BHUTAN, HAPPINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
By Alexandre Lee
With a population of just 770,000, it is easy to forget about the existence of Bhutan. But this hidden gem of a country is one which deserves international recognition for its innovation in development and environmentalism.
Gross National Happiness Index
Whilst the rest of the world was (and still is) desperately scrambling to bolster its GDP and other indices of economic growth, King Sigme Jingye Wangchuck had other ideas. In 1972, he introduced the term ‘Gross National Happiness’ (GNH) as a way to encourage more holistic development. He believed that economic growth was not the be-all and end-all for Bhutan, and that the well-being of the nation was equally important.
The GNH index is a measure of happiness which takes 33 factors concerning the well being of the nation. These components of national happiness can be grouped into 9 categories, or even more broadly, the ‘4 pillars’ of GNH. These are: sustainable & equitable socio-economic development, environmental conservation, good governance and preservation & promotion of culture.
The last GNH survey in Bhutan in 2015 reported that 91% of its citizens are at least somewhat happy (either ‘narrowly’, ‘extensively’ or ‘deeply’ happy). Only 7,000 of its citizens were surveyed, which could present some doubts as to whether these figures are accurate. However, other indicators such as access to free healthcare suggest that the citizens of Bhutan are indeed well looked after.
Bhutan’s approach to the environment
Bhutan is not alone in putting environmental conservation high on its agenda for national development, but it’s worth taking a closer look at the unique approach taken to the environment and the world-leading successes achieved by Bhutan.
As of now, Bhutan is the world’s only carbon negative country, meaning there is a net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To put this into context Guyana, which has a similar population to Bhutan, has aimed for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is also the case for other small nations with populations under 1 million. AlthoughGuyana may be ‘more economically developed’, this still goes to show how Bhutan is truly a pioneer when it comes to putting the environment first.
With 27,306km2 of forested land, Bhutan also boasts some of the greenest landscape in the world. In fact, Bhutan is the world’s 13th most forested country by percentage of total land area, beaten only by the likes of Suriname and Finland. This is partly due to the fact that Bhutan’s constitution states that ‘a minimum of sixty percent of Bhutan’s total land shall be maintained under forest cover’. Environmental conservation is not just recommended - it is integral to the character of Bhutan.
Back down to reality
Bhutan’s resounding success and humility when it comes to happiness and protecting the environment is certainly laudable, but it is equally important to remember that its circumstances aren’t achievable for the majority of nations. The lifestyle of citizens in Bhutan is drastically different to that of people here in the UK. In Bhutan, ¾ of citizens practice Vajrayana Buddhism. This ties in with a minimalistic, immaterial lifestyle which starkly contrasts with the way many countries around the world live. In addition to this, Bhutan is quite an economically poor country. The GNI per capita is a mere £2,970 and 8% of the population lives below the national poverty line. Whilst its citizens do find some rejoice in their simple and immaterial lifestyle, it is a lifestyle which citizens of the UK and of many other countries would struggle to adopt.
A lesson to be learnt
Bhutan’s circumstances may not be replicable around the world, and its low population and low levels of economic development certainly make sustainability much easier. However, nations all around the world could certainly take a page out of Bhutan’s book when it comes to valuing the welfare of the people and the environment.
Sources:
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/bhutan-population/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/01/bhutan-wealth-happiness-counts
http://www.gnhcentrebhutan.org/what-is-gnh/the-4-pillars-of-gnh/
https://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/2015-gnh-survey-report/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/04/unhappy-bhutan-joy-happiness-gdp