Bhutan Battles Rising Waters in the Himalayan Foothills Phuentsholing, Bhutan

15K

PEOPlE hAVE ACCEss TO REClAIMEd lANd ThAT Is sAFE ANd sECURE

Inhabitants 27,658

GdP per capita $3,438

Geographic area 15.6 km²

ThE ChAllENGE

Located between the Himalayan foothills and Amochhu River, safe development space is at a premium in Phuentsholing.

CO-BENEFITs

Economic

The development provides new space for public services and commercial businesses, allowing the city to diversify its economy and provide employment opportunities for residents.

social

The township will be developed in an inclusive manner, with land allocated for social housing and infrastructure that is designed with gender-sensitive measures in mind.

Bhutan Battles rising Waters in the himalayan foothills

Four kilometers of flood protection river wall has opened up 66 hectares of new, safe land for Bhutan’s second-biggest city, located in a high-risk area of the himalayan mountains.

The Phuentsholing Township Development Project seeks to protect the city from increasing floods, riverbank erosion, and landslides, while also allowing for safe urban expansion to take place. New housing is often built precariously on steep hillsides and floodplains around the city, making residents vulnerable to natural hazards.

To address these challenges, the city is planning a number of developments to increase resiliency against floods and provide new areas for low-risk housing. Following a hydrological evaluation of the Amochhu river, the city was able to design a 4 km flood protection wall designed to protect against 100-year flood events. By installing the wall, 66 hectares of previously high-risk floodplain has been reclaimed for urban development.

As extra precautions for the new township in Phuentsholing, the city also raised the ground level, implemented extra drainage infrastructure, and is rolling out an early warning system for the whole city in case of extreme floods.

Funding for the $63 million project is provided in part by ADB in the form of a concessional loan and grant.

Bhutan’s busiest border city. Phuentsholing is located on the border with India in the Himalayan foothills of southern Bhutan (photo by Sonam Phuntsho).

Climate Action Plans and Inventories

The climate action sector presents a range of crosssector plans, initiatives, and long-term projects that cities are using to lower their carbon footprint, inform urban planning, and improve citizen health. Impacts of climate change will be felt for generations to come, so it is essential that cities adopt action plans that align current action with future goals, including the nationally determined contributions established under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Wuhan’s climate action plan. Wuhan is aiming to peak its emissions in 2022, 8 years ahead of the PRC’s national target. This type of action plan can help cities decouple emissions from economic growth in good time (photo by Tian Miao).