF hazard zoning (pilot scheme-Chamkhar Chu basin)
Installation of Early Warning System on Pho Chu basin
Promoting community-based forest fire management and prevention

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3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DoE)The Department of Energy within the Ministry of Trade & Industry is responsible for the power sector policy,
planning & regulation. In addition, the Department is also responsible for generation, distribution, transmission,
investigation and implementation of various projects. The hydropower sector is the engine of socio-economic growth
in Bhutan. As of now, Bhutan exports about 75% of its electricity to India. Bhutan is endowed with a largehydropower potential of over 30,000 MW.
There are three major hydroelectric Projects in Bhutan:
1. Tala Hydroelectric ProjectThis project is scheduled for completion in the year 2005/2006 with an installed capacity of 1020 MW and anannual generation of 4865 Million Units. The project is financed by the Government of India with a financing
mix of bilateral assistance and soft loan. This project is the largest high-head (860m) power plant being
constructed in the region.
2. Kurichu Hydroelectric ProjectThis project was completed by 2002 with an installed capacity of 60 MW and an annual generation of 400
Million Units. It has started supplying power to six Dzongkhags in eastern Bhutan and two Dzongkhags insouth-central Bhutan. Surplus power is being exported to India through the 132 kV Gelephu-Salakati line.
The project is financed by a combination of bilateral assistance and soft loan from the Government of India.
3. Basochu Hydropower ProjectThis project has an installed capacity of 22.2 MW with an annual generation of 105 Million Units. This
project has helped to augment the generation supply in western Bhutan as well as improve the reliability of
power supply in the region. The Austrian Government under a financing mix of bilateral assistance and soft
loan finances the project.
In these power projects, the government is spending huge resources and the Department of Energy is well aware of thethreat posed by GLOF and floods. In order to cope with disasters such as GLOF and floods, the Department of Energy
has taken some important measures on flood and GLOF monitoring and early warning system.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by DoE
The Hydromet Services Division under the Department of Energy is responsible for Planning and Design of Hydromet Network for collection of Hydromet data required for hydropower planning, flood and weather forecasting as well
as for energy generation scheduling. They collect the Hydromet data and disseminate to the end users such as thehydropower plants and other agencies. They are also actively involved in flood warning and flood prevention
measures.
Presently the Hydromet Services Division has 10 Hydrological stations and 33 rainfall stations spread across thecountry. They also have one station in Thangza to monitor the glacial lakes.
The Hydromet Services Division of the DoE in collaboration with International Center for Integrated Mountain
development (ICIMOD) and World Metrological Organization (WMO) held a meeting in Thimphu to establish a flood
information network in the HKH (Hindu Kush Himalayan) region. It was felt that a regional information network
among countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and China would help them to be in a better position to manage
floods.
The various flood related activities coordinated/ carried out by the Department of Energy are:Flood Warning
The Department of Energy through the Flood Warning Section (FWS) aims to prevent disaster by issuing timely
warning for floods. This activity proved very beneficial by preventing major damage to the Kurichhu Project when58

