Environmental Systems and Societies · Case studies

ECS.2 — Bhutan: Gross National Happiness

Environmental Systems and Societies · SL / HL · syllabus-mapped notes

1. Overview

   A small Himalayan kingdom that measures progress by Gross National Happiness rather than GDP alone, and constitutionally protects its forests.

2. Systems and sustainability angle

   A national attempt to hold economy, society and environment in balance: strong sustainability, natural capital as a carbon sink, and biocapacity kept ahead of footprint.

3. Management and response

   GNH as a policy framework, constitutional forest cover and carbon-negative status, evaluated for what works and what strains it.

4. HL lens angle

   The economics of measuring progress beyond GDP, and the ethics of an ecocentric national worldview.