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Enhancing Thimphu City Resilience through Disaster Management Planning

Thimphu Thromde (City), Bhutan’s capital, is vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and fires. With the city’s continued growth and urbanization, and the resulting increase in population density and infrastructural developments, the risks from these hazards also grow, further compounded by the effects of changing climate patterns. Recognizing these challenges, the Thimphu Thromde Disaster Management and Contingency (TDMCP) has been developed by the Royal Government of Bhutan in 2016 to provide a proactive and systematic approach to disaster risk reduction and emergency management.

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Thimphu Thromde Mayor gracing the TDMCP inaugural session.

Recent developments saw the need to revise the TDCMP, in particular to align it with the updated National Coordination Mechanism and integrate the results of a new study, the Scenario-based Analysis of Earthquake Risk in Thimphu, conducted by Verisk Analytics in collaboration with the GeoHazards International (GHI). The plan revision was spearheaded by the Thimphu Thromde, Department of Local Governance & Disaster Management (DLGDM), and other relevant government agencies, with GHI providing technical assistance through the financial support of Verisk Analytics.


The new TDMCP is envisioned to provide a more comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable framework for reducing disaster risks and strengthening Thimphu Thromde’s resilience to multiple hazards. One feature of the revised TDMCP, in integrating the findings of the above-mentioned earthquake analysis, is the identification of safe earthquake evacuation centers, established through field investigations with the support of Thimphu Thromde Urban Planners.

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The revised Thimphu Thromde Disaster Management and Contingency Plan TDMCP (Cover)

The revision of the TDMCP was carried out through several rounds of consultations involving stakeholders from different government agencies and local representatives (Thuemis) of the seven wards (Demkhongs) under Thimphu Thromde. Throughout the process, efforts were made to raise awareness among these local representatives, enabling them to better understand the specific risks being faced by each Demkhong. The participatory consultations also helped the local representatives to map and identify their main challenges and gaps in preparing for emergencies, which served as guidance as each Demkhong prepared their action plan for the next 5 years to enhance their resilience to disasters.


In August 2025, the final TDMCP was presented to the Thromde Disaster Management Committee (TDMC), which then endorsed the TDMCP for implementation. The Thromde Mayor and Executive Secretary acknowledged the GHI and Verisk Analytics for the technical and financial support.


List of Partners Thimphu Thromde (City)


1. Department of Local Governance & Disaster Management

2. Department of Geology and Mines

3. Specialized Engineering Inno Tech Division, Department of Infrastructure

4. Building Resilience Division, Department of Human Settlement

5. Flood Engineering Management Division, Department of Human Settlement

6. Department of Forests and Park Services

7. Department of Public Health

8. Royal Bhutan Police

9. De-Suung



Funder: Verisk Analytics

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