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Trongsa Dzong, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Jichu Drakey, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Millennium Development Goals in Bhutan

Abject poverty is rare in Bhutan but the high percentage of remote communities in the country is a constraint to improving the living standards of all Bhutanese. Some 70% of the population are subsistence farmers and many rural households have cash incomes below the national poverty line which in 2007 was $27.50 per person per month. By contrast very few urban households fall below this threshold which means that the MDG target of reducing poverty to 20% by 2015 is predominantly a challenge for the rural economy.

Tokaphu, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Bhutan has made good progress and implemented solid policies towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It has already achieved the targets of halving the percentage of underweight children under 5 years of age, and of halving the number of households without access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The female-male ratio of students at tertiary institutes, the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel and enrolment in primary education in rural areas remain low and require attention.

Reaching the MDGs and reducing poverty are top priorities of the 10th Five Year Plan (2008-2013). Population figures and some other data for Bhutan remain disputed. The 2005 Population and Housing Census reported 635,000 inhabitants, a figure far below the 734,000 reported by Bhutan’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) for 2003. In June 2005, the King declared that there were 553,000 Bhutanese, while he put the number of foreign labourers in Bhutan at 125,000 which is 88,000 higher than the reported floating population. Human rights organisations fear that a large proportion of southern Bhutanese have been classified as foreign labourers. Many organisations, including the UN, have now adopted the 2005 census population rather than the old figure of 2.3 million. However, an estimated population for 2008 of 820,000, based on earlier CSO figures, is felt to be closer to the truth.

Politics in Bhutan

Bhutanese monks © Centre for Science and Environment

Bhutan was a hereditary monarchy between 1907 and 2008. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck ascended the throne in 2006, after his father abdicated. In 1998 the last King delegated part of his absolute power to the National Assembly and proposed decentralization of decision making to the districts (Dzongkhags) and blocks (Geogs). Despite the apparent stability, a draft constitution was finalised in 2007, and is expected to be adopted by the new National Assembly by mid 2008. Twenty mainly young members, standing independent of any party affiliation, were elected in December 2007 and January 2008 to the 25-member National Council or upper house. The other 5 members are to be appointed by the King. Two parties have been approved to participate in the elections, in March 2008, of 47 members for the lower house or National Assembly. After these elections, Bhutan will become a constitutional monarchy.

The current government is mostly controlled by Drukpas, Dzongkha-speaking western Bhutanese. Southern and also eastern Bhutanese are under-represented. The only real opposition to the present government comes from refugees outside the country.

In Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index Bhutan dropped from the 32nd place (out of 163) in 2006 to the 46th place (out of 180) in 2007. Although corruption in Bhutan is relatively limited, the trend indicates that the Anti-Corruption Commission, installed in 2006, has not yet been effective. Moreover, the Government appears reluctant to hand out harsh punishments to corrupt people.

Civil society in Bhutan is limited. There are no trade unions, nor associations of indigenous groups. Community Forestry Groups and Water Users Associations are formed under the guidance of government agencies. Only two NGOs exist; the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN) and the National Women’s Association of Bhutan (NWAB). Their activities require government approval.
Conflict in Bhutan

Bhutan national dress © Piet van der Poel

A population census in 1988 reportedly indicated that southern Bhutanese of Nepalese origin made up 45% of the population and were growing faster in number than the northern Bhutanese. This raised fears of Bhutan losing its cultural identity and possibly its political independence, given that the neighbouring kingdom of Sikkim (largely consisting of immigrants of Nepalese origin) had voted to become a state of India in a referendum in 1975. The subsequent introduction by Royal Decree of the Driglam Namzhag, a Drukpa (northern Bhutanese) dress and etiquette code, and the rigorous enforcement of this “national” dress code, led to protests in the south.

In the early 1990s, the army and militias were sent to the southern districts to control the violence and evict illegal immigrants, including any southern Bhutanese unable to prove their legal presence in Bhutan on 31st of December 1958. Some 100,000 southern Bhutanese fled or were forced to flee the country and the majority of them remains to the present day in refugee camps in Nepal.

Bhutanese refugees in Nepal © Naresh Newar / United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network

In 2001 the governments of Nepal and Bhutan established a Joint Verification Team (JVT) to classify the refugees but the verification process was suspended in December 2003. Opposition sources claim that the Bhutanese government has no intention of solving the refugee problem, and that any repatriation would be unlikely to follow the internationally accepted procedures recommended by UNHCR - which is itself denied access to Bhutan.

In 2005 the USA declared that it will accept 60,000 Bhutanese refugees while Canada will take 5000. The issue has created friction between those refugees keen to take advantage of these offers and those who believe that the Bhutanese government should not escape its moral obligation to facilitate a return home for a large majority of the refugees preferring this option. The first few hundred refugees who have opted for resettlement are to leave for the USA in early 2008 with the possibility of a further 33,000 by the end of 2009.
Human Rights in Bhutan

Yak cheese seller in Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Women in Bhutan have the same property, inheritance and other rights as men. In the northern and central parts of the country, both women and men own and inherit land, houses and livestock. By contrast, among the Nepali speakers in the south, ownership is largely in the hands of men. Women tend to get burdened with more of the household and farm work.