Tsatichhu landslide dam burst on 10th July, 2004. The project authorities were able to open the gates to release flood
waters after receiving news of the lake burst over wireless from Ladrong, located opposite the lake.
The Flood Warning Section (FWS) is presently with the Hydro-met Services Division of the Department of Energy.
The FWS till its transfer to the Department of Power in 2002 functioned as Hydro-met Unit under the Department of
Telecom. The unit was transferred when the Department of Telecom was coporatised in January 2000 and renamed as
Flood Warning Section. The activities of the FWS are funded by the Government of India. Its primary function is totransmit river level data of the main rivers flowing to India for flood forecasting purposes. The stations on various
rivers are equipped with wireless sets and the river information transmitted to stations of Central Water Commission in
Cooch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Nalbari and Barpeta.
The flood warning activity is reviewed every six months through the Joint Expert Team (JET) meetings.
Representatives from the Government of India and the Royal Government meet alternatively in Bhutan and India toreview the flood warning network, approve budgets and address other issues of mutual concern. The delegation from
India is led by the Chief Engineer, Brahmaputra and Barak Basin of Central Water Commission while the Bhutanesedelegation is led by the Director General, Department of Energy. The funds for flood warning activity including
Lunana are projected yearly to the Royal Government.
GLOF Monitoring of Lunana Lakes
After the 1994 GLOF in October, the Royal Government had directed Bhutan Telecom to establish an early warning
system at Lunana. The FWS of the DoE continues with this function.
The Flood Warning Section has two personnel posted in Thanza to monitor water levels of Bey Tsho, Rapstreng Tsho,
Thorthormi Tsho and Lugge Tsho. The water level of the main stream formed by the four smaller streams flowing
from the lakes is also monitored daily. The operation of Thanza station is funded by the Royal Government. In case ofa lake outburst, a set procedure is in place to warn people living downstream. The charter of duties defines the
responsibilities of the various organizations and individuals.
Monitoring of glacial lakes in Bhutan is being undertaken by the Department of Geology and Mines (DGM). The FWS
considers placement of staff for early warning purposes only when the DoE is informed either by the DGM or theRoyal Government that there is a need to do so.
Tsatichhu Lake Mitigation and Warning Activity
The lake was formed on 10th September, 2003 after a massive landslide impounded the water of Tsatichhu stream.
This lake was formed at the border of Lhuentse and Mongar Dzongkhags. To reduce the danger posed downstream bya possible outburst, it was commanded to be breached. To look into the possibility of breaching, a multidisciplinary
team visited the site on 5-7 December, 2003. Given the volume of the dam body, the impoundment and the risk
assessed at that time, the team recommended that instead of breaching the dam, the lake be monitored during themonsoon of 2004.
The multidisciplinary team submitted a nine (9) point recommendations to mitigate and monitor the lake. The nine
point recommendations included geo-technical investigation works, lowering the lake level, construction of acableway, setting up of a flood warning station at Ladrong and establishment of hydro-meteorological stations. The
DoE was made responsible for coordinating the activities. As the works needed to be carried out urgently, fund wassought from the Royal Government for setting up the flood warning station, construction of a cable way, setting up
hydro-meteorological stations and carrying out geo-technical investigation works. The work of lowering the lake level
was entrusted to the Kurichhu Hydropower Corporation.
Due to heavy rain in May, 2004, a part of the dam body gave away, the approximate volume which slided was around8 million cubic meters. With this occurrence, personnel posted at the sites were more vigilant. A second wirelessstation was set up in Autsho to increase reliability in warning. The lake volume at that time was estimated at 12
million cubic meters.
The dam finally burst on 10th July, 2004.The discharge as estimated at Kurizampa was about 6000 cubic meters per
second. Only minimal damage was done to Kurichhu Hydropower Corporation due to timely receipt of flood warning.

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To assess if the dam still posed a risk, a team from the Department of Geology and Mines and the Department ofEnergy visited the site on 29th December 2004- 1st January 2005. The visit has confirmed that though the risk is
reduced, there may be potential of further floods. The Kurichhu Hydropower Corporation is working on reducing thelevels of both Tsatichhu and Wabragchhu to minimize the risk. These works will be completed by April 2005.

Bhutan- India Joint Group of Experts (JGE) on Flood Management
A joint group of experts on flood management has been formed between the Royal Government of Bhutan and theGovernment of India to discuss and assess the probable cause and effects of the recurring floods and erosion in thesouthern foothills of Bhutan adjoining the plains of India and recommend to both Governments, appropriate andmutually acceptable remedial measures.
The first meeting of the JGE was held in Thimphu/Phuntsholing from 1-5 November, 2004.The meeting decided on aset of flood mitigatory studies to be done by both Bhutanese and Indian experts. The fund for conducting the meetinghas been projected in the budget for the fiscal year 2005-2006. The fund for actual works would be known only after
the preparatory works are completed.
While it is not the responsibility of the DoE to undertake flood management, the Director General, DoE was asked tolead the team from the Royal Government for JGE. Every year floods are reported in different parts of Bhutan. The
year 2004 saw major floods in Trashigang and Trashiyangtse. The Department of Energy strongly recommends that
the Royal Government assign a body to take care of flood management so that preventive action is taken to mitigate
the risk of floods, that an agency of the Royal Government should be identified for overall management of water
resources.

