To create awareness on climate change and its hazardous risks, a two-day seminar on Climate Change-induced Risks and Vulnerabilities of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) was held in Wangdue Phodrang.
More than 60 officials including members of local government (LG) from Punakha, Wangdue and Gasa attended the seminar, which ended yesterday.
“It is difficult to sensitise and create awareness about climate change in all places by our centre alone. So, we thought it would be more convenient if we could sensitize and give awareness firstly to the LG officials so that they can further disseminate information to the general public,” said Phuntsho Namgyal, the Sr. Chief Engineer of the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM).
The NCHM also says the country is already experiencing climate change impacts and hydro-meteorological hazards with floods becoming more frequent due to rainfall and untimely monsoon. Likewise, windstorm has also become more severe and frequent. And people are faced with shortage of both drinking and irrigation water in the country.
During the seminar, the participants were briefed on the high risk of GLOF due to climate change. Officials say the risk of potential disaster by GLOF poses threat to lives, livelihood and development in the downstream. More than 70 per cent of settlements in Bhutan are along the river valleys.
The LG members said the seminar will benefit them while implementing the climate change reduction works in their respective gewogs.
“I found this seminar useful since about 50 per cent of my people resides along the river and need to know about it. From the meeting, we knew about the impacts and vulnerability of climate change. Also, the challenges of climate change. So, I will sensitise my public accordingly in the Gewog,” said Tshechu, the Dzomi Gup in Punakha.
“We haven’t created awareness on climate change and its risks to our people so far. But now after attending the meeting, we will be conducting awareness on what we know to the general people back in our chiwogs,” said Chencho Dorji, the Mangmi of Ruebesa in Wangdue.
According to the NCHM, there are eight automatic water level stations and 18 siren towers installed along the Phochhu-Mochhu River from Lunana to Punatsangchhu Hydropower Project constructions sites.
The seminar was organised by NCHM in collaboration with the Department of Local Government. It was funded by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
Changa Dorji
