Bhutan Recovery and Reconstruction Project Progress Report

Bhutan Recovery and Reconstruction Project

Progress Report 2010

Bhutan Recovery and Reconstruction Project

1. Introduction

Bhutan experienced two major natural disasters in 2009. On May 25th and 26th 2009, cyclone Aila brought unprecedented rain which caused severe flooding in central and western Bhutan. This caused damage across 17 districts claiming 12 lives including 2 students and destroyed both government and private infrastructures such as houses, bridges, dzongs, chortens, agricultural land, hydro-projects. The total damage cost was estimated at Nu.719.111 million (USD 17million).

The eastern part of the country was again hit by a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on 21st September 2010, followed by several aftershocks. The earthquake left 12 people dead and 47 injured. A total of 4614 households were affected 12 districts leaving about 7290 people homeless. The most affected were the eastern Dzongkhags. The total damage and lost was estimated at Nu 2,501 million (USD 52 million) including both private and public properties as of 21st oct0ber 2009.

As a response to the communities and districts affected the Royal Government of Bhutan not only mobilized resource within the country but also sought external assistance. As a result, Bhutan Recovery and Reconstruction Project was instituted in October 2009 for the period of 2 years (2009-2011) entailing three broad outputs which are detailed below under project outputs. The project is being funded by UNDP-BCPR with support from CIDA, and the implementing responsibility lies with the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) under Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

The objectives of the project are to normalize (building back the affected communities) by restoring social and community services affected and regenerate their livelihood. In addition the project is also seeking to further strengthen response and recovery capacities during and after disasters.

2. Project Outputs

The three main components or outputs of the Bhutan Recovery and Reconstruction Project (BRRP) are as follows:

Output 1: Restoration of social and community services

Output 2: support community-based livelihood regeneration

Output 3: Strengthen capacities for response and recovery coordination through Technical assistance

3. Progress against outputs

Output 1: Restoration of social and community services

Activity 1.1: Support vital community service delivery infrastructure through recovery, restoration and reconstruction

In support of the restoration of social and community services damaged due to the floods and the earthquake, several community infrastructures in the most affected districts in eastern Bhutan were reconstructed or repaired with earthquake resistant features. Recovery needs and beneficiaries were identified in cooperation with district authorities in the affected districts.

The re-construction of Kheri Outreach Clinic in Tashigang district was completed, and restoration of Wombur and Gortsham Community Primary schools under Lhuentse district initiated.

In 2011, Mangkhar and Benshingmo Outreach Clinics and Tashigang hospital staff quarter under Tashigang district will be renovated.

Activity 1.2: Formulation of District Disaster Management Plan in one affected areas

Training of Trainers workshops for Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM TOT) were held in Trashi Yangtse, Lhuentse and Samdrup Jongkhar districts in 2010. A total of 100 district and block officials (20 women, 80 men) were trained as master trainers. As follow-up, the master trainers will conduct CBDRM trainings at Gewog level and Disaster Management Plana will be formulated in 2011. This will be carried out through government funding and as a priority under Trashi Yangtshe district.

In addition, a safe school program training was conducted in August 2010 at Trashigang Middle Secondary School. More than 90 teachers from different schools in Tashigang participated in the training.

Activity 1.3: Introduce climate change mitigation and adaptation measures into recovery and re-construction to improve the resilience of the gewog

826 solar lamps were purchased through open tendering, and 569 solar lamps were sent to Werringla Dungkhag under Mongar district. Werringla Dungkhag is situated 5 days official walking distance from the road head, and there is no electricity. 435 solar lamps were distributed to households in Gongdue and Silambue, while the remaining 144 lamps were distributed among institutions (schools, non-formal education centers, monasteries, and local administrations). The remaining 256 solar lamps will be distributed in 2011to locations in the eastern districts where there is no electricity.

Other climate resilience measures, such as plantations and water conservation techniques, were introduced on a pilot basis under the UNDP supported Regional Climate Risk Reduction project, and a large roll-out of improved stoves is expected to begin from 2011 under the UNDP-GEF-funded Sustainable Rural Biomass Energy project. These activities were therefore not taken up by the project.

