April 9: The Resident Representative of UNDP Mr. Nicholas Rossellini, the Secretary of GNH Commission, Karma Tshiteem and the Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs Dasho Sonam Tshering signed a project document for addressing the adverse effects of climate change.

The project with a total budget outlay of US$ 7.5 million from Global Environment Facility, UNDP, the Austrian Government, and World Wildlife Fund will look at ways of reducing the threat of flooding.

The money will be used to improve the local and national capacity to address the adverse effects of climate change like glacial lake outburst floods, reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods from the Thorthomi Lake in Lunana, and establish an early warning system for the people of Punakha Wangdue valley.

The Thorthormi Lake in Lunana is considered one of the most critical glacial lakes. A large number of people in Punakha and Wangdue are vulnerable to glacial lake outburst flood from Thorthormi.

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.