Bhutan: Climate, Culture & Happiness – Global Issues
- Bhutan, a carbon-negative nation nestled in the Himalayas, is grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change. Despite its commitment to environmental preservation, the country faces challenges that...
- Finance Minister Lyonpo Lekey Dorji said that preparing for the future requires money Bhutan does not have.
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 12,000 people, many of them young, educated, and fluent in English, have left for Australia.
Bhutan faces a critical juncture, balancing its carbon-negative status with the harsh realities of climate change and outward migration. This article explores how Bhutan, a nation prioritizingGross National Happiness, is leveraging its culture, tradition, and innovative solutions like the Gelephu Mindfulness city to combat environmental threats and economic challenges. Discover how this Himalayan kingdom is adapting and implementing a national Adaptation Plan, while also focusing on renewable energy, and hydropower. News Directory 3 reports on Bhutan’s bold steps toward a sustainable future: their choices will shape the role they take on the global stage. Discover what’s next for this resilient nation.
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Bhutan’s Bold Bet: Climate, Culture, and Contentment
updated June 18, 2025
Bhutan, a carbon-negative nation nestled in the Himalayas, is grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change. Despite its commitment to environmental preservation, the country faces challenges that threaten its unique way of life.These climate-related events have already caused loss of life and damage.
Finance Minister Lyonpo Lekey Dorji said that preparing for the future requires money Bhutan does not have. Bhutan’s national Adaptation Plan is projected to cost nearly $14 billion. The country is also confronting an existential demographic crisis, driven by a wave of outward migration.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 12,000 people, many of them young, educated, and fluent in English, have left for Australia. Dorji said that today, 10 percent of the population has left. He added that most are from the working-age group and in all, some 30,000 Bhutanese have migrated in the last two decades.
To combat this brain drain, Bhutan’s Fifth King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, introduced the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a futuristic economic zone rooted in Bhutanese values. Rabsel Dorji, head of communications for the project, said it aims to attract and retain the working-age population by offering well-paid jobs, creating a place where advancement and wealth can co-exist alongside tradition and sacred values.
Even with modernization efforts, Bhutan’s culture remains a powerful form of resilience. Kinley dorji, a journalist and editor of the Druk Journal, said that nature is not something to be conquered, but something to be respected.He added that they emphasize the preservation of their culture—architecture and the arts, spiritual values, and dress code—to be different and look different.
hydropower, primarily sold to India, generates 14 percent of Bhutan’s GDP and over a quarter of government revenue. The country plans to harness an additional 20 GW of renewable energy by 2040, including 5 GW from solar. The finance minister said that they need huge investments for this to become a reality.
Bhutan reopened its borders post-COVID with a revised Sustainable Development Fee—$100 per night for foreign tourists and about $14 for Indian nationals—to make tourism more sustainable. Kinley Dorji said that the mountains are home of deities and they’re not meant to be conquered.
Bhutan’s quiet mindfulness, combined with progressive government policy, has embedded intergenerational climate justice into the national identity. Tshering Lhamo said that she is full of desires for things, but she also knows if she goes after them, it will destroy her.