Bhutan Glacier Inventory 2018
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Gross National Happiness Commission the Royal Government of Bhutan
STRATEGIC PROGRAMME FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE (SPCR) UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAMME FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE (PPCR) Climate-Resilient & Low-Carbon Sustainable Development Toward Maximizing the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS COMMISSION THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN FOREWORD The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) recognizes the devastating impact that climate change is having on Bhutan’s economy and our vulnerable communities and biosphere, and we are committed to address these challenges and opportunities through the 12th Five Year Plan (2018-2023). In this context, during the 2009 Conference of the Parties 15 (COP 15) in Copenhagen, RGoB pledged to remain a carbon-neutral country, and has successfully done so. This was reaffirmed at the COP 21 in Paris in 2015. Despite being a negative-emission Least Developed Country (LDC), Bhutan continues to restrain its socioeconomic development to maintain more than 71% of its geographical area under forest cover,1 and currently more than 50% of the total land area is formally under protected areas2, biological corridors and natural reserves. In fact, our constitutional mandate declares that at least 60% of Bhutan’s total land areas shall remain under forest cover at all times. This Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) represents a solid framework to build the climate- resilience of vulnerable sectors of the economy and at-risk communities across the country responding to the priorities of NDC. It also offers an integrated story line on Bhutan’s national -
Entomological Fieldwork Bhutan May-June 2017
Mission Report Entomological fieldwork Bhutan May-June 2017 Jan van Tol for C. Gielis, F.K. Gielis, W.F. Klein, J. van Tol & O. Vorst (the Netherlands), and Ch. Dorji, P. Dorji, T. Gyeltshen, T. Nidup & K. Wangdi (Bhutan) December 2017 Team Klein in Phuentshogthang From left to right: (standing) Thinley Gyeltshen, Phurpa Dorji, Cheten Dorji, Wim Klein, Oscar Vorst, Tshering Nidup; (sitting) Jan van Tol and Kuenzang Choeda. Internal report of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands December 2017 |2 Mission Report Entomological fieldwork Bhutan May-June 2017 Contents 1. Introduction 1. Introduction .................................1 Three years ago, the National Biodiversity Centre 2. Participants and contacts ......................2 (Bhutan) and Naturalis Biodiversity Center signed 3. Itinerary, meetings ...........................3 a Memorandum of Understanding for scientific 4. Sampling stations ............................5 cooperation. An important partner for the scientific 5. Costs estimate, visa etc .......................17 and outreach activities was the Bhutan Trust Fund 6. Observations and suggestions for future for Environmental Conservation (Thimphu), which fieldwork ...................................19 provided a grant of USD 150,000 for the period 2014-2016. Although the grant ended by the end of Appendices 2016, but it was decided that further entomological fieldwork was needed, for instance to prepare for the 1. Photographs of localities aquatic insects .......21 next phase which will focus on applied entomology 2. Maps .......................................35 and water quality assessment. Costs of the Bhutanese 3. Permits .....................................41 counterparts for this fieldwork were covered by a grant 4. Memorandum of Understanding ..............49 of Naturalis. 5. Research proposal 2017 .......................55 We would like to thank for support our colleagues in Naturalis (Prof. -
Initial Environmental Examination: Bhutan, Wind Power Pilot Project
Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 42252 August 2010 BHU: Rural Renewable Energy Development Project Prepared by the Department of Energy, Government of Bhutan for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION FOR WIND POWER PILOT PROJECT IN BHUTAN Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................. vi 0.0 Executive Summary - Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)...................................... ii 0.1 Need for the Project ....................................................................................................... ii 0.2 Basic Objective .............................................................................................................. ii 0.3 Location of the Project ................................................................................................... ii 0.4 Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)......................................................................... ii 0.5 Category of Project ........................................................................................................ ii 0.6 Project Brief Details ...................................................................................................... -
TA-6598 BHU: Renewable Energy for Climate Resilience
