Sustainable Happiness, Bhutan Development Project
Stories from Bhutan’s Site Visits (5)
Day 6: Meeting with the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother
On February 8, 2024, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS team traveled to Thimphu, where they met with the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother. They held a meeting with the royal cabinet regarding sustainable development projects based on the JTS team survey findings.
During Ven Pomnyun Sunim’s visit to Bhutan last August, the King of Bhutan explained the plan to establish a new city in the Gelephu region and sought Sunim’s advice. The JTS team departed for Gelephu at 3 a.m.
△ Scenery on the way to the Gelephu region
The Gelephu region is where the Bhutanese government is planning a megacity project, located near the border with India. The project is called “Gelephu Mindfulness City,” an ambitious initiative by the King of Bhutan to designate Gelephu as a special administrative zone. The plan includes establishing an IT center, hospital, school, resort, dam, and hydropower facilities to create a cutting-edge innovation city. Gelephu is four hours away from Zhemgang, so the JTS team decided to make a brief visit on their way to Thimphu.
Upon arriving in Gelephu at 8 a.m., Lobzang Dorji, the head of Sarpang Dzongkhag, welcomed Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in conversation with the official responsible for Sarpang Dzongkhag
Lobzang Dorji was very cheerful. He laughed a lot and made jokes frequently. He personally drove and guided Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team in his own vehicle. Along the way, he showed them various parts of the village.
△ Bhutanese residents selling milk in Sarpang Dzongkhag
“When the villagers gather the milk from their homes to sell, there’s a person who collects and distributes it from one place. In Bhutan, if you see a pregnant woman, milk, or a milk canister in the morning, it is believed to be a sign that your wishes for the day will come true. Sunim, whatever you wish to accomplish today will come true as well.”
A little further along, a large facility came into view.
△ View of water purification facilities
“That building is a water purification facility. Bhutan has now introduced facilities to purify tap water. This facility was built using technology learned from Koreans.”
Recently, it was mentioned that the Bhutanese learned about the green tea processing facility in Samchoeling village, Trongsa Dzongkhag, from Koreans. They also learned about the water purification facility from Koreans. The survey team could sense the affection the former Korean visitors had for Bhutan.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and Bhutanese officials walking along a mountain path
After walking down a mountain path for a little while, they arrived at a quiet clearing. A vast panorama of land came into view.
“The area you see down there is the site of the Gelephu Megacity Project.”
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Bhutanese official conversing while looking at the expansive ground
The site was vast and expansive. The JTS team was curious about how the Megacity Project would unfold here. They hope Bhutan keeps its current characteristics as it develops its Megacity Project.
With Lobzang Dorji’s guidance, the JTS team explored the Indian border, Gelephu city, and Sarpang town. After spending about an hour touring the Gelephu region, they headed towards Thimphu.
△ The scenery along the road to Thimphu
△ Scenery outside Thimphu
Around 4 p.m., Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the survey team arrived in Thimphu. At 5 p.m., they had a meeting with Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team heading to a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay
Tshering Tobgay was newly elected in the general election held on January 9. The JTS team provided a detailed explanation of their findings from the survey conducted over the past four days in the Trongsa and Zhemgang regions.
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in conversation with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan
What are the tasks identified through this Bhutan survey?
“First, I think it would be beneficial to improve the living conditions of the residents. Based on my observations, approximately 10 percent of the population either does not have a place to live or has homes that need improvement. Additionally, even though some houses look good on the outside, upon closer inspection, about 10 percent of them require improvement. The area that generally needs the most improvement is the kitchen. It is essential to install devices to prevent indoor smoke. It seems that people use fire for heating, but it’s crucial to ensure there is no smoke inside. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to raise the cooking surface so that those cooking can work comfortably. If women have to bend over while working, it can lead to back problems later on.
Additionally, when extended families live together, it’s important to separate living spaces. Installing partitions can provide married couples and adult children with independent spaces, ensuring privacy. Many of the poor seem to sleep on the floor, so items like mattresses and blankets are also needed. It seemed that there was a shortage of small tools necessary to maintain the household and agricultural tools required for farming. Specialized equipment could be shared communally within the village. Although we have identified these essential household needs, the short duration of our visit did not allow us to gather detailed information on what residents eat or how they dress.
Second, it seems necessary to establish economic activities that can generate income. To be sustainable, self-reliance is essential. Due to time constraints, we were unable to examine production facilities thoroughly. Potential income-generating crops include oranges, green tea, ginger, and coffee. Additionally, dairy and egg production appear to be economically viable. I plan to bring in experts to further investigate and explore possibilities of fruit and livestock farming. I thought apples might thrive at higher altitudes, but I have not yet seen any apple orchards. There is also an issue with youth unemployment. Young people who do not pursue education beyond the 10th grade struggle to find jobs.
