Bhutan has significantly strengthened its capacity to monitor climate and disaster risks, but scientific data and early warnings will have limited value unless they are rapidly translated into decisions and action at the local level, according to the Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management (DLGDM).
Thinley Norbu, Chief Programme Officer with DLGDM, said Bhutan needs to strengthen the connection between scientific agencies, government institutions and communities as climate change reshapes the country’s disaster-risk landscape.
“Science must ultimately lead to action at the local level,” he said, stressing the importance of linking scientific evidence with governance and community preparedness. He was speaking at the second Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Parliamentarians’ Meet in Thimphu, where parliamentarians and experts from across the region discussed climate adaptation, disaster resilience, climate finance and the role of science in policymaking.
For Bhutan, the need to bridge science and local action is particularly important given the country’s terrain and settlement patterns. Bhutan’s elevation ranges from about 200 metres in the south to more than 7,000 metres in the north, resulting in significant variations in climate conditions and exposure to hazards.
Flash floods, landslides, erosion, windstorms and earthquakes remain among the major risks. About 70 percent of human settlements, infrastructure and agricultural areas are located along major river basins, according to DLGDM.
Changes in rainfall patterns, water regimes and river flows can therefore have consequences far beyond the immediate location of a hazard. Thinley Norbu said even relatively small changes in rainfall or river behaviour could produce impacts that exceed conventional expectations based on historical hazard patterns.
Bhutan’s scientific and monitoring capacity has expanded considerably since the devastating 1994 flood in the Punakha-Wangdue valley. The disaster caused loss of life and significant damage to livelihoods and property and became an important catalyst for strengthening flood monitoring and early-warning systems.
The National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) operates 22 principal hydrological stations, eight secondary stations and 45 automated water-level stations. The country also has a meteorological network comprising more than 20 stations.
However, increasing the number of monitoring stations and collecting more data does not, by itself, make communities safer according to Thinley Norbu. He illustrated the challenge through a simple chain of events: a monitoring station detects a rapidly rising river, the information is analysed and an official warning is issued. The effectiveness of the warning then depends on what happens next.
He further emphasized that authorities must also determine how traffic is managed and how critical infrastructure, including hydropower facilities and important cultural assets such as Punakha Dzong, can be protected.
“These decisions determine whether scientific information actually saves lives,” the discussion highlighted. This requires translating technical information into practical disaster-management plans, standard operating procedures, clearly defined institutional responsibilities and instructions that communities can understand and follow.
He described disaster preparedness as a chain beginning with observation and scientific analysis, followed by information dissemination, early warning, decision-making, local action and community response.
“If any link is broken here, the effectiveness of the whole system is distorted and reduced,” he said. Effective disaster preparedness also requires stronger coordination among agencies, both horizontally across government institutions and vertically between national agencies and local governments.
Residents often possess valuable knowledge about changes in their immediate environment that may not be immediately captured by formal monitoring systems. Farmers, for instance, may observe unusual river behaviour, changes in springs or new cracks appearing on slopes.
The second HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet in Thimphu brought together more than 50 parliamentarians, experts and representatives from five countries to discuss shared climate risks and ways to strengthen adaptation and resilience.
The meeting followed the inaugural HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2025. ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho said parliamentarians need access to scientific evidence when formulating laws and policies and deciding how resources should be allocated for climate action.
National Assembly MP Tashi Tenzin said parliamentarians have a direct responsibility in climate and disaster resilience because they make laws, approve budgets and exercise oversight over government actions.
The discussions acquired added urgency following the devastating flooding in Nepal’s Rasuwa district along the Nepal-China border.
Nidup Lhamo, Thimphu