Men dominate politics. 20% of the elected National Council members are women. Very few women are found in higher positions in government. Traditionally, this was due to political representation requiring frequent travel, which was considered more appropriate for men. Another reason has been the lower education status of women. Free education, school construction and awareness-raising are changing this picture. Enrolment for girls in primary and secondary schools has increased and is now almost the same as for boys. Child labour and abuse is nevertheless still common.

Discrimination of southern Bhutanese remains. Many have problems acquiring Non-Objection-Certificates from the police, which are required for voting, travel abroad, government employment, attending schools, opening businesses, etc. There are reports of political prisoners and of mistreatment of prisoners. 30 alleged communists were sentenced to 5-8 years in jail in December 2007 for planning an insurgency.

However, Red Cross representatives have access to prisons to check on the conditions. The Human Rights Report 2006 of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ranked Bhutan as the region’s second biggest violator of human rights, due to “denial of political freedom, independent judiciary and press freedom, and violations of the rights of minorities and undeclared ban on the human rights defenders”.
Health and HIV/AIDS in Bhutan

Health care and education are free in Bhutan. The infrastructure has expanded from 4 hospitals and 11 dispensaries in 1961 to 29 hospitals and 176 basic health units in 2005, but shortage of medical personnel remains a problem. Many small isolated communities nevertheless remain far from the nearest health centre. The main causes of death in Bhutan include perinatal conditions, heart diseases, respiratory infections, and cerebrovascular and diarrhoeal diseases. Life expectancy has improved from 39 years in 1960 to 64 years in 2005. Bhutan’s adjusted maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 420 per 100,000 compares favourably with India (520) and Nepal (740), but very unfavourably with Sri Lanka (92) and Mongolia (110). From 1984 to 2004 Bhutan’s unadjusted MMR dropped from 773 to 255.

HIV/AIDS was first detected in Bhutan in 1993 and 24 people have reportedly died of AIDS. UNAIDS estimates the total number of HIV cases as less than 500. Recent increases in the number of reported cases have persuaded the government to accord high priority to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. It has started an information and education program with free distribution of condoms to high-risk groups.
The Economy in Bhutan

Bhutan kids with ardisia fruits © Piet van der Poel

Bhutan’s government states that “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) is more important than Gross National Product. GNH is based on Buddhist values of respect for all sentient beings and reducing negatives such as unemployment and inequality. GNH has four main pillars: equitable socio-economic development, environmental conservation, protection of cultural heritage, and good governance. GNH has been mostly a guiding principle for planning. Results of a study of GNH indicators are expected in 2008.

Yangtse waterfall, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Since 1985, Bhutan has seen steady economic growth averaging 6.5% per year. Nevertheless, 23% of the population live below the national poverty line. The economy depends heavily on India, the destination for 90% of exports, including all hydropower which, together with tourism, has replaced the dominance of agricultural products. Tourism development is based on the principles of high income and low impact on culture and environment. Further private sector growth is needed to create

Road building in Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

jobs for the educated and the poor as unemployment is rising amongst the younger generation in particular.

To stimulate local development, farm road construction will continue to have a high priority in the 10th Five-Year Plan (2008-20013). Much of the road construction is not very environment-friendly, an issue which is too easily ignored.
The Environment in Bhutan

Endangered capped langur, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Due to its bio-geographical location Bhutan has a very high variety of habitats and wildlife for a country of its size. It counts some 200 mammal species, more than 700 bird species and probably 800 to 900 butterfly species. Protected areas (PA’s) cover 28% of the country, while biological corridors occupy an additional 11%. Local people are allowed to continue using the PA’s natural resources. Buddhist values of respect for nature and life have helped to protect Bhutan’s biodiversity. Low population density, inaccessibility and supportive policies are other major reasons for Bhutan’s pristine nature.

GLOF site, Thanza, Bhutan © Piet van der Poel

Nevertheless, Bhutan’s high population growth increases the pressure on its natural resources. Land degradation, overgrazing and reduction in forest cover are common symptoms. Other threats include uncontrolled fires (usually to improve grazing or lemon grass collection), urbanisation, uncontrolled dumping of garbage, road construction, industrialization, poaching (mainly in border areas) and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods. Increased danger of GLOFs is the main impact expected from global warming in Bhutan. 22 glacial lakes are at risk of bursting, two lakes in West Bhutan have a very high risk. Efforts are undertaken to reduce the waterlevel and set up an early warning system. The National Environment Commission is presently assessing technology needs to deal with the effects of global warming.
Information and Media in Bhutan

Bhutan has one government-controlled radio and TV station. The main weekly newspaper, Kuensel, is published in three languages, Dzongkha, Nepali and English. It is in name independent, but self-censures its articles, being as critical as it can be without getting itself into serious troubles. An independent radio station and two new private newspapers (Bhutan Times and Bhutan Observer) were launched in 2006.

TV and Internet were introduced in 1999. From time to time TV channels and critical or sleazy websites may be blocked. The government has adopted a progressive ICT policy and strategy, promoting use among all sectors of society.



Martin Young is a geographer who visited Bhutan for shorter and longer periods during the last decade. He is presently happily retired.

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