Water Resources Management

in Bhutan

G.Karma Chhopel

India

China

Nepal

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Area

38,394km2

Population

634,982 (2005)

Introduction

Altitude range from 100m–above 7500m above msl

State of Environment

High-level political commitment

60% forest cover for all times

Pristine Environment

72.5% forest cover

9% biological corridor

~50% protected area

High bio-diversity concentration

Conservation jewel of the Eastern

Himalayas

Flora and fauna

7500 vascular plants (82 are endemic)

>300 medicinal plants,

50 species rhododendron,

>40 species of orchids

770 sps of Birds (14 IUCN)

167 sps mammals (26 IUCN)

Biodiveristy - invertebrates

Rich biodiversity

Historical reasons; N-Thailand, N-

Myanmar, Yunan, Assam, etc.

Rhyacophila 34 sps, 32 in Nepal

Glossosomatidae 16 sps,

14 in Nepal

Epiophlebia laidlawi

Hydraena karmai

Water Resources

• Bhutan is endowed with rich perennial water resources due to its head water source fed with permanent glaciers & associated glacier lakes, vast forest coverage & recurrence monsoon

• Four major river basins are:

• Amochhu, Wangchhu, Punatsangchhu & Manas

• Major rivers flows North to South culminating into Indian plains

• 3 transboundary rivers: Amochhu, Kurichhu & Gamri

Amochhu

Wangchhu

Punatsangchhu

Manas

Major River Systems

Water Resources • Most promising hydropower potential sites are

located deep steep river reach in narrow valleys (30,000 MW)

• All most all the hydropower projects are run-of-the-schemes except few storage schemes in the foot hills

• Natural rivers/streams water quality is reported as excellent conditions expect at localized urban areas

• Deep groundwater is virtually unused in Bhutan; hydro-geological science is still at infancy

Characteristic National

Features

Value/Description

Long-term mean annual flow

for entire country

2,325 m3/s=73,000

million m3/year

Per capita mean annual flow

availability

109,000 m3

Per capita minimum flow

availability

20,000 m3

Water Resources in Bhutan

98% urban and 88% rural population has access to safe drinking water

Middle Path: National Environment Strategy

Agriculture Intensification

Hydropower

Industrialization

3 avenues to sustainable development

All the above are major users of water

Water Act : Guiding Elements

– Ensure conservation & protection &

sustainable management of Water Resources

– Grant equity in water allocation and use

– Respect traditional water rights if based on

equity and social justice

– Ensure licensing of water for commercial uses

– Be supported by secondary legislations

– Uphold international legal norms and

conventions

7th Session of the Parliament, 31 May 2011

Water Act 2011 7th Session of the Parliament, 31 May 2011

• Coordinate national IWRM

• Conduct inventory on water resources

• River Basin Management Plan (River basin

committees and WUAs)

• Set WQ standards

• Set minimum environmental flow

Challenges and consequences

• Unpredictable seasonality

• Accelerated melting of glaciers

• Extreme Climate: Higher incidence of

flooding and dry spells

• Reduction in over all river flows & water

shortages

• Drying of water sources & rivers

Challenges and consequences • Increasing demand from increasing

populations

• Unsustainable development of

hydropower

• Extinction of plant and animal species

• GLOF is another

serious threat

Adaptation measures

Green Roof

• Investing in alternative sources of energy (solar, wind,

biogas)

• Establish flood & weather forecasting and advance

warning systems

• Build check-dams & water reservoirs using natural

contours of riverbeds

• Promote rainwater harvesting & WSUD

Adaptation measures (contd..)

• Adopt drought resistant varieties of crops &

livestock

• Place more areas under parks and protected areas

• Protect watersheds and wetlands

Regional & National initiatives

• Bhutan Climate Summit for the Eastern

Himalayas Southern watershed

• Establish strong upstream-downstream

economic linkages (cost-benefit sharing)

• Establish an effective networking system for

information, data and technology

– Focal institutes for glaciology, hydrology, energy,

food security etc.

– Conduct inventory of water resources

Regional & National initiative

• Conservation of wetlands

• Improvement of irrigation systems

• Promoting rational use of irrigation water

• Control the spread of impervious ground cover that impedes the recharging of ground water resources

International support

• Funds and technology for mitigation and

adaptation measures

• Funds to develop sectoral rules and

regulations

• Technology/ knowledge transfer from

institutions such as MRC

• Support research & monitoring

programmes

Conclusion

• Events in HKH have global

consequences (social, economy,

ecology)

• Strong evidence of climate change

• Need to act now rather

than later

• Investing for the world

བཀ ྲིེན་ཆྲིེ་ལགས།