Story Guide
How did you like the story of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan?
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[Target Audience: 10 years and older]
Quiz game!
Q1: What did His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, think was the most important? Choose one of the following three options.
Q2: What phrase do we use when the amount of CO2 absorbed by forests is greater than the amount of CO2 emitted by human activity? Choose one of the following three options.
Answers:
Q1: What did His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, think was the most important? Choose one of the following three options.
Answer: 2. The happiness of the nation's people
GNH stands for Gross National Happiness and indicates the level of happiness of people in the country. One of the four pillars of the GNH philosophy is environmental preservation.
As a major index of national economic strength, Gross National Product (GNP) was often used. Currently, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is more common. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, said that GNH was more important than GNP in Bhutan. Based on the idea that the true wealth of a country cannot be measured only by GNP or GDP, Bhutan prioritizes the happiness of people, and that has attracted global attention.
Q2: What phrase do we use when the amount of CO2 absorbed by forests is greater than the amount of CO2 emitted by human activity? Choose one of the following three options.
Answer: 3. Carbon negative
According to the formula, "CO2 emitted – CO2 absorbed = net emissions. "So if the amount of CO2 emitted is less than the amount of CO2 absorbed, the answer is a negative number and "carbon negative." Only three countries around the world have achieved carbon negativity; Bhutan, Panama in Central America, and Suriname in South America. Carbon neutrality is achieved when the amount of CO2 emitted and the amount absorbed are equal. This means that net emissions are regarded as zero. For this reason, it is also called net zero. The world now focuses on the achievement of carbon neutrality to address climate change.
Important points!
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an index proposed by His Majesty Jigme Syngye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, which measures the happiness of the people in the country. It is used as a central pillar for development plans and activities in Bhutan.
Bhutan has actively worked on environmental conservation, which is one of the four pillars of their GNH philosophy, and is one of the few countries that have achieved a carbon negative status.
More details!
Bhutan's Tourism Policy: High Value, Low Volume
Let's learn about Bhutan's tourism policy, 'High Value, Low Volume," which is designed to reduce negative influence on cultural landscapes and the natural environment.
Bhutan used to have a unique official fee system for tourists from abroad. The official fee per day for each tourist was between 200 and 290 USD (depending on the number of people and the time of year), which included a 65 USD per day sightseeing tax, accommodations, meals, and guides.
Tourism is an important source of foreign currency revenue in Bhutan. Furthermore, tourism in Bhutan is based on the principle of environmental conservation. The sightseeing tax allows Bhutan to earn foreign currency while reducing the risk to cultural landscapes and the natural environment by limiting the number of tourists. The Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) may be a significant burden for tourists; however, Bhutan provides a high-quality sightseeing experience for visitors from abroad. This is Bhutan's policy for tourism.
The temporary suspension of tourism due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 was lifted in September 2022. Following this, the government of Bhutan announced a change in the fee system. The official fee would be eliminated, but the 65 USD sightseeing tax would be increased to 200 USD per day as the SDF, and tourists would pay the cost of accommodation, meals and guides separately.
Bhutan's tourism policy has sought to retain the best balance between development and environmental conservation, and this has attracted global attention.