Output 2: Support community-based livelihood regeneration

Activity 2.1 “Build back better” through skill development and training

Trainings on hazard-resistant construction techniques and promotion of appropriate buildings materials for construction artisans were conducted in February 2010 to promote safer construction practices and materials for reducing disaster risks. Equipment and training materials like cement, stone, and timber, were provided for the training. 50 district engineers, carpenters and masons and 310 masons and carpenters from the communities of the 6 eastern districts were trained on Earthquake Resilience Construction Techniques in line with the principle of “build back better”. Guidelines for Earthquake resistant construction and retrofitting for rural housing were also formulated, illustrated and translated in the national language. A press release on the training programme was published on 3 March 2011.

In 2011, additional trainings of masons and carpenters from the Royal Bhutan Army, training on retrofitting of stone masonry and timber engineering will be conducted. A database of all the people trained will be integrated in the Disaster Management Information System in 2011.

Activity 2.2: Activities for livelihood regeneration carried out in conjunction with other UNDP-assisted programs

Livelihood needs observation and assessment was carried out in 2 communities (Narang & Drametse) under Trashigang district. An additional livelihood needs assessment was conducted by UNDP in April 2010.

Two Jarong Kharso chortens (religious monuments) destroyed in the 2009 earthquake in Trashigang district were renovated by the communities with support from 9 masons and 1 supervisor. The repair and restoration was carried out through targeted cash for work programs to provide income support to 1,100 men from the affected communities. No women were involved in the reconstruction, since women are, as per cultural and religious customs, not allowed to take part in the construction of chortens.

Output 3: Strengthen capacities for response and recovery coordination through technical assistance

Activity 3.1.: Establish Recovery Coordination Mechanism

Several technical and resource working groups meetings and three national level stakeholder meetings on the National Recovery and Reconstruction Plan were conducted under the chairmanship of the Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs, and the final plan printed and disseminated.

A joint UN-RGoB lessons learnt workshop was conducted in June 2010 with more than 60 key stakeholders from different sectors, affected districts, the UN system in Bhutan, the Royal Bhutan Army and the media. The lessons learnt report will be finalized and disseminated in 2011, also including lessons learnt from more recent fire disasters. In order to enhance information sharing and coordination, a Disaster Management Information System was established under the Department of Disaster management for both the national and district levels.

Activity 3.2: Build national capacity on post- disaster needs assessments and recovery

To kick start the development of a post disaster needs assessment, a two day national stakeholder workshop on Joint Emergency Assessment Preparedness was conducted in Thimphu in June 2010 for more than 60 key stakeholders from different sectors, affected districts, the UN system in Bhutan, the Royal Bhutan Army and the media. 8 key sectors/clusters were identified for the post disaster assessment tool. During further consultations in November 2010, the Bhutan Disaster Assessment tool and mechanism was finalized consisting of a 72hour initial assessment template, multi-sector questionnaires for households and district administrations and standard operating procedures. Translation and printing of the tools, as well as training of trainers in the use of the tool will be carried out in 2011 for disaster management focal points at national and district levels. This activity is carried out through cost-sharing from UNICEF and the UNDP-Earthquake Response Coordination and Recovery project.

Activity 3.3.2: Develop response and preparedness capacities at national and local level

To enhance response capacity within the country, the Department of Disaster Management requested use of funds under this outcome to carry out a 12 days Comprehensive Search and Rescue (SAR) training. The training was conducted at Tashi Gatshel Police Training Centre in Chukha district in September 2010 for a total of 30 participants from the Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Royal Bhutan Army, representatives from Druk Green Power Corporation and Forestry Institutes. Cost-sharing for this training were provided from the UNDP-funded Regional Climate Risk Reduction Project (RCRRP).