Climate Risk and Adaptation Assessment TA-6598 BHU: Renewable Energy for Climate Resilience REPORT 222 CLIENT Asian Development Bank AUTHORS Dr Corjan Nolet Dr Arthur Lutz DATE April 2021 1 TA-6598 BHU: Renewable Energy for Climate Resilience Climate Risk and Adaptation Assessment FutureWater Report 222 Client Asian Development Bank Authors Dr Corjan Nolet – Remote Sensing and GIS expert ([email protected]) Dr Arthur Lutz – Senior Hydrologist & Climate Change Expert ([email protected]) Date April 2021 ADDRESS FutureWater B.V. Costerweg 1V 6702 AA Wageningen The Netherlands TELEPHONE +31 317 460 050 WEBSITE www.futurewater.eu 2 WEBSITE Executive Summary Bhutan's power sector almost exclusively relies on hydropower generation. Hydropower, however, is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters caused by climate change. The first deployment of non-hydro renewables at utility scale in Bhutan will be the first step to diversify the power generation portfolio, increase the resilience against severe weather events such as droughts, and complement the hydropower generation profile during the dry season. Other renewable energy resources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind can complement hydropower in forming a more diversified electricity generation portfolio, which is, in healthy mix, resilient to changes in seasonal weather patterns and weather extremes that can adversely affect power supply. For this project ADB develops 2 solar and one wind plant. The objectives of this Climate Risk and Adaptation assessment (CRA) are two-fold: 1) Validate the underlying rationale for diversification of Bhutan’s energy generation portfolio. The rationale is that more unreliable flows under climate change adversely affect the hydropower generation, in particular in the low flow season outside the monsoon season. -
Chapter 5 Spatial Pattern and Environmental Conditions of Bhutan
The Project for Formulation of Comprehensive Development Plan for Bhutan 2030 Final Report CHAPTER 5 SPATIAL PATTERN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF BHUTAN 5.1 Existing Land Cover 5.1.1 Land Cover in 2010 Collected existing land cover data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) was generated by a supervised classification method using satellite images from ALOS AVNIR-2, acquired between 2006 and 2009. The collected land cover data can be broken down into 11 main classes and 15 sub-classes. A list and map of the land cover classes are shown below. Table 5.1.1 List of Land Cover Classes (1) Class Sub-Class Category Symbol Area (ha) % Forests Conifer Forest Fir Forest FCf 183,944 4.74 Mixed Conifer Forest FCm 614,545 15.85 Blue Pine Forest FCb 77,398 2.00 Chir Pine Forest FCc 107,353 2.77 Broadleaf Forest Broadleaf Forest FB 1,688,832 43.56 Broadleaf and Conifer Forest FBc 31,463 0.81 Shrubs - - SH 419,128 10.81 Meadows - - GP 157,238 4.06 Cultivated Chhuzhing Land - AC 31,127 0.80 Agricultural Land Kamzhing Land - AK 69,487 1.79 Horticultural Apple Orchard HA 2,039 0.05 Land Citrus Orchard HC 5,086 0.13 Areca Nut Plantation HAa 984 0.03 Cardamom Plantation HCo 3,398 0.09 Others HO 17 0.00 Built-Up Area - - BA 6,194 0.16 Non-Built Up Area - - NB 330 0.01 Snow Cover - - OS 299,339 7.72 Bare Areas Rocky Outcrops - RR 107,539 2.77 Scree - RS 23,263 0.60 Bare Soils - BS 27 0.00 Water Bodies Lakes - WL 4,751 0.12 Reservoirs - WRe 131 0.00 Rivers - WR 22,563 0.58 Marshy Areas - - MA 319 0.01 Degraded Areas Landslides - DL 6,999 0.18 -
Mr. Samdrup Dorji, DSLR
NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION BHUTAN “ Reducing Disaster Risks for a safe and Happy Bhutan” Samdrup Dorji, Survey Engineer Cadastral Information Division National Land Commission, BHUTAN Presentation Outline • Introduction • Hazards in Bhutan • Adaptation Measures • Major functions of Disaster Management Department. • Challenges • Conclusions Introduction Bhutan is a tiny Himalayan Kingdom with population of over 700,000 approximately. It covers about 340 km of the entire Himalaya. Geographic Location • It is situated in the eastern Himalayas between latitudes 26º40’ to 28º20’ N and longitudes 88º45’ to 92º7’ E. • Bordered by the Tibetan Plateau in the north and the Indian States of Sikkim in the west, West Bengal, and Assam in the south, and Arunachal Pradesh in the east Physical Features • Total land area = 38,394 sq. km. • The rugged mountainous terrain has elevation ranging from 150 m to 8000 m above sea level. • 20.5 % of the ttltotal ldland is 4000 meters above MSL and mostlycovered bysnow and ice throughout the year. • 3.3 % of the total land is covered by the glaciers. Tibetan Plateau Economy • Hydropower is the main economy in Bhutan • The hydropower projects are Chukha, Kurichu, Basachu, Tala Hydroelectricity, Punatsangchu I and II, Mangdechu, Chamkharchu, Kholongchu, Kuri – Gongri and Amochu • While some of the projects are already generating power, the others are under construction stage. • Bhutan has a vision to generate 10,000MW by 2020. Climate • Climate in Bhutan is dominated by a southwestern monsoon, which originates from -
Chakzampa Thangtong Gyalpo
