Department of Disaster Management Safe, Resilient and Happy Bhutan
The use of space-based solutions and information has increased significantly in the field of disaster management at various stages. The rapid development in the field of space based technologies has been proven useful for the risk assessment, mitigation and preparedness phases of disaster management. So, in order to harness the power of space technology and to serve as a bridge to connect this Department and all the relevant agencies with the international space communities, the Department of Disaster Management received a UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Mission from 2nd – 6th June, 2014.
The mission assessed the existing use of space-based technology for disaster management and emergency response in Bhutan, identified potential areas where space-based technology and geospatial information could play a greater role, and will propose recommendations on how to improve use of space-based and geospatial technology to support disaster management activities. The programme will also assist in implementation of the recommendations with help of other UN agencies, ICIMOD and international/regional partners of UN-SPIDER.
As part of the mission, a one- day national workshop with the participation from all the relevant agencies was also held with the purpose of awareness generation and assessing the issues and challenges in the use of space-based technologies for carrying out the DRR related activities. A total of 35 participants from different agencies including the government, colleges, UN and non-governmental organizations attended the one-day workshop.