Bhutan

Reducing Climate Change-induced Risks and Vulnerabilities from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Punakha-Wangdi and Chamkhar Valleys

The most significant climate change impact in Bhutan is the formation of supra-glacial lakes due to the accelerated retreat of glaciers with increasing temperatures. The risk of potential costly economic damages on key development sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, and forestry by Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) is mounting. Climate change is attributed as the primary reason that water levels in glacial lakes approach dangerous thresholds. This poses a new dimension to the existing range of threats to lives, livelihoods, and development.

The objective of this project is the reduction of climate change-induced Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding (GLOF) risk in the Punakha-Wangdi and Chamkhar Valleys in Bhutan. The project will integrate climate risk projections into existing disaster risk management practices and implement corresponding capacity development measures. It will demonstrate practical measures to reduce climate change-induced GLOF risks from the potentially dangerous Thorthormi glacier lake, and facilitate replication of the respective lessons learned in other high-risk GLOF areas, both within and outside Bhutan. Complementary to this risk reduction effort, the project will ensure that early warning mechanisms for the Punakha-Wangdi Valley, which is currently not equipped to handle the full extent of potential GLOF risks, is expanded to incorporate coverage of this growing threat. Lessons learned from this initiative will enable up-scaling of early warning systems in other disaster-prone areas downstream of potentially hazardous glacier lakes.

The project objective will be achieve through the following outcomes

• Enabled central-level framework to enhance decentralized capacity for environmental management and implementation of the provisions of the 3 Rio Conventions
• Enabled decentralized institutional framework and personnel to enhance local environmental management, which include implementation of the Rio Conventions' provisions.
• Existing Environmental Information Management System enhanced to backstop national policy and decision making in response to global environmental management needs as per the provisions of the Rio Conventions.

UNDAF Outcome	5: By 2012, national capacity for environmental sustainability and disaster management strengthened.
CT Outcome	5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3
CT Output	5.2: National capacity far disaster and risk management strengthened.
Project Location	Central and Western Region
Project Duration	April 2008 - December 2012
Budget Outlay	US$ 4,245,050
Link to Workplan	Click on the icon to download