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4. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (MoA)The Ministry of Agriculture plays an important role in increasing food production, raising rural income and improving
the livelihood of the nation’s large rural population while preserving the pristine natural environment and conserving
the rich natural resources of land, water, forests, flora and fauna for future generations. The Ministry also provides
crops, livestock and forestry services to the people.
The Water and Agriculture sectors are the most sensitive to climate change impacts due to increase in volume offloods and surface runoff. The occurrence of forest fire is also a frequent phenomenon in Bhutan where hundreds ofhectares of forested lands are destroyed and many wild animals killed. Agriculture, on which 85 % of the population
depends, is likely to suffer major losses due to high temperature, severe draught and changes in climatic patterns. At
other times it is the outbreak of pests and diseases. Given the small land holdings of most farmers in Bhutan and their
total dependence on agricultural products, any damage to their crops will make life difficult for them. The highbiodiversity concentration in Bhutan is also threatened by the synergistic effects of climate change and habitat
fragmentation due to rapid urbanization.
Just in the 2004 Monsoon 350 metric tonnes of maize, 126 metric tonnes of paddy and 21 metric tonnes of potatoes
were lost in the 6 eastern Dzongkhags of Bhutan due to floods, flashflood and landslides although emergency situationsuch as out break of diseases or severe food shortages did not occur in any of the affected areas. The vulnerable peoplein Duksum, Tashiyangtse were evacuated to a safer site and the Royal Government provided food and other essentials.
Agriculture related disasters are usually confined to local levels and nation wide disasters have not yet occurred in
Bhutan.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by MoA
Crops
When there is an outbreak of pests and diseases in the agricultural fields, the Department of Agriculture provides
technical expertise and provides measures to control the outbreak. If the situation becomes worse and if there is severe
food shortages then the Department also provides direct food aid to the affected group of people for a limited duration
as a temporary measure. The Dzongkhags also provide small amounts of free inputs such as seeds and fertilizers to theaffected farmers. To protect the livelihood of farmers the idea of crop insurance has been raised in the past but it has
not materialized till date. This is an important concern which should be taken seriously.
Forest fire
During a forest fire, there is no comprehensive management plan to respond to fire disaster. The usual practice is thatthe community and government servants help to control the situation and try to save lives and properties at the most.
The government also investigates the causes of fire and if anyone is convicted of intentionally setting the forest on fire
he or she faces severe punishment.
Irrigation channels
Irrigation systems in Bhutan are relatively small. They are not a cause for concern if managed properly by the users.
However in combination with other factors such as excessive rainfall irrigation systems tend to cause considerable
damage. This is compounded by the fragile geo-physical conditions of the young Himalayan mountain system. The
problems are more acute along the southern belt where a combination of fragile terrain and heavy rainfall create
optimum conditions for natural disasters. Floods and landslides occur more frequently in the foothills. When an
irrigation system is damaged, the farmers try to repair it themselves using their own resources. However, when thedamage is beyond their means they seek government support.
The repairs of the damaged irrigation systems are usually carried out in the following year after obtaining
supplementary budget. The Department has also adopted the National Irrigation Policy where the farmers are
responsible for repairs and maintenance of irrigation channels.
River bank protection
Another important structure in agriculture is river bank protection. This is usually provided in the valley bottoms andthe southern foothills to prevent damage to the limited agriculture land, human lives and other properties. It consists ofgabion-crate walls stacked on top of each other. These walls afford protection for several years with standing normal
flood-level flows. However, during severe flooding they are damaged mainly due to toe failure. This is because the61river scours the base of the lower most crate leading to collapse of the upper layers. This is compounded by the poor
quality of wire materials and sub-standard workmanship.
Bank protection failure can lead to loss of life and property. Large tracts of fertile land along the river banks are
washed away annually resulting in irreparable damage to the lives of the affected farmers. Occasionally, even human
lives are lost when such events occur at night and people are caught unawares. Measures of redressal will be similar tothe others described above.
Farm roads and power-tiller tracts
Farm roads and power-tiller tracts are a recent introduction into the Bhutanese countryside. Farm roads are built on
contract and handed over to the communities. Power-tiller tracts are constructed by the farming communities
themselves with material and technical support from the Dzongkhags.
Roads constructions involve large amounts of earth movement in mostly steep terrain. Fragile environment and lessthan standard construction quality combine to cause damage along these roads. Although farmers are expected to carryout routine maintenance it does not happen. Minor damages are ignored which lead to larger problems usually
resulting in wash-outs. Such reports are routed through the GYT from where the same route can be followed.
Reporting protocol
When some form of disaster strikes any of the above, the farmers concerned will inform the Tshogpa, who is a GYT
member for that locality. The Tshogpa in turn will bring it to the attention of the Gup. The GYT will then submit areport to the Dzongkhag who will send an investigating team consisting of relevant sector staff and local
representatives. For crop damages the Extension Agent will assess the extent and cause of damage and file in a reportto the Dzongkhag. Based on the investigation report the Dzongkhag may arrange for relief measures if possible andreport to the Department of Local Governance (DLG) with a copy to Agriculture Ministry. The report will containestimates for compensation or repair of damaged structures.
The DLG will assess the problem and recommend for compensation as per government norms. The MoF shall arrange
to release funds accordingly. However in the event of outbreak of plant diseases and/ or small pests the Department ofAgriculture will deploy chemicals and technical expertise to control the problem.

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5. STANDARDS & QUALITY CONTROL AUTHORITY (SQCA)
The Standards and Quality Control Authority under the Ministry of Works & Human Settlement wasestablished in 2000 with the primary responsibility to develop standards and ensure quality in the public
infrastructure projects. Derived from the broad government instructions, the SQCA has set its long-term
vision as “Enabling development of technically superior quality public infrastructure, cost effective in its
construction and engage the state of the art technology”. The fact that major portion of Bhutan lies in oneof the most seismically active zones in the world is imposing a major threat to Bhutan. In order for Bhutan
to prevent and minimize the impacts of possible earthquakes, SQCA is executing a project to assess thevulnerability of buildings in the country and to come up with retrofitting recommendations.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by SQCA
Presently SQCA is implementing a project called “Thimphu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project”
funded by the UNDP as a preparatory assistance in the field of earthquake related disaster. The objectivesof the project are to:•Undertake vulnerability study of Thimphu valley & draft action plan for earthquake disastermanagement.