△ The JTS survey team in conversation.
When we first started the survey, I thought it was important to create irrigation systems for farmland. However, upon conducting the survey, I found that most of the land is on a slope, so irrigation systems are not necessary. Instead, securing drinking water seemed to be a more urgent issue. As living conditions improved, water usage increased. Climate change also contributes to a significant shortage of water. Ensuring an adequate supply of drinking water is crucial, and addressing this issue is a major task. The water sources are located at distances ranging from 13 km to 27 km away, necessitating more financial investment in this area.
In farming, finding ways to protect crops from wild boars seems to be an urgent need. This is the issue residents most want to be addressed. Electric fences have proven ineffective, and currently, installing fences is still considered the best option. However, the wild boars dig under the wire mesh to reach the crops. While laying concrete under the fence would prevent wild boars from accessing the crops, it is not economically feasible to do so for all the land as it is too extensive. Currently, there is no solution. More research is needed to find effective methods to tackle this problem. It is the issue residents most want resolved, yet it is the hardest to find a solution for.
Third, there were some areas for improvement in education and healthcare. The school buildings and healthcare centers were adequate. However, the healthcare of the elderly residents was poor. This issue seems to stem from a shortage of healthcare providers such as doctors and nurses. There is a need for healthcare workers who can routinely manage the dental, eye, and ear health of the elderly. In the education sector, some school facilities appeared to be somewhat inadequate. However, since the number of students is relatively small, it might be better to merge several schools and operate them collectively rather than individually remodeling each one. Children need to interact with more peers to develop broader social relationships.”
△ Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan expressing words of gratitude
Thank you for your sincere interest in Bhutan.
“Sunim, you are a compassionate person. To gain such insight into the lives of the residents in such a short time, one must have compassion for those in difficult and challenging conditions. Many experts have visited the villages and made various suggestions, but none could be considered truly effective. This is because they lacked the genuine love and concern for the residents that you have shown. They lacked the humility to listen to what the residents truly wanted, so they only asked questions without proposing any viable solutions. The Bhutanese government wishes to collaborate with you through a partnership to implement the proposals you have made. Your suggestions and insights are incredibly valuable. We would be grateful if you could continue to stay in Bhutan and visit all the villages.”
“Thank you for your understanding and support. In this survey, we couldn’t identify sustainable methods to ensure reliable income for the residents. As it was the first survey, time was limited. When I return, I plan to conduct a more focused investigation. However, we cannot indefinitely delay improving facilities, so it would be good to start with pilot projects. In some villages, we could improve housing; in others, we could address the drinking water issue; in some, we could provide medical care for the elderly; and in others, we could experiment with different types of stoves. By conducting these pilot projects, we can assess their effectiveness, identify any issues, and determine the costs involved. Additionally, we need to understand how much funding is allocated by the central or local government so that we can decide what additional support we need to provide.”
“I will make sure to prepare everything necessary to support all your initiatives. Please let me know if you need any assistance with anything.”
△ The JTS survey team exchanging greetings with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan
The JTS team headed to the next meeting location. They encountered Dasho Karma Tshiteem again, whom they had previously met before embarking on the survey. Dasho Karma Tshiteem is the former chairman of the Royal Civil Service Commission and was responsible for the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index. He warmly welcomed the JTS team.
“Sunim, how was the survey?”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained the findings from their survey. After listening, Dasho Karma Tshiteem shared his thoughts.
“I believe the direction you are taking is correct. Our priority should be addressing the immediate needs of the residents.”
The JTS team was very interested in Karma Tshiteem’s youth education projects. They proposed working together on a program to assist young people in settling in rural areas, leveraging the youth education programs offered by Tshiteem.
How can we encourage young people to live in rural areas?
“I believe it is important to prioritize improving the residents’ living conditions. In addition to remodeling homes to make them more comfortable, we need a project to encourage young people to live in rural areas. It would be good if a few young people from each village would establish cooperative farms through which they can build a foundation.
After hearing the results of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey, Karma Tshiteem shared his thoughts.
△ Karma Tshiteem sharing his thoughts
“I think it’s great that the JTS team has gained direct experience. I’m not particularly surprised by the findings of the JTS survey because those regions are among the most remote in Bhutan, and their terrain makes farming very challenging. Historically, there hasn’t been much agricultural activity there. Therefore, as Ven. Pomnyun Sunim mentioned, it’s crucial to help them sustain their livelihoods. In particular, it’s very important to ensure that young people can remain in those regions. We need new ideas that differ from existing ones since we have limited opportunities at the moment. For example, developing tourism products that leverage the unique cultural characteristics of those regions would be beneficial.”
“I’m very pleased that the JTS team has proposed solutions to the most urgent needs of the residents. Addressing their immediate concerns first will give the residents hope, and then we can have more productive discussions about activities to sustain their livelihoods.
