9-11 September, Thimphu, Bhutan

Tayba Buddha TamangSenior MeteorologistMeteorology Division

Department of Hydro Met ServicesMinistry of Economic Affairs

thabs7@gmail.com

Regional Workshop on Implementation of Weather and Climate-related Services in the

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Asia

BHUTAN Country Presentation

Outline of the presenttaion1. Introduction

2. Organizational Chart

3. Mission and Basic Info of Department of Hydro Met Services

4. Network of DHMS

5. GLOF EWS in Bhutan

6. Data Management

7. Strategies of DHMS

8. Prjoects with DHMS

9. DHMS service User and future plan

1. IntrodutionI. Basic Information of the Country:

• Total area - 38,394 Sq. Km

• Population - 634,982 (2010) projected

733,000 (2013)

• 79 % of population is farmer

• Altitude : 160 m to 7500 m above msl

• Forest Coverage: 70.5% - Policy is to

ensure at least 60% for all time

• Politic : Constitutional Monarchy since

2008• Gross National Happiness (GNH) –

Philosophy guide for the Socio Economic Development.

• Four pillars of GNH i. Sustainable and Equitable Socio-Economic

Development,ii. Conservation of the Environment,iii. Preservation and Promotion of Culture and iv. Good Governance.

ALPINE ZONE- Below freezing point- Permanent snow line

4800m to 7500m.

SUB ALPINE ZONE- Altitude 3000 - 4000m- Heavy Snow and frost in

winter. - Rain1000 -1500mm.- Temperature below 8°C.

TEMPERATE ZONE- Altitude 2000 - 3000m.- Winter temp 10°C. - Summer temp 24°C.- Rain 1500 - 2000mm.

SUB TROPICAL ZONE

- Altitude 150 - 2000 m- Winter temp 16°C- Summer temp 28°C- Rain above 2000mm

Climate Zone in Bhutan

Monsoon in Bhutanῆ Bhutan Climatic is generally dominated by monsoon winds

with dry winter and wet summer monsoon

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Monthly Average Rainfall 1998-2008

Month

Rai

nfal

l in

mm

DJF MAM JJAS ON

2% 20% 72% 6%

Disaster Risks in Bhutan

ῆ Rain varies with altitudeῆ Southern foothills vulnerable to

monsoon related disasterῆ Foothills = Fragile and prone to

landslides

ῆ Floodᾶ GLOFᾶ Flashfloodsᾶ Landslide Dam Outburst

Floodsῆ Landslidesῆ Wind storm – pre

monsoon and post monsoon

ῆ Epidemics, pests and diseases:

ῆ Earthquakesῆ Forest Firesῆ …………..

FloodsGLOF Flashfloods LDOFs

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Month

Disc

harg

e (m

3/s)

Flash Flood: Pasakha August 2000 Tsatichhi 2004

GLOF: Punakhtshangchhu October 1994

During rainy season - Young fragile geology and steep slopes prone to landslides.

Most landslides occur in the eastern and southern foothills.

Landslides frequently disrupt means of Transportation

Scores of landslides along the Thimphu Phuentsholing National Highway occurred every year during the monsoon,

Landslides

2. Organizational Chart

3. Mission and Basic Info of DHMS

VISION: Maintain and operate a functional hydro-meteorologicalÄnetwork to provide standard products and services for fulfill the national, regional and international requirements.

GOALS: Provide reliable hydro-meteorological information and services needed for various including weather & flood forecasting and warning .

OBJECTIVES: To provide an effective national source of hydro-meteorological data , service , andÄadviceÄto meet the needs of the general public, emergency services and other specialized users.

3. Mission and Basic Info of DHMS

Historic Developmentῆ1991- Under Bhutan Power System Master Plan project Hydro-met network covering the whole country was established.

ῆHydro-met network and data used primarily for hydropower planning activities.

ῆDec 2011 - Up-gradation of Hydro-met Services Division to a fully-fledged Department of Hydro-Met Services.

ῆMandated to provide reliable Weather & Climate data, accurate Weather & Flood Forecasting.

Network of DHMS1. METEOROLOGICAL SURFACE STATIONῆAgro Met Station ᾶ 20 (Manual)

ῆClimatology Station ᾶ 62 (Manual)

ῆAutomatic Station - 24

Daily measured parameter

Rainfall Temperature/Humidi

ty Wind

Sunshine duration

Soil Temperature

Evaporation

Daily measured parameter

Rainfall

Temperature/Humid

ity

Data Collection StatusῆManual Station (Class A & C)

ῆ Data recorded daily at 9 am ῆ Data sent monthly to head officeῆ Data available mostly from 1996 onwards

ῆAWSῆ Data recorded every 30 minutes interval in loggerῆ Also sent via GSM/GPRS to head office database

in realtime.ῆ Data available from 2011, 2012 and 2014

onwards

ῆData Sharingῆ Currently not connected to GTS

Network of DHMS cont..

2. HYDROLOGICAL Network : To study and understand water

Network of DHMS cont..