Chakzampa Thangtong Gyalpo Architect, Philosopher and Iron Chain Bridge Builder Manfred Gerner Translated from German by Gregor Verhufen དཔལ་འག་ཞབ་འག་ི ེ་བ། Thangtong Gyalpo: Architect, Philosopher and Iron Chain Bridge Builder Copyright ©2007 the Centre for Bhutan Studies First Published: 2007 The Centre for Bhutan Studies PO Box No. 1111 Thimphu, Bhutan Tel: 975-2-321005, 321111 Fax: 975-2-321001 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt ISBN 99936-14-39-4 Cover photo: Statue of Drupthob Thangtong Gyalpo, believed to have been made by Drupthob himself, is housed in a private lhakhang of Tsheringmo, Pangkhar village, Ura, Bumthang. Photo by Karma Ura, 2007. Block print of Thangtong Gyalpo in title page by Lauf, 1972. To His Majesty, the Druk Gyalpo of the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan, the Bhutanese people and the Incarnation Line of Chakzampa Thangtong Gyalpo. ནད་མ་འོངམ་ལས་རིམ་ོ། ་མ་འོངམ་ལས་ཟམ། Appease the spirits before they turn foes Build a bridge before the river swells Contents Preface ......................................................................................i I. Biographical notes on Thangtong Gyalpo ...................... 1 The King of the Empty Plains.............................................................. 1 Tibet of his times.................................................................................... 6 Thangtong Gyalpo’s journeys to Bhutan ........................................... 8 Fragments from his life’s work.......................................................... 12 Incarnation lineage............................................................................. -
Annual Report (July 2018 to June 2019)
Annual Report (July 2018 to June 2019) NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN 2019 NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY 2019 1 2 NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY 2019 Annual Report (July 2018 to June 2019) NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN 2019 NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY 2019 3 4 NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY 2019 NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY 2019 5 Acronyms: 11 FYP Eleventh Five Year Plan 12 FYP Twelfth Five Year Plan AWLS Automatic Water Level Station AWS Automatic Weather Station DDM Department of Disaster Management DGM Department of Geology and Mines DGPC Druk Green Power Corporation DHMS Department of Hydro-met Services DIT Department of Information Technology DoLG Department of Local Governance EWS Early Warning System FWS Flood Warning Section GEF Global Environment Facility GLOF Glacier Lake Outburst Flood GoI Government of India HQ Head Quarter ICT Information Communication Technology JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency IFAS Integrated Flood Analysis System LDCF Least Developed Country Funding MD Meteorology Division MHPA Mangdechhu Hydropower Project Authority MoHCA Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs NEC National Environment Commission NWFWC National Weather Flood and Warning Centre OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer PCRD Planning, Coordination and Research Division PHPA-I Punatsangchhu Hydropower Project Authority- I PHPA-II Punatsangchhu Hydropower Project Authority- II RIMES Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System R&D Research and Development RCSC Royal Civil Service Commission RGoB Royal Government of Bhutan SOP Standard Operating Procedure UNDP United Nation Development Programmed WMO World Meteorological Organization NCHM National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology HSDRRP Hydro met Services and Disaster Resilience Regional Project WB World Bank WRF Weather Research and Forecast. -
An Ethnography of Pre-Buddhist Bon Religious Practices in Central Bhutan
Contested past, challenging future: an ethnography of pre-Buddhist Bon religious practices in central Bhutan Kelzang (Tingdzin) Tashi March 2020 A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The School of Archaeology and Anthropology The Australian National University © Copyright by Kelzang (Tingdzin) Tashi 2020 All Rights Reserved Declaration This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. Except where due reference is made in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author. ——————————————— Kelzang (Tingdzin) Tashi March 2020 iii Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have come to fruition without the support and generosity of a number of people, who helped me at different stages of working on this four-year doctoral project. It is first and foremost to the people of Goleng that I owe a deep and lasting debt of gratitude for their kindness and hospitality during the period of 12-month fieldwork. They treated me as if I was one of their family members and tolerated my intrusion into their annual rites and everyday rituals which often took place in the face of difficult and serious situations. My sincere thanks to the village headman Ugyen Penjore who introduced me to Tsultrim Wangmo and her brilliant son Sangay Dorji. She was the first Golengpa to welcome me to her house and subsequently became my generous host, while her son helped me as a long-term research assistant before resuming his post-secondary studies. Thanks are also due to Dechen Wangdi, Kinzang Wangchuck, Jambay Tshering, Ugyen Dema, Jambay Kelzang, Tshering Dorji, Kinley Wangdi, Kinley Yangzom, Kinely Namgyal, Dorji, Nima Tshering, and Kunley for their contributions to this project. -
PPCR/SC.21/4 November 9, 2017 Meeting of the PPCR Sub-Committee Washington D.C
