OneWorld.net (U.S.)

The environment and its management is a major part of Bhutan’s development plan, and one of the four pillars of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Bhutanese law requires 60 per cent of the country to remain under a green cover. Already, over a quarter of Bhutan’s land has been set aside in the form of protected areas.

The country which was the first one to come up with the concept of GNH as an alternative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the only example of a country that is pursuing its own development path. Bhutan is not being led by or influenced by the World Bank, the Cold War, western intellectual notions of statehood, or the force of rebellion against a colonial past. And so far it seems to be working fine.

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