The Kingdom of Bhutan takes great pride in having been named as ‘the happiest country in Asia’ by Business Week. The landlocked nation, nestled between northern India and Southern China/Tibet, fights to maintain its traditional values and culture, feeling this preserves a lifestyle in harmony with nature and the spirits. Vigilant stewardship of the natural environment, home of the Bhutanese gods and spirits, is a part of this culture.
Yet the pristine and highly traditional culture of Bhutan may not last forever, despite the kingdom’s best intentions. Modern challenges to the country’s culture continue to emerge, and cautious acceptance of new technologies – Internet and television were permitted only in 1999 – have consequences that can’t be undone. While Bhutan is truly beautiful, it remains that way through a program of strict control and aggressive conservation that are admirable but not impervious to the shifting modern world. It all begs the question of whether or not the rugged mountains dotted with prayer flags and subtropical valleys will truly sustain themselves in years to come.
Strict Controls
The primary challenge for most countries seeking to preserve their natural environments and habitats often comes in the form of invading tourists. In this, Bhutan remains unique in the world by strictly limiting who can come in to the country. In 2010, a mere 27,196 people visited the country thanks to the government’s controls, a sharp contrast to the millions who visited the Southeast Asia region as a whole.
Tourist numbers are held down by royal decree. Though Bhutan had its first democratic-style elections in 2008, most of the country’s policies are set by the royal family in one capacity or another. Visitor information for the Kingdom of Bhutan refers to the government’s “very cautious” approach to tourism due to its potential negative effects on the environment, while at the same time describing the minimum capital requirements for visiting Bhutan.
A visitor to Bhutan must come in on an approved tourist package or by explicit government invitation. Independent travel is not allowed, though individuals with tour packages may come in, with a daily spending minimum of $200 in the low season and $250 in the high season. Small group travel (three or less) is encouraged.
Aggressive Conservation
Why travelers would tolerate such strict dictation of visit rules is simple enough to answer. Bhutan has been named as an outstanding eco-region and home of global biodiversity, playing host to more than 770 birds species, 5,400 plants, and a number of rare animals such as the Bengal tiger, dhole, barking deer, and sloth bear. The traditional culture, said to have been gifted to the country’s founder in a prophecy, is visible in traditional garb and unique customs that are another big incentive for visitors to comply with local regulations.
To preserve its attractive national habitat, the royal family has mandated that at least 60 percent of the country be maintained under forest cover, and 40 percent be designated as national parks or reserves. Nine percent of the country is set aside as biodiversity corridors. This commitment to ecology has been listed as a “set of concerns” that all other economic development in the country must respect and take into account. International environmental groups have praised the decision, with the World Tourism Organization showing particular support.
Human considerations are not entirely neglected in this, as the royal family is also concerned with maintaining Bhutan’s high Gross National Happiness level. Toward this end, the government is trying to link environmental projects with poverty alleviation and educational development initiatives. In this way, Bhutan hopes to balance conservation and protection with local prosperity, encouraging stewardship from the roots of society.
Limitations and Challenges
Despite considerable praise for its environmental commitments, the overall Bhutanese way of life that supports these commitments is subject to a number of significant limitations and challenges. This includes environmental degradation, economic factors, and political stability.
On the political front, Bhutan has maintained a largely isolationist nation when it comes to international affairs. However, it has a long-running border dispute with China that is heating up due to Chinese roadworks and building projects in disputed lands. The Chinese projects conflict with the environmental goals for the region and also serve to undercut national sovereignty. Increasingly deep incursions by Chinese troops and repeated conflicts have some analysts wondering if China has Tibet-like plans for the nation. India is particularly interested in this outcome, as Bhutan is a buffer nation between the two rivals.
Economic factors are another concern. The high value/low volume model of tourism has been struggling as tour operators undercut each other through rebates to international operators to win precious business. Local communities, which have been limited in their participation in tourist revenues, are demanding a bigger piece of the pie, particularly in communities where preservation limits the expansion of other industrial pursuits or agricultural expansion. Desires for more access to outside technologies to improve quality of life and ease hardship in the country also run contrary to the government’s “very cautious” approach to allowing in the outside.
Finally, environmental degradation is a top concern. Despite aggressive protection measures, habitat conflicts and soil erosion are major issues. The addition of parks and biodiversity corridors by decree has left agricultural communities and private property in direct conflict with wild animal zones, causing competition for resources and raising issues of safety for humans in protected zones for predators. Since 60 percent of the national economy is cottage industry production and subsistence farming, these conflicts have an extensive impact.
Jobs are being created in a number of recently announced hydropower projects, but these projects and the agricultural industry as a whole must fight soil erosion. The steep topography and rainy season contribute to ongoing issues with erosion, and the high altitude in much of the country prohibits deep root formation. As a result, heavy rains and shifts in waterways or irrigation systems have a deep impact, causing severe landslides and ruining land for both food production and environmental purposes.
Long-Term Outlook
What will the future bring to Bhutan? Stress around the seams of its environmental policies imply that there will be future concessions for economic growth, but the strong centralized government has the power to quell both dissent and rebellion against strict environmental controls. Visitors just see one slice. It’s an admittedly beautiful and rare one, but one that doesn’t always show the complexities of life under the country’s sustainability controls.
In the short run, it’s not likely that the situation in Bhutan will change. In the long run, the new democratic style elections are likely to expand, and economic pressures are going to rise as the population gets more of a taste for what they can see on the Internet and foreign TV. While Bhutan will probably always remain an environmental treasure, the percentage of the country set aside forever is likely to fall or shift slightly in location. As a result, those who don’t mind the strict rules and want to see aggressive conservation in action should make their journey to the happiest nation in Asia sooner rather than later.
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