Avoiding the Limits to Growth: Gross National Happiness in Bhutan as a Model for Sustainable Development

Brooks, Jeremy

doi:10.3390/su5093640

Cited by 61 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 43 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Bhutan has pursued a measure of Gross National Happiness since its eighth five-year plan in 1997 (Royal Government of Bhutan, 2014). While Bhutan remains less industrially advanced, and noting that many measures of well-being are difficult to quantify (Bates, 2009), the people of Bhutan do enjoy a sense of community, of belonging and of wellbeing (Brooks, 2013). This is the focus of the Deep Economy where human satisfaction and a restoration of local economies in close-knit communities take precedence over economic growth.…”

Section: Measuring Something Other Than Economic Output To Define a Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Sovereignty: The Case and the Space for Community Led Agricultural Autonomy within the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition

Burdock¹,

Ampt²

2017

JAS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Much has been written about food security, nutrition security and the ability of people to access their food needs. Food sovereignty and the associated ability of people to participate in the production, distribution and consumption decisions of their food have been at the fringe of this discussion. Linked with this is the debate on the question of pursuing policies of food self-sufficiency or policies of self-reliance where food imports are considered a natural extension of food security. Examining the elements of food security through the food system participation framework of food sovereignty is an opportunity worthy of further exploration. This paper seeks to add a dimension to the understanding of food security by considering the value that a food sovereignty perspective has on the right to access food that is nutritious and safe for consumption. Current themes are cited and reviewed, and the implications of both food security and food sovereignty perspectives for the food system are argued. Agricultural trade liberalisation has benefited some societies and harmed others. To this end, the Global Strategic Framework (the Framework) on Food Security and Nutrition has recently incorporated the philosophy of the food sovereignty movement into its guidelines. The Framework provides an opportunity to view food security through a lens of food sovereignty providing guidance for all societies on how to safeguard their food security.

show abstract

Section: Measuring Something Other Than Economic Output To Define a Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Sovereignty: The Case and the Space for Community Led Agricultural Autonomy within the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition

Burdock¹,

Ampt²

2017

JAS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bhutan is a small Buddhist kingdom, known for its gross domestic happiness (GDH) policy, where environmental protection and economic growth are equally prioritized, a sustainable development approach that is unique among developing nations (Brooks, , ). Bhutan had the second highest GDP/capita of any unit in our study (US$3110) and the second lowest forest‐loss rate (0.9%).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of ecotourism on forest loss in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot based on counterfactual analyses

Brandt

Radeloff

Allendorf

et al. 2019

Conservation Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecotourism is developing rapidly in biodiversity hotspots worldwide, but there is limited and mixed empirical evidence that ecotourism achieves positive biodiversity outcomes. We assessed whether ecotourism influenced forest loss rates and trajectories from 2000 to 2017 in Himalayan temperate forests. We compared forest loss in 15 ecotourism hubs with nonecotourism areas in 4 Himalayan countries. We used matching statistics to control for local‐level determinants of forest loss, for example, population density, market access, and topography. None of the ecotourism hubs was free of forest loss, and we found limited evidence that forest‐loss trajectories in ecotourism hubs were different from those in nonecotourism areas. In Nepal and Bhutan, differences in forest loss rates between ecotourism hubs and matched nonecotourism areas did not differ significantly, and the magnitude of the estimated effect was small. In India, where overall forest loss rates were the lowest of any country in our analysis, forest loss rates were higher in ecotourism hubs than in matched nonecotourism areas. In contrast, in China, where overall forest loss rates were highest, forest loss rates were lower in ecotourism hubs than where there was no ecotourism. Our results suggest that the success of ecotourism as a forest conservation strategy, as it is currently practiced in the Himalaya, is context dependent. In a region with high deforestation pressures, ecotourism may be a relatively environmentally friendly form of economic development relative to other development strategies. However, ecotourism may stimulate forest loss in regions where deforestation rates are low.

show abstract

“…These changes range from economic growth, increased engagement with international development processes and narratives, pressures on government to deliver material benefits in a newly formed democratic political system, and exposure to Western consumer lifestyles through television and social media, travel, education abroad, tourist interaction, advertising and other forms of cultural transmission (Hayden 2015: Walcott 2013. As a consequence, Bhutan has not been immune to capitalism, resulting in increased materialism and the emergences of a status-conscious consumer class with disposable income (Brooks 2013;Hayden 2015;Priesner 1999;Walcott 2011). Hence, in Bhutan, GNH exists side by side with the practice of GDP.…”

Section: Gnh As a Viable Degrowth Development Alternativementioning

confidence: 99%

Gross National Happiness: meaning, measure and degrowth in a living development alternative

Verma

2017

Journal of Political Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Narrow framings of development founded on GDP growth have led to multiple ecological, social and political-economic crises across the world that threaten the survival of humans and socio-ecologies. With the growing recognition that an expansionist trajectory is no longer viable, a burgeoning global discussion on degrowth has emerged. However, a limited number of living societal solutions exist in response the emergent crisis of over-consumption, deep inequality and resource depletion. The driving development philosophy of Gross National Happiness from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is a unique living alternative that challenges GDP metrics. With societal happiness as the primary lens for viewing human progress within planetary limits, GNH places socio-cultural, political-economic and spiritual-ecological wellbeing at the center of national development. Based on five years of research in Bhutan, the article discusses GNH as a holistic development alternative in relation to degrowth. It highlights the role of local insights, conceptual innovations, tested methodologies and policy experiences in constructing a unique society, as well as how GNH influences other nations and global debates. The article reflects on challenges that GNH faces in negotiating powerful forces of globalization, geopolitical shifts, climate change and skewed relations of power and privilege that influence scholarship, development and knowledge production. Keywords: Gross National Happiness, degrowth, holistic development, Bhutan RésuméDes cadrages étroits de développement fondés sur la croissance du PIB ont conduit à de plusieurs crises écologiques, sociales, politiques, et économiques à travers le monde qui menacent la survie des êtres humains et des socio-écologies. En reconnaissant qu'une trajectoire expansionniste ne soit plus viable, un débat mondial sur la décroissance est apparu. Cependant, un nombre limité de solutions sociales existent en réponse de la crise de surconsommation émergente, d'inégalités profondes, ainsi que de manque de ressources. La force dynamique de la philosophie de développement de l'indice du Bonheur National Brut (BNB) du Royaume Himalayen du Bhoutan est une alternative unique qui défie les métriques du PIB. En considérant le bonheur d'une société comme principal indice pour déterminer le progrès humain compris dans les limites planétaires, le BNB place le bien-être socio-culturel, politique, économique, spirituel, et écologique au centre du développement national. En se basant sur cinq ans des recherches réalisées au Bhoutan, l'article explore le BNB comme une alternative de développement holistique en ce qui concerne la décroissance. Le rôle des perspectives locales, des innovations conceptuelles, des méthodologies prouvées, et des expériences politiques dans la construction d'une société unique sont mis en évidence, ainsi que comment le BNB influence d'autres nations et des débats mondiaux. Cet article ResumenLos estrechos marcos de desarrollo basados en el crecimiento del PIB han llevado a múltip...

show abstract

Avoiding the Limits to Growth: Gross National Happiness in Bhutan as a Model for Sustainable Development

Cited by 61 publications

References 43 publications

Food Sovereignty: The Case and the Space for Community Led Agricultural Autonomy within the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition

Food Sovereignty: The Case and the Space for Community Led Agricultural Autonomy within the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition

Effects of ecotourism on forest loss in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot based on counterfactual analyses

Gross National Happiness: meaning, measure and degrowth in a living development alternative

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About