•

Carry out detailed seismic assessment for selected critical building in Thimphu valley and•

Build technical & human capacity for earthquake resistant construction.

Earthquakes do not kill people but the buildings and other infrastructures do in the event of an earthquake.
The basic objective of the project is to assess the vulnerability of buildings in Thimphu Valley and propose
recommendations and relevant retrofitting techniques for those buildings that are vulnerable.
The project includes the following major activities:
1.

Development of an earthquake scenario for Thimphu valley using RADUIS Methodology which
would assist to generate an earthquake risk management plan for Thimphu valley.

2.

Vulnerability Assessment of 15 critical Buildings in Thimphu valley to formulate scheme forretrofitting and strengthening of critical buildings. Buildings have been selected based on theirsocial importance, age, shape, size, purpose, alteration made etc.

3.

Document Methodology and tools for rapid vulnerability assessment of some most prevalentbuilding types to produce tools for conducting vulnerability assessment for large public buildings.

4.

Build technical in-house capacity for earthquake vulnerability assessment and earthquake resistantconstruction relevant to Bhutan.

5.

Produce awareness material on the project and earthquake resistant construction Technology andgood practices.

6.

Disseminate outputs related to the process and product of the project to strategic stakeholders at
different points during the project. Similar projects will be carried out in the all the cities andtowns in the country gradually.

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The Thimphu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project under the UNDP assistance is only the firstinitial step of a long-term objective of ensuring structural soundness of all the building in the country
against severe earthquake. Major tasks lie ahead for achieving this objective. According to the SQCA theimportant activities which are necessary to be carried out are:(i)

Conduct seismic study and develop a seismic zoning map for Bhutan. This has become very
crucial as Bhutan presently is taken to be in seismic zone V (the severest zone) based on theregional seismic information. This has considerable impact on design standards and the cost on
construction. This activity may overlap with earthquake geotechnical engineering which isunder the preview of Department of Geology & Mines and may require coordination.

(ii)

Review & revise code for seismic structural standards, based on the seismic zoning map.

(iii)

Additional technical and financial support to continue with similar project of Thimphu Valley
Earthquake Risk Management in other towns & cities.

(iv)

Technical & Human capacity building in the seismic assessment, design of retrofitting
techniques.

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6. DEPARTMENT OF ROADS (DoR)
The Department of Roads under the Ministry of Works & Human Settlement is responsible for planning,
execution and management of all road infrastructures development in Bhutan. So far Bhutan has only 3900
Km of road network. All district headquarters and some geogs are accessible by road. However many othergeogs and villages still rely on animal and head-load transport system.
There is an increasing need to expand road network in Bhutan to enhance the socio-economic status of therural communities as well as upgrade the existing road network to cope with increasing vehicular traffic.
The country’s fragile terrain, high ridges and deep gorges, scattered settlement and low population density
are some of the constraints which hinder the development of road network in Bhutan. Every monsoon,
there are many landslides, roadblocks and flashfloods in most parts of the country. Roads and bridges havebeen washed away and some damaged due to landslides and flashfloods. The Royal Government also
spends millions of Ngultrum in the monsoon damage restoration works such as rebuilding protection walls,
culverts, and drainage system and in some cases realignment of the entire road.
During the damage assessment of the 2004 Monsoon carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in theeastern Dzongkhags, it was found that a total of 22 bridges have been washed away or severely damaged.
Some farm roads and feeder roads were also badly damaged requiring high repair cost.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by DoR
The Department of Roads has been exploring the possibilities of better road construction and road corridor
planning techniques. Apart from the simple survey and construction of some permanent structures tomitigate the smaller landslides, DoR has adopted Environmentally Friendly Road Construction (EFRC)
techniques which include detailed geological and environment assessment studies to reduce the negative
impacts of road construction on society, economy and the environment.
The Environmentally Friendly Road Construction (EFRC) technique is, in principle, the translation of theenvironmental policy on road sector activities as governed by the Environmental Assessment Act-2000 and
the Environmental Code of Practice-April 2000. In simple terms, EFRC can be defined as the constructionof roads in such a manner that the damages caused to the socio-economic development and theenvironment is minimized to the extent possible.
The EFRC technique was introduced in Bhutan in 1999 with construction of 122 km feeder roads in 4
eastern Dzongkhags of Zhemgang, Lhuentse, Trashigang and Tashiyangtse under the Rural Access Project(RAP). The Project is funded by the World Bank, SNV and the RGoB. As a prelude to the introduction of
the EFRC technique, Environmental Code of Practice (ECOP) and Bio-engineering Manual weredeveloped. The engineers from DoR were trained on planning, surveying and designing of roads, andseveral workshops and seminars were conducted to familiarize the concerned stake holders on the newtechnique of road construction.
The RAP, on a project level, has the mandate to develop the EFRC method and to build the requisite
construction and maintenance capacity within DoR and other relevant agencies such as the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry Development Corporation Limited and at the Dzongkhag and at the community level.
During a mid-term review (MTR) of the project, some of the major findings of the MTR team were that the
EFRC technology was found well developed within the DoR and the project feels that DoR was competentenough to adopt the new technology. This could be replicated at the national level for all agencies involved
in different types of road construction. The EFRC technique was also appreciated by all stakeholders
including the private sectors and the project has shown encouraging results.

