Mr. PemaP
Thinley from Bhutann

DMannagement (DDDM),
I work forr the Deparrtment of Disaster
Ministry of Home and CulturalCAffaiirs of Bhutann as an Informmation
GInnformation SystemSand Commuunication Technology/ Geographic(ICT/GIS) Officer.
OI amm an ICT proofessional byy training, bu
ut alsohave experiience workinng with GIS technologiess because off theirbroad appliccations in thee field of disaaster managem
ment. I work in theResponse annd Relief Div
vision, whichh is responsibble for ensurinng theinstitution ofo effective diisaster responnse measures and early warning
systems in Bhutan and for buildingg local capaccity, especiallly forroperatiions.
search and rescue
Inspiredd by Japan's use of GIS technologies,t, remote sensing, and IC
CT for disasteer risk
reducction, I applieed to particippate in ADR
RC's 2014 Vissiting Researrcher Program
m. I am exciited towork with the othher three Visiiting Researcchers from Cambodia, Baangladesh, annd Iran. Durinng myg of Japan's systems for managing disasterstay, I would likee to focus onn studying thhe functioning
munications, emergencyeopperation centeers, and emerrgency
manaagement inforrmation, emerrgency commrespoonse, and wouuld like to takke informationn on best pracctices in thesee areas back tto my countryy.
Bhutan, like the rest of the world, has not beenn spared by thhe fury of nattural hazards and issusceeptible to manny disasters. Geo-physicalGly, Bhutan is located in onne of the mostt seismically active
zoness in the worldd. Given its location,
land as proven byy past seismic activities, eearthquakes area themost imminent haazard in Bhuutan, followeed by glaciall lake outburrst floods (GGLOF). In facct, theF threat is moremimmineent today thaan ever before due to thhe rapid increease in the earth'seGLOF
tempeerature causeed by global warming, annd the rapid retreat
rof its glaciers. Othher hazards su
uch aslandslides, flash flloods, windsttorms, and firres also frequuently occur, causingcsignificant losses of lifep
Theese seasonal hazards
hparticularly affectt people in ruural Bhutan, where subsistence
and property.
farmiing is prominnent. This iss why the government
gisi working ono mainstreaaming disasteer risk
reducction strategiees in all its developmentt activities anda in all asppects of sociioeconomic lifelinBhutaan.
Touchinng on the innstitutional seetup of disaaster manageement in Bhhutan, the Diisaster
Manaagement Division was a diivision underr the Departm
ment of Local Governmentt, in the Minisstry ofHomee and Culturaal Affairs, unntil the beginnning of the 10th Five YearYe Plan (20008). Until theen, allactiviities related tot disaster managementmw
wereimplem
mented on a reactiverbasiss. Recognizin
ng theimporrtance of an effective dissaster managgement systemm, the governnment of Bhhutan upgradeed thedivisiion to its currrent status as the Departm
ment of Disastter Managem
ment (DDM) inn 2008. Untill early
2013,, the departm
ment had beeen followingg the Nation
nal Disaster Risk Managgement Frammework

(NDRMF) as one of its main guiding principles in policy making and the planning of its disastermanagement programs and activities. The roles and responsibilities of the department became evenclearer with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act of Bhutan on 18 March 2013.