Blue Planet Prize Story

In 1972, the Third King passed away, and the young crown prince became king at the age of 16, the youngest monarch in the world at the time.

The Fourth King first worked on the modernization and growth of the country. At that time, many of the areas in Bhutan lacked basic infrastructure such as water and electricity, and there were only a few hospitals and schools. People in many areas of the country had to walk or ride mules to get around, and telecommunication services were lacking.

The Fourth King put significant effort into the modernization and growth of domestic agriculture and other industries, as well as water, electricity, and other infrastructure to improve people's quality of life. However, His Majesty was very careful to promote moderate modernization by seeking the best balance between old and modern lifestyles. This was because His Majesty wanted to preserve the traditions, culture, nature, and the environment of the country.

From childhood, the Fourth King was taught that a ruler should always prioritize the happiness of the people above all else. Because of this, he felt strongly that contributing to the people's well-being was his highest priority. His Majesty periodically visited the 20 districts of the country, meeting with people and representatives to discuss the priorities and development needs, while promoting sustainable development of the country.

The Fourth King also had political foresight. One of His Majesty's important achievements is the reduction of the King's powers. His Majesty believed that governance relying solely on one individual, the Monarch, was a weakness within the monarchy and needed to be changed. His Majesty implemented reforms in the early years of his reign to reduce the monarch's authority, transferring many of the rights held by the nation's monarch to the government, waiving the monarch's right to assign ministers, and setting a mandatory retirement age for the Monarch. The Forth King himself took the initiative to reduce the monarch's authority. Currently, the system of government in the Kingdom of Bhutan is a parliamentary democracy, and the king is no longer the head of the government. However, the King of Bhutan still maintains an important responsibility in guiding the country.

As we've seen, His Majesty, the Fourth King, brought about many achievements for the country. The biggest achievement, the one that attracted the most attention around the world, was the promotion of the philosophy of GNH.

2. Gross National Happiness (GNH)