Urbanization, carbon neutrality, and Gross National Happiness: Sustainable development pathways for Bhutan

Bhutan is a rapidly growing economy. Its commitment to carbon neutrality, as well as to Gross National Happiness (GNH) objectives, make Bhutan a fascinating laboratory for studying sustainable development strategies.

This study uses the framing of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from global climate change literature to develop a vision for a locally appropriate SSP for a sustainable Bhutan. Most of the settlements in Bhutan are located within steep-walled river valleys. These areas are vulnerable to climate impacts, and need well-planned strategies for both climate adaptation and mitigation. The proposed sustainable pathway for Bhutan (SSP1) outlines a future in which all basic social services are provided locally with more broadly balanced urbanization strategies, and emphasizes environmental values and ecosystem services as well as community well-being. SSP1 aims to harmonize all Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness domains.

Expected impact: these socioeconomic narratives are expected to be used for stakeholder engagements and policy discussions in multi-stakeholder governance processes with integrations of key sectoral science-based investigations

The scenarios were made in: 2019

The scenarios look out to:

Submitted by:

Miho Kamei
Project Leader
March 5, 2021

How to cite this page:

Miho Kamei
Urbanization, carbon neutrality, and Gross National Happiness: Sustainable development pathways for Bhutan
www.biospherefutures.net
2021/03/05

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SSP Bhutan
SSP assumptions
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