His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan：2. Gross National Happiness (GNH)

2. Gross National Happiness (GNH)

What is Gross National Happiness?

It was in the 1970s when His Majesty, the Fourth King began promoting the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). At that time, Gross National Product (GNP) was used as an index to show domestic economic strength and was considered to be an indicator of national affluence. However, the young monarch stated that GNH was more important than GNP in Bhutan and proposed that the national target should be the happiness of people and measured by GNH.

According to the philosophy of GNH, happiness is a natural instinct that can be achieved through mental and physical satisfaction within a peaceful and sustainable environment. GNH does not necessarily contradict economic growth. Economic growth is just one way to achieve the ultimate goal of national happiness. Rather than blindly promoting economic growth, it is important to achieve economic growth that enables citizens to be good in heart and mind while balancing development and environmental conservation. During his visit to Japan in 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Fifth King of Bhutan and the first son of the Fourth King, said, "GNH functions as a bridge between the need for economic growth and our basic values such as gentleness, fairness, and humanity." These words express the GNH philosophy well.

Four pillars and nine domains of GNH

How can a country make people happy? The reason the world has come to know about GNH is that it is not simply a slogan, but has steadily been developed and incorporated into Bhutan's national policies. The Constitution of Bhutan enacted in 2008, clearly states that the Government shall protect and strengthen the sovereignty of the Kingdom, provide good governance, and ensure the peace, security, well-being and happiness of the people. All policy decisions must be made in accordance with the philosophy of GNH and contribute to achieving its ultimate goal, which is the well-being and happiness of the people.

To create an environment in which people can pursue their happiness, four pillars have been established.

Four Pillars of GNH	Major Content
Sustainable and Equitable Socio-Economic Development	Economic growth and social development that provide direct benefits to all people and regions of the country, sustainable agriculture, tuition-free education, and the development of infrastructure such as building and maintaining roads
Environmental Conservation	Recognizing the importance of maintaining beautiful natural environment as a national treasure that contributes to a better life for the people, setting numerical goals for forest preservation, establishing a licensing system for tree trimming, and implementing a nation-wide prohibition of tobacco products
Preservation and Promotion of Culture	Preservation and succession of the tradition and culture of Bhutan, establishment of a dress code to encourage the wearing of traditional dress at official ceremonies, promotion of traditional building styles, and encouragement of strengthened bonds within the community and families
Good Governance	Respect for the dignity of people and promotion of open, participatory, and transparent political management, democratic elections, and decentralization

The four pillars of GNH are further classified into nine domains, including education, health, living standards, and use of time.

Nine Domains of GNH
1. Living Standards	6. Community Vitality
2. Health	7. Time Use
3. Education	8. Psychological Well-being
4. Environment	9. Good Governance
5.Cultural Resilience and Promotion

The philosophy of GNH has been used as an index to evaluate the degree of happiness in Bhutan. The GNH Centre Bhutan (GNHCB) conducts nationwide GNH surveys once every five years using a detailed questionnaire to ascertain how happy people feel, and the government takes the results into account when forming policies and development plans. According to the 2015 survey, more than 90% of the people answered "very happy" or "happy."

Photo credit: Tourism Council of Bhutan

3. Environmental Policies of Bhutan
and the Impact of Climate Change