Based on the urgent need to enhance search and rescue capacities, further provision of search and rescue equipment and trainings will be supported in 2011. The formulation of a National Contingency plan and guidelines

Bhutan’s International Conference on Disaster Management and Cultural Heritage held in Thimphu from 12-14 December 2010 with more than 153 participants from 24 countries was also supported. The conference addressed the linkages between disaster management and both tangible and intangible aspects of culture. The main outcome of the conference deliberations (“Thimphu document”) holds a set of universal principles and practical recommendations, which will assist governments and practitioners in drawing on synergies between Disaster Management and Cultural Heritage, while also strengthening national, regional and global disaster management frameworks. Among others, the expertise of Bhutan in this area can serve as an example and best practice for the rest of the world. The recommendations of the conference will be taken up at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction organized by UNISDR in Geneva in May 2011.

Project Management:

A project assistant was recruited to assist the project manager from the Department of Disaster Management with the implementation of the project.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

A monitoring field visit was conducted in relation to the CBDRM training in Trashi Yangtshe in November 2010. UNDP also monitored the progress during field visits, also related to other projects, conducted in July 2010 and November 2010.

4. Constraints, challenges and recommendations

· Project implementation faced delays, in particular in the first half of 2010, due to the dependence of the districts’ time and capacity to implement activities. Following discussions of a more realistic implementation plan between UNDP and the Department of Disaster Management, project implementation improved in the second half of 2010.

· Weak documentation and reporting culture in Bhutan makes it a challenge to ensure adequate reporting of activities implemented at the district level and through other departments. The Department of Disaster Management needs to ensure gender disaggregated data and enhance systematic reporting of activities through submission of training and work-completion reports. Frequent monitoring is a challenge due to the remoteness of many of the project sites in eastern Bhutan, however monitoring has been ensured through field visits of the Department of Disaster management in relation to CBDRM trainings and trainings in earthquake safe construction, as well as field visits of UNDP in relation to similar projects.

· Several adjustments to the overall budget and planned activities have been requested from the Department of Disaster Management throughout 2010 due to change in urgent priorities following the 2009 disasters. This has resulted in some degree of deviation from activities planned in the project document, however the activities carried out are all in line and contributing to the overall project outputs. It is recommended to conduct a project board meeting in the first quarter of 2011 to review the results achieved against the targets set in the project document, take stock of changes and provide guidance for the remaining project period.

5. Budget and expenditures

In 2010, cost-sharing funds were allocated to the project from the UN Delivering As One (DAO) funds and CIDA (Canadian dollars 50,000), in addition to the UNDP-BCPR project funds.

Quarter

Fund

Advances released US$

Expenditures reported US$

January - March 2010

BCPR

73,508.69

33,613.36

DAO

66,497.36

50,960.83

April - June 2010

BCPR

1,271.35

1,357.24

July - September 2010

BCPR

144,245.47

152,524.02

CIDA

45,018.00

36,618.00

October - December 2010

BCPR

15,164.30

29,129.59

CIDA

-

8,563.43

DAO

23,175.59

38,045.90

UNDP facilitation and administration

DAO

-

7,040.00

CIDA

-

3,151.00

Total UNDP-BCPR

BCPR

234,189.81

216,624.21

Total DAO

DAO

89,672.95

96,046.73

Total CIDA

CIDA

45,018.00

48,332.43

Grand TOTAL

All

368,880.76

361,003.37

DAO funds contributed to the Safe School program conducted for 90 teachers in Trashigang district, the Community Based Disaster Risk Management training of trainers in Trashi Yangtse, and the comprehensive search and rescue training conducted for 30 national key stakeholders from the government, Royal Bhutan police, Royal Bhutan Army and Body guards, and corporations.

The CIDA grant, in line with the agreement signed with CIDA, contributed to the restoration of health facilities, the Kheri outreach clinic in Trashigang district, under outcome 1, a targeted cash for work income-generating programme related to the restoration of 2 chortens income under outcome 2, and training of masons and carpenters and development of earthquake resistant construction techniques guidelines under outcome 3. Communication and HR were covered under the UNDP-BCPR contribution.

The CIDA-grant and DAO-funds were fully exhausted in 2010, while the balance funds from UNDP-BCPR have been budgeted for 2011.

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