65

The following were identified as some of the main areas which require attention:•

Higher initial investment costs – Cost-estimates of a few roads which are under construction, haveshown that the initial investment cost on road construction by EFRC method is 25 to 30% higher
as compared to the conventional method. However, in the long run, the road constructed using
EFRC techniques is envisaged to be more economical owing to low routine maintenance andrecurrent costs as disturbance to the geology and environment of the road alignment is minimized
to the extent possible during the construction stage.

•

Considerable time is required to carry out planning, geo-technical, social, environmental studies
and survey and design.

•

Limited availability of appropriate construction equipment and planning tools such as maps ofdesired scale, etc.

Apart from introducing the EFRC technique in road construction, a Landslide Risk Assessment Project wasalso carried out in Mongar-Trashigang road, Sunkosh-Dagana road and Chukha-Damchu road. This was a
research project by the Scott Wilson Company and the project was funded by the Department ofInternational Development (DFID), UK. The Project aimed at developing rapid, low-cost methods oflandslide hazards and risk mapping based on the geological features, meteorological data and existinglandslides of these three locations so that there will be better landslide management and road corridor
planning in future. The main tools used in the project were GIS, Aerial photographs, seismic data, satellite
images, land use maps and topography maps. The Project covered a total area of 80,000 hectares during
which more than 500 landslide zones have been identified in these three pilot areas.

66

7. DEPARTMENT OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING SERVICES
Rapid developmental activities and urbanization within the last decade has led to an unprecedented boom
and mushrooming of urban infrastructures, of which buildings, both commercial and residential, are themost prominent. Thus the need for a local authority to manage, regulate and monitor the otherwise chaotic
and precarious approach to construction of such buildings was deemed indispensable. The urban centers
usually consist of high population density and if disaster such as fire, earthquakes, floods and landslides
occur, the number of casualties can be very high.
The Municipal Corporations thus established in the various cities and towns of the country now play a very
instrumental and vital role in disaster prevention and to some extent disaster management. There are two
major cities in Bhutan, Thimphu and Phuentsholing. There are also many other satellite towns coming up in
many other parts of the country. The approach adopted by these municipalities presently, in disastermanagement is predominantly proactive in nature rather than reactive. Great care is taken to avoid disasters
but very little effort is made to respond to disasters.
Prior to the establishment of these municipalities, buildings were constructed mostly at the whims andfancies of their owners. The engineering and technical aspects of the buildings were given negligible
importance. The durability of the building and more importantly the safety of the occupants are seriously
jeopardized at the cost of economy and haste in construction.

Disaster Management Initiatives undertaken by DUDES
The municipalities are responsible for ensuing that the buildings meet the requirement for safety andstrength so as to avoid catastrophic damage to lives and properties in the event of a disaster.
With the establishment of the municipal corporations, strict rules and systems for enforcing the applicationof the various relevant building design and construction codes were initiated. Seismic design codes arestrictly adhered to while designing structures and special care and attention to details is given to structures
having immense community services and utility such as Hospitals, fire stations, schools, radio andcommunication stations etc. Since Bhutan can be possibly considered to fall under either of the two mosthighly vulnerable seismic zones IV and V the municipalities adopt the Indian Standard (IS) code provision
for Zone V while designing and assessing the buildings for approval.
Depending upon the soil condition and degree of vulnerability to certain kind of events (fire, landslides,
flood, storm, earthquake etc...) the Thimphu City Corporation has been categorized into zones which
determine the type and height of a building that can be built.
Anybody aspiring to construct a building should submit a complete set of drawings illustrating the type, thedetails of structural component, sewerage, plumbing and electrical wiring provision for the building, forscrutiny to the concerned section of the municipal corporation. The drawings have to comply with thetechnical norms and fulfill all the structural requirements to be approved for construction. A separate
division known as the Building Inspection Division functions under the municipal corporations. Thisdivision performs both regular and surprise sporadic inspection to the construction sites to ensure that thebuildings are being constructed as per the approved drawings and norms.
In its attempt to safeguard the community against the possibilities of fire hazards the municipal
corporations plan and construct public foot path along the periphery and within the city to act as a fire line
in an event of fire outbreak. However fire safety designs and practices are not incorporated in particular atpresent. The municipal corporation and the fire division of the police in association with few otherorganizations are in the process of developing fire code and guidelines for Bhutan.
Monsoons at times can be very heavy and since most of the settlements in the country are located along theriver running through the valley, there is always the threat of flood and river water intrusion into the valley.

