The land of the Thunder Dragon is also known as Shangri-La which means the last reservoir of nature and all the mystery there is that most of the countries have lost to development. In the year 1972, the fourth king of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk declared that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product. The concept which seemed rather funny has been amazingly implemented and the concept is now a reality. The concept actually implies that progress and development should be carried out sustainably and must be balanced without harming the non-economic aspects of wellbeing. The country was a secluded kingdom without much interaction with the outer world and was isolated for much of the 20th century. It was mostly done to preserve the countrys heritage from being influenced by the western methods of living. The concept changed finally during 18970s when the first set of tourist was allowed inside Bhutan but under close check from the Bhutanese Government. Let us look at the general information about Bhutan you must know:
The Kingdom Of Bhutan
| POPULATION | 750,000 |
| AREA | 38,364 sq km |
| MAJOR LANGUAGE | Dzongkha |
| MAJOR RELIGIONS | Buddhism (official), Hinduism |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY | MEN: 66 yrs/ WOMEN: 70 yrs |
| CURRENCY | ngultrum |
Sustainable Changes along with GNH
Bhutan realized that changes are persistent for a country to prosper in terms of revenue which is important for a country to prosper. So, Bhutan has changed significantly from when it was secluded and was away from all other countries who were climbing the development chart by any possible ways without thinking about its impact on its nature. Bhutan has been very careful about its nature and its practices until today have proved a fantastic achievement which was once termed impossible. They have developed but not to the cost of its environment. The harmful items like tobacco and plastics are rightfully banned from Bhutan and they also have a law which ensures 60 % forest cover must be maintained at all time. They presently deal with the higher percentage of forest cover which is a prime reason for them being Carbon Negative. The concept of Gross National Happiness is based on careful study and research on these factors. The main factors for such calculations are:
- Psychological wellbeing
- Culture
- Education
- Health
- Time Use
- Good governance
- Community Vitality
- Ecological diversity and resilience
- Living standards
Bhutan GNH Ranking and Index:
Bhutan�s world happiness report
| Overall Score | 5.082 |
| GDP per capita | 0.796 |
| Social support | 1.335 |
| Healthy Life expectancy | 0.527 |
| Freedom to make life choices | 0.541 |
| Generosity | 0.364 |
| Perceptions of corruptions | 0.171 |
This score of Happiness Index is for the year 2018
There is a committee which is set up to evaluate the actual Happiness of their people periodically so that they can work on the drawbacks and improve. The main reason which makes Bhutan, the happiest country could be the following reasons:
1. They have a fast growing GDP
Bhutan has amazingly earned a consistent growth in its GDP and has been one of the fastest growing GDP in the world. The kingdom has successfully managed to allow India to invest heavily in their hydropower and they have also been managing their resources well. A country making money is sure to have happy people.
2. Limited stress on Materialistic
Here in the western world, people are very much inclined to materialistic possessions and their happiness are also attached to it. The Bhutanese under their King has followed a subtle way of life where materialism hasnt been led to flourishing to such an extent that the happiness gets attached to it. They have learned to live without shopping malls or popular global restaurants.
3. Buddhism way of life
The basic population of the country are mostly Buddhist and they have been trained right from their early age to live a path according to the teachings of Lord Buddha, who has always preached to be happy and the distractions, we need to avoid. The Bhutanese people have circled their life beautifully around their culture and Buddhist preaching. Lord Buddha had given up his worldly pleasures to live a life of contentment and that truly has been a driving force behind the happy people of Bhutan.
4. Bhutan is a beautiful place
Where you live affects you and when you are living among such beautiful valleys, rivers and natural beauty which is spread from the northern end to its southern borders, the people would enjoy waking up to the beautiful scenery around. Beautiful Bhutan is also sometimes compared to Switzerland, which is another beautiful country. When you live in such a beautiful place, your hearts are supposed to be beautiful too, which a key requirement to be happy.
5. Very less gap between the Royalty and the normal people
The king would be seen helping out with other rescue workers in times of flood and any other calamities. The king and the royal Queen have active participation in the affairs of the country and there is very less gap between them. This has helped Bhutan grow collectively, and also is one of the main reasons why high Developed countries can be richer but never as happy as the people of Bhutan
6. Carbon Negative and a clean environment
Bhutan is the only carbon negative country in the world and the high density of forest cover has ensured that the amount of pollution is tackled with a rightful number of green trees who have a huge role in maintaining a healthy environment. Their emission of harmful components of nature is very less when most of the developed countries are booming with huge mega structures but do not have the simple necessity of clean air to breath. Bhutan has so much to teach us and has been a great example for the greater nations of the world. The meaning of development have been used here in the best possible way and sustainability has been managed by a rightful King and his administration who check regularly and also measure the happiness of their people.
