The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The World Bank’s recent sanction against the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) over integrity violations in the Bhutan Hydromet Services and Disaster Resilience Regional Project will not impact Bhutan’s ability to secure disaster preparedness funding, according to the Finance Minister, Lekey Dorji.
Lyonpo Lekey said, “RIMES, an intergovernmental institution that provides technical support for enhancing early warning systems, was sanctioned for replacing a key expert without obtaining prior approval from Bhutan during the implementation of the project.”
The Bhutan Hydromet Services and Disaster Resilience Regional Project, which ran from 2016 to 2021 with a total allocation of USD 2.69 million (mn), was funded through World Bank-administered trust grants. It aimed to strengthen Bhutan’s weather, climate, and hydrological services, as well as disaster risk management. The implementing agencies included the Department of Disaster Management, the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology, and the Department of Agriculture.
The World Bank’s Implementation Completion Report, issued on 21st January 2022, rated both the project’s outcome and the Bank’s performance as satisfactory. Importantly, the sanction applies solely to RIMES and does not implicate Bhutan’s implementing agencies.
Addressing concerns about potential funding disruptions, the Finance Minister said that Bhutan remains eligible for World Bank financing. Recently, the Royal Government signed the Bhutan Climate and Disaster Resilience Development Policy Financing with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) worth USD 40 mn, comprising USD 20 mn in credit and USD 20 mn in grants.
“This initiative will support Bhutan in strengthening its technical and institutional capacity to manage climate change risks, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks while ensuring immediate liquidity for disaster response,” he added.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining high standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all development-partner-financed projects. All such initiatives are implemented through a rigorous governance framework, ensuring fiduciary and procurement standards align with Bhutan’s institutional structure and international operational requirements.