67

The municipal corporations initiate construction of river training works along the rivers likely to flood
during monsoon.
The Phuntsholing City Corporation (PCC) along with various organizations has devised a Disaster
Management Plan (DMP) for the city so that if emergency situation arises it would be able to respondquickly and appropriately to minimize the loss of lives and properties. The Disaster Management Plan
includes 4 “R’s” principles. They are:•

Reduction of disaster through physical strengthening of structures and facilities•

Readiness in preparing arrangements to cope with disaster•

Response to deal with the consequences of disaster and•Recovery from disasters to restore the city to its normal functioning.

They have formed a committee of ten members consisting of representatives from key organizations likely
to be involved in disaster management. The group have identified hazards likely to be faced by
Phuntsholing like flood, storm/ cyclone, landslide, earthquake etc. and given likeliness of occurrence likehigh or low.

68

8. DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL SERVICES (DMS)The Department of Medical Services under the Ministry of Health instituted the Emergency Medical
Services and developed an Emergency Medical Response to deal with outbreak of diseases in times ofdisasters. Under the broad area of Emergency Medical Services, 244 Emergency Medical Technicians(EMTs) and about 94 hospital based personnel for trauma care from among various categories of healthworkers were trained to back up the armed forces during the flushing out operation of the foreign militantsin December 2003.
During the process various coordinators at different levels and a supreme Joint Task Force at the national
level were formed and it still exists for activation at any time if need arises.
In November 2003 the policy on Emergency Medical Response was further refined as policy Directive on
Disaster Management and Internal Displacement. Their efforts will be mainly directed towards addressing
all types of trauma relating to both natural and manmade disasters such as earthquakes, flashfloods, landslides, road traffic accidents, occupational/ industrial injuries, blast injuries, etc. Hospitals along the
highways and Dzongkhags are being scaled up in terms of facilities for trauma care.
Trauma care is an extremely important area that needs to be initiated in a multi-sectoral approach. Womenand children who are the most vulnerable to trauma after a disaster also need to be represented.

69

9. DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET & ACCOUNTS (DBA)The Department of Budget & Accounts (DBA), Ministry of Finance, is the central agency for financial
management of the government. The DBA has linkages with all the budgetary agencies (Ministries,
Dzongkhags, Gewogs, Autonomous agencies) in the government.

Mandate & functions in relation to Disaster Risk Management (DRM)
The responsibility and functions of DBA in relation to DRM will be mainly on the aspects of financial
management. The functions are as follows.
1.
2.
3.

Making budget available for DRM as per the framework developed by the government(Proposals for budget for DRM should be put up by the responsible agencies).
Releasing fund to relevant agencies in respect of DRM through Letter of Credit (LC) Accountopened for the agencies with the Bank of Bhutan.
Making the agencies accountable for fund released through reporting of expenditures andsubmission of monthly accounts.

Note: The Department of Budget & Accounts has been bifurcated into two departments and will soon
function separately as Department of National Budget & the Department of Public Accounts. The above
functions will also be divided between the above.

70

10. BHUTAN TELECOM LTD. (BTLtd)
The Bhutan Telecom Limited (BTL) aims to provide high quality, affordable, reliable and integrated
telecommunication services to improve the quality of life of the people and also facilitate internal andexternal trade & commerce.
••••

Provide high quality, affordable & reliable telecommunication services to the people.
Enhance accessibility to telecommunications and its related services in the rural areas at affordable
prices.
Promote ICT (Information & Communications Technology) to reduce digital divide in the
country.
Provide customized services as per customer need.

Areas of involvement in Disaster Risk Management:
The BTL has the responsibilities in relation to disaster management:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Provide reliable telecommunication services in the Kingdom.
Formulate strategies to provide back up services, through Satellite link, and wireless network
should terrestrial link be disrupted by disaster.
Assist in establishing help desk hotlines.
Provide trainings for handling rescue operation communication equipments.
Assist in drawing up plans and equipment specifications for telecom related equipments to set up
disaster management telecommunication networks in the country.

7111. ROYAL BHUTAN POLICE (RBP)
The primary function of Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) is the prevention and detection of crime andmaintaining law and order in the country. It also provides fire and rescue services. During a disaster thefollowing will be the roles and responsibilities of the RBP.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Security of the scene and establishing effective cordon within the disaster zone.
Evacuation of casualties and rescue operation.
Evacuation of people from the affected area if situation demands.
Safeguarding properties from pilferage.
Control movement of people and traffic at the scene of disaster.
Maintaining law and order in the affected zone.
Dispatching Fire Services Teams for fire control and rescue.