PPCR/SC.21/4 November 9, 2017 Meeting of the PPCR Sub-Committee Washington D.C. Tuesday, December 12 – Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Agenda Item 4 PPCR STRATEGIC PROGRAM FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR BHUTAN PROPOSED DECISION The PPCR Sub-Committee, having reviewed the document PPCR/SC.21/4, Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) for Bhutan [endorses] the SPCR. The Sub-Committee encourages the Government of Bhutan and the MDBs to actively seek resources from other bilateral or multilateral sources to fund further development and implementation of the projects foreseen in the strategic plan. Gross National Happiness Commission GNHC/DCD /WB-SPCR/ �� 4 Date: November 9, 2017 Ms. Mafalda Duarte Program Manager Climate Investment Funds Administrative Unit 1818 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Suh: Submission of Bhutan's Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR). Dear Madam, The Royal Government of Bhutan (R.GoB) is pleased to submit Bhutan's SPCR formulated through broad based and inclusive consultations. Bhutan's SPCR is prepared in recognition of the devastatingi mpact that climate change is having on Bhutan's economy and vulnerable communities despite Bhutan being a carbon negativeLeast Developed Country. The R.GoB has continued to demonstrate itscommitment to combat climate change by voluntarily pledging to remain carbon neutral in the 2009 COP 15 in Copenhagen. To meet this obligation, Bhutan continues to restrain its socioeconomic development by maintaining 70% of its geographical area under forest cover, and 50% of the total land area under protected areas. In fact, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan mandatesthe State to maintain at-least 60% of Bhutan's total land area under forest cover at all times. -
Bhutan Acknowledgments
Biodiversity Acon Plan 2009 Ministry of Agriculture Royal Government of Bhutan Acknowledgments The Ministry of Agriculture extends its deep appreciaon to all the organizaons, both within and outside government administraon, and the individuals within those organizaons for contribung informaon for the preparaon of this document. Special thanks go to all the members of the BAP 2009 Preparaon Team for their endeavor in producing a comprehensive and very informave document. We are also enormously grateful to the United Naons Development Programme for their financial support to the preparaon of this parcular document and for their long-standing and connuous assistance to Bhutan in pursuing environmentally sustainable development policies and programmes. Lastly, we sincerely thank all the people and organizaons who have allowed the use of their photographs in this document. Biodiversity Acon Plan 2009 Copyright © 2009 Naonal Biodiversity Centre Ministryy of Agricultureg Royal Government of Bhutan Post Box 875, Thimphu Consulng assistance: Norbu Samyul Consulng for Environment and Development Design & Layout : Tara Gurung & Singay Dorji Courtesy cover photographs : N Norbu, Sonam W Wang, Tshering Lhamtshok, Sangay Dorji, Ngawang Gyaltshen, Rinchen Yangzom, Nakul Cheri, Bruce Bunng and WWF Bhutan Programme. “Throughout the centuries, the Bhutanese have treasured their natural environment and have looked upon it as the source of all life. This traditional reverence for nature has delivered us into the twentieth century with our environment still richly intact. We wish to continue living in harmony with nature and to pass on this rich heritage to our future generations.” His Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck i © Nakul Chettri Foreword Over the past decades, loss of biodiversity has become a major global concern. -
Improving Adaptive Capacity and Resilience in Bhutan
Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change (2011) 16:515–533 DOI 10.1007/s11027-010-9277-3 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Improving adaptive capacity and resilience in Bhutan Harsha Meenawat & Benjamin K. Sovacool Received: 21 October 2010 /Accepted: 18 November 2010 / Published online: 2 December 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract Bhutan, a small least developed country in the Himalayan Mountains, faces five current climate change related vulnerabilities: landslides and flooding, deteriorating agricultural production, impoverished forests, worsening health security, and impaired hydroelectricity generation. The country is attempting to adapt to these challenges through two globally sponsored adaptation efforts. One is the “Reducing Climate Change-induced Risks and Vulnerabilities from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Punakha-Wangdue and Chamkhar Valleys” project, or GLOF, a $7.7 million project being funded by the Global Environment Facility, United Nations Development Program, and the government of Bhutan. Another is the GLOF Risk Reduction Project in the Himalayas, or GRRP, a $730,000 program funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). These projects offer great potential for improving infrastructural, institutional, and community resilience within Bhutan, but must also overcome a series of pernicious social, political, and economic challenges if they are to succeed. Keywords Bhutan . Adaptive capacity . Climate change adaptation . Resilience 1 Introduction The Himalayan range of mountains is greatly affected by climate change, the most noticeable consequence the accelerated melting of glaciers. As glaciers recede, supra-glacial lakes form which can contribute to the severe risk of uncontrollable flooding. With a geographic area smaller than Switzerland, Bhutan is home to 983 of these glaciers and 2,794 glacial lakes (Nayar 2009).