Network of Hydrological Station•Principal Station

16 •Secondary Station 10•Sediment Sampling Station

11•AWLS 5

Measurements•Gauge height – River Height•Discharge – volume of flow•Sediment load – slits and river load

Principle Stations, Secondary Stations, Lean flow measurement

Purpose•River trends•River level information•Flood forecasting

Hydrological Data StatusDate record :

ᾶ Principle Station: From 1991 till date ᾶ Secondary Station: From 1986 till

dateᾶ Sediment: From 1991 till date

Data observed: ᾶ Principal: Twice in a dayᾶ Secondary : Twice in a dayᾶ Sediment: Everyday for at least 20

days. ᾶ Automatic: Transmitted every 15/30

mins. to Head quarter.

Flood Warning Section• Gauge height• Discharge• Rainfall• HF Stations• Communication

High Frequency Wireless communication

Data Observation FWS

ῆ Date record : late 50s till date Data observed: ῆ Every hourly ᾶ Summerῆ Thrice a day at 8am,1pm &6pm- Winterῆ Twice a day at 9am & 6pm -

Water level

Rainfall

There are 28 Flood Warning Stations which monitor river levels across the country. The river level data and rainfall data thus collected are communicated through wireless VHF systems to India and Head Office.

Snow Station Glacier works

ῆ 10 snow manual station

ῆ Started since 2013

Collaborative Research inRinchen Zoe La area, Sephu CU & DHMS

Glacier Mass balance Study of a glacier in Chamkharchhu basin, NVE & DHMS

GLOF Early Warning System

ῆ Installed Punatsangchu River Basin

ῆ Basin = 13,263 sq.kmῆ Past GLOF = 7 Oct 1994ῆ Consists :

ᾶ 10 AWLS and AWS ᾶ 18 Sirens

ῆ Communicationᾶ Iridium Satellite

ῆ 24/7 control room monitoring

SOP and Information Dissemination flow chart

Database Management

HYDATA v4.2: Archive, HYDATA v4.2: Archive, Data AnalysisData AnalysisDatabase: HYDATA v4.1 is used as hydrological database as well as for data processing .

Hydrological Database

Database Management cont.

Climsoft: Climsoft: Archive, Quality Check, Data Archive, Quality Check, Data AnalysisAnalysis• Installed May 2014 through VCP WMO project.• 2 desktop and one Server• Expert from Kenya Met Service ᾶ Installation & Training.

Meteorological Database

DMS & CMS

ῆ Under construction HYCOS & FMI

ῆ Web based data sharing

ῆ Explore ability to communicate with Hydrology

and Meteorology database

ῆ Database for real time AWS and AWLS with QC

features

ῆ Carry out different statistical analysis

ῆ Climatic time series graphical display

Strategies of DHMSStrategies to be adopted to strengthen the hydrological and meteorological services:ῆMaintaining and upgrading the monitoring network, communication and data processing facilitiesῆEnsuring well managed hydro-meteorological and flood warning services network and database ;ῆDeveloping and facilitating easy access to database, resources and experts; Adopting scientific and rigorous methodology and putting in adequate resources for timely information and services for flood forecasting and warning.

Strategies cont.ῆ Promoting human resources development

and effective utilization of resources and use of ICT;

ῆ Working with the private sector to develop public-private partnership in hydro-meteorology;

ῆ Providing opportunities for staff to participate in international trainings, seminars and workshops in the field of hydro-meteorology;

ῆ Promoting and strengthening cooperation and collaboration with national, regional and international organizations;

ῆ Promoting research and development works on Hydro Meteorology within DHMS

Ongoing Project-DHMS

ῆ HKH HYCOS

ῆ NAPA II

ῆ JICA ᾶ EWS in Mangdechu and Chamkhar Basin

ῆ FMI

ῆ World Bank

ῆ STORM Project with SAARC

ῆ NVE

DHMS Current and Plan Service Users

SERVICES CURRENT PLAN

Historic/Climatic Data

1. Infrastructure and Hydro Power Planning and Development

2. Tourism for information to tourist on climate of Bhutan and regions

1. Alternative renewal Energy Development Planning (Wind & Solar)

2. Setting plan for annual and cumulative targets for cereal production for coming five years.

3. Provide info on the tourist off season climate of eastern Bhutan

4. Hazard zone mapping –Flood prone areas from rainfall, geographic and socio-economic data.

Weather Forecast

24 hours by Media 1. 72 hr Forecast for hydropower production estimations, Dam regulation

2. Agriculture-Planting and harvesting. 3. Tourism- plan and operate the

sectors (Trekking,Hiking & Site seeing)

4. Short Range forecast for Aviation + installation of Ceilometer & Doppler Radars.

DHMS Current and Plan Service Users cont.

SERVICES CURRENT PLAN

Extreme Weather & Flood Forecasting

Snow, Heavy Rain, Cyclone watch advisory to DDM, Agriculture and Media

1. EWS to be set up for Flood and hazard weather warning.

2. SOP with DDM and other stakeholder to be developed.

3. DDM and Health agency to plan for evacuation and rescue.

Monsoon Outlooks

Agriculture 1. Improve the Average yield of crops by adaptation to yearly variation in rainfall patterns.

2. Estimate the Hydro power production and plan accordingly

3. Farmer to plan and manage cropping pattern

Information from “Socio-Economic Study on Improved Hydro-Meteorological Services in the Kingdom of Bhutan ”, FMI & DHMS 2014

THANK YOU