Areas of involvement in Disaster Risk Management
1.
2.
3.
4.

Scene security and maintenance of law and order.
Fire control and rescue of trapped persons.
Establishment of full- fledged fire stations in the districts.
Capacity building for disaster response by establishing fire and rescue training facilities, HRD andmanpower, equipments and required infrastructure.

72

Annexure 2:
Disaster Management Plan- Phuentsholing City Corporation
The Phuntsholing City Corporation (PCC) along with various organizations has devised a
Disaster Management Plan (DMP) for the city so that if emergency situation arises it
would be able to respond quickly and appropriately to minimize the loss of lives andproperties. The Disaster Management Plan includes 4 “R’s” principles. They are:•

Reduction of disaster through physical strengthening of structures and facilities•

Readiness in preparing arrangements to cope with disaster•

Response to deal with the consequences of disaster and•Recovery from disasters to restore the city to its normal functioning.

They have formed a committee of ten members consisting of representatives from keyorganizations likely to be involved in disaster management. The group have identified
hazards likely to be faced by Phuntsholing like flood, storm/ cyclone, landslide,earthquake etc. and given likeliness of occurrence like high or low.

Given below is the Disaster Management Plan for Phuntsholing that the Disaster
Management Group has come up with, in brief:
Emergency Services and Lifeline Organizations in Phuntsholing
1. Urgent Emergency Needs• Fire Fighting• Rescue of casualties and people under fallen debris• First aid/ immediate injury treatment• Ambulance/ Evacuation to hospital• Dealing with loss to human life/ Identification of bodies

2. Less urgent/ long term needs• Evacuation of casualties to other hospitals• Water• Food supplies• Restoration of power• Temporary local shelters• Setting up camps in safe areas for evacuated people• Evacuation of public to camps• Welfare• Sanitation

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•
•

Health- prevention and control of diseases
Break down of law and order

Proposed Emergency Services in Phuntsholing
RBP- Fire Services
RBP- Search and Rescue
RBA- Emergency Shelter
Ambulance Services
Hospital/ Injuries
FCB- Food Supplies
Proposed Lifeline Organizations in Phuntsholing
Hospital/ Health
BPC
Telecom
PCC- Water supply/ Sewage disposal
DOR
RBP- Public protection
Fuel supplies
FCB- Food supplies

ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES
Organization Reports to: Liaises
with:Emergency
CentralAll
Control Centre Government(ECC)

Responsible for:
Coordination and control of
all operations

RBP

ECC
RBP H/Q

RBA

•
•
•

Search and Rescue
Law and Order
ProvideWalkie-Talkie
radios to all sections thatneed them

RBA

ECC
RBA H/Q

RBP•

Erect tents at PSA groundfor ECC, field hospitaland other facilities (10-12
tents)
Provide trained troops toact as stretcher bearers•

Equipments
neededWalki-Talki
radios, safety
equipments,
transport
facilities
Walki-Talki
radios, safety
and generalequipments
for Search &Rescue teams
WalkieTalkie radios
and Tents

74

Hospital

ECC

RSTA

•
•

RSTA

ECC

Hospital
RBA

•
•

DOR

ECC

DratshangMonk Body

ECC

BPC

ECC

•

Telecom

ECC

•

City
Corporation

ECC

•

•
Hospital•

Walki-Talki
First aid in the field
All medical treatment of radios, Firstaid kits, tents
casualties
and beds
Walki-Talki
Ambulance services
andTransporttoother radios
Transport
hospital
vehiclesClearance of all vital Walki-Talki
radios androads in the city
Identificationand Walki-Talki
radiosanddisposal of bodies
tents
Restoration of power to Walki-TalkiandHospital and other vital radios
tents
services
Restoration of telephone Walki-Talki
radiosandservices
tents
Restoration of water and Walki-Talki
sewage disposal facilities radios

75Annexure 3:
ORGANOGRAM A: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM AT THE CENTRE
His Majesty the King

His Majesty’s
Relief Fund

CabinetNational Committee on
Disaster Management

National Emergency
Operations Centre

Dzongkhags

Working Group ofConcerned Ministries

MoHCA

ThromdesNational Disaster
Mitigation &Preparedness Fund

Dungkhags

Gewogs76

The Cabinet• Chairperson: Prime Minister• Vice-Chairperson: Home Minister• Ministers from all Ministries as members
National Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness Fund
• Administered by MoHCA, DLG• Corpus of the fund to be decided by the Cabinet• Executed by NCDM
• To finance hazard-specific risk mitigation projects/schemes formulated at national
level by different sectors/Ministries• Finance similar projects developed by Dzongkhags, Geogs and Municipalities.
National Committee for Disaster Management• Chairperson: Ministers will function as the chairperson on a rotational basis.
• Vice-Chairperson: Home Minister• Secretaries from all Ministries as well as representatives of Dratshang Lhentshog
and Armed Forces as Members• Member Secretary: Director General, DLG
His Majesty’s Relief Fund
• Corpus of the fund to be decided by the Cabinet• Executed by NCDM
• Administered by MoHCA, DLG• To strengthen response capabilities at various administrative levels eg. Roads,
Police, Communication• To address speedy relief, recovery, rehabilitation & reconstruction
Working Groups of Ministries concerned• Every Ministry concerned may constitute sector-specific working groups to
implement various initiatives/meet sector-related response needs.
National Emergency Operation Centre• Provide disaster surveillance and warning systems 24 hrs x 7 x 365 days

Emergency Support Function (ESF)• Various Line Ministries/Agencies to have sectoral functional core teams’ viz.
Health, Police, Transport, Communication, Agriculture etc

77

ORGANOGRAM B: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM AT THE DZONGKHAG,DUNGKHAG, THROMDES & GEWOGS

Dzongkhag
Administration

Dzongkhag DM
Fund

National EOC

Dzongkhag DM
Committee

Dzongkhag EOC

Dzongkhag DM
Committee

Gewog DM
Committee

Thromde DM
Committee

Dzongkhag DM
Team

Dzongkhag DM
Team

Dzongkhag DM
Team

78

Dzongkhag Disaster Management Committee (DDMC)• Chairperson: Dzongda• Members: Representatives of line Ministries/ sectors including NGOs, Religious
bodies, Police, Army, Fire etc.

Dzongkhag Disaster Management Fund
• Dzongkhag level disaster management activities including mitigation,
preparedness and response• Funding sectoral schemes

Dzongkhag Emergency Operation Centre (EOC)• Monitoring and warning dissemination• It will be operational 24 hrs x 7 days

Gewog Disaster Management Committee• Chairperson: Gup• Representatives of relevant sectors, Tshogpas, Mangmis, Chupons as members.

Gewog Disaster Management Teams• Core teams of trained people in various facets of disaster response viz. Search &Rescue, First-aid, Shelter Management, Evacuation, and Communication etc.

Dungkhag Disaster Management Committee• Chairperson: Dungpa• Vice-Chairperson: GYT Chairman• Members: All Gups, representatives of relevant sectors, Tshogpas, Mangmis,
Chupons etc.
Thromdes to have similar committees and teams.

79

ORGANOGRAM C: IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM

National Committee forDisaster Management

Inter- Ministerial Task
Force

Disaster Management
Division, DLG,MoHCA

Technical Advisory
Committee

Inter-Ministerial Task force• Chairperson: Hon’ble Lyonpo, MoHCA• Co-Chair: Hon’ble Lyonpo, Ministry of Finance• Members: Officers from other relevant departments.
• DLG to act as the Secretariat for the Steering Committee

Technical Advisory Committee• To report directly to the Inter-Ministerial Task Force• Comprise of technical and subject or hazard-specific experts to provide expert
advice to the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on different sectoral initiatives
formulated and their desirability.

80

ORGANOGRAM D: RESPONSE MECHANISM
The Cabinet

National Committee forDisaster Management

DLG, MoHCA

Emergency Support
Functions

National EOC

Dzongkhag
EOC

ThromdeEOC

Dungkhag
EOC

Gewog
EOC

Dzongkhag
DMC

ThromdeDMC

Dungkhag
DMC

Gewog
DMC

Dzongkhag
DMT

ThromdeDMT

Dungkhag
DMT

Gewog
DMT

81

The Cabinet• To meet immediately in case of a disaster of national magnitude to assess thesituation, summon national resources, allocate money from Major Disaster Fundand if required, decide to seek international assistance and decide on appropriate
response measures.
National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM)• To oversee/supervise the effectiveness of response mechanisms, give directions toline Ministries/agencies, decide on the quantum of relief assistance, mobilizationof resources, provide regular inputs to the Cabinet and directions to Dzongkhags,
Dungkhags, Thromdes and Geogs etc.

Department of Local Governance, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs• To act as the nodal Ministry or Department for coordinating all disasters.
• To coordinate national response efforts during a major national disaster or aregion/ Dzongkhag/Geog specific disaster;• Give inputs to NCDM and the Cabinet about the situation; requisition required
assistance, resources, manpower from other Ministries/ Agencies; give directions
to local govt. authorities;• Overall supervision of the situation up to recovery and reconstruction.

Dzongkhag DM Committee (DDMC)• To provide SITREP to DLG/ NEOC; assess requirements; summon assistance;
mobilize own manpower/ resources; allocate Dzongkhag DM Fund; extend help
to Municipalities/ Gewogs; overall management etc.

82