In the past, I ran a program focused on reducing poverty in a specific area, and one issue we encountered was that when life became difficult, people would first give up on their children’s education. When immediate survival is at stake, long-term planning becomes impossible. Therefore, I believe it is crucial to secure a promise from the residents that they will send their children to school in exchange for providing drinking water. While we might not be able to change the lives of adults immediately, we can persuade the residents that with long-term investment, we can change the lives of their children.”
“Realistically, it is challenging to provide higher education for all children, so vocational training is necessary. For instance, we can support students who do not pass the exams from the 10th to the 12th grade by helping them acquire vocational skills that will enable them to find employment.”
△ The JTS survey team engaging in conversation with Karma Tshiteem
“These buildings were constructed by young people. Additionally, we have provided training in barista skills and cooking, and tonight they will be catering for tourists. Most of these young people left school between the 10th and 12th grades. As you mentioned, it is crucial to provide vocational skills such as construction, knitting, or cooking so that young people can earn a stable income.
For example, even if students cannot build houses from scratch, they could practice by doing remodeling work. It would be beneficial to support the collaboration between the young people trained by Mr. Tshiteem and village development projects.”
“I believe there is a lot of potential, but one issue is that young people are reluctant to leave Thimphu for remote areas. Therefore, it would be better to train the young people already living in those remote villages.”
“Yes, I agree with you, Mr. Tshiteem. Additionally, since there is a lot of vacant land in the Zhemgang region, it would be beneficial to support the young people in forming cooperative farms there.”
△ Karma Tshiteem smiling as he engages in conversation
“I think it’s definitely worth trying. I will research further on how we can implement this.”
Although there was much more to discuss, the JTS team had to cut the conversation short due to their next scheduled meeting. They bid farewell, promising to have a more extended discussion with Mr. Tshiteem during their next visit to Bhutan.
The JTS team immediately moved to the mansion invited by the Queen Mother. Just like during their previous visit, the Queen Mother warmly welcomed Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS survey team. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim provided a detailed explanation of the survey findings to the Queen Mother.
△ From left to right: JTS representative, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, Bhutanese Queen Mother
After bidding farewell, the JTS team hurried to the Bhutan Nuns Foundation (BNF). At 10 p.m., they had a meeting with Kesang Deki, the Secretary-General of the Bhutan Cabinet, at the BNF. She was the one we had met on the first day of our visit to discuss the schedule for this survey. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained his observations and experiences from the survey. Kesang Deki responded:
△ Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in conversation with Kesang Deki, Secretary-General of the Bhutanese Cabinet
“Thank you for sharing your thoughts. So, what should we implement next?”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim spoke.
“When I return to Korea, I will compile the results of this survey and send you a report. Based on this report, we will determine the specific items to survey further for each village. First, when defining these survey items, it is essential that the Bhutanese government, JTS, local governments, and residents mutually agree on them together.
Once the survey items are determined and the target areas are finalized, it would be beneficial to conduct the survey and pilot projects within the first half of this year. We will collect data from these surveys and reflect on the results of the pilot projects to reach an agreement between JTS and the Bhutanese government. Following this, we will go through an agreement process with the Dzongkhags, Gewogs, and Chiwogs for final confirmation.
After that, JTS will cover the cost of materials needed for the projects, the local government will cover the labor costs for the required technicians, and the residents will provide the necessary labor. This way, everyone will participate and work together to implement the projects.”
“For example, repairing a house benefits the individual homeowner, so the entire village must participate in the agreement process to avoid any dissatisfaction. In one Chiwog we visited, there were 87 households. When asked to identify the most difficult homes, they pointed out eight households. When asked if any other homes needed improvement, they said no. By engaging in conversations with the village residents in this way, we can create a list of improvements needed. Through this method of discussion and survey operations, let’s first implement several pilot projects such as addressing the water supply issue and improving kitchens. After the pilot projects are completed, when we officially start the sustainable development projects, JTS and the Bhutanese government must enter into a formal agreement to pursue these sustainable development initiatives. Once the regions are selected, JTS will secure the budget for a five-year development plan for each respective region.”
△ Kesang Deki listening to Sunim
“This time, we have visited several village sites. The next steps are: first, conducting a detailed regional survey to select target areas for the projects, and second, implementing the pilot projects. We should aim to conduct the pilot projects until 2024, and it would be ideal to start the main project in March or April of next year. To start next year, we need to complete the survey and pilot projects within this year.”
After finishing the meeting with Kesang Deki, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim held an evaluation meeting with his team members who participated in this survey from 11 p.m. onwards. Sunim asked the JTS Bhutan development project manager to summarize the survey findings and select the areas for the pilot projects.
Sunim then asked the other team members for their impressions of participating in the survey. After everyone shared their thoughts, Sunim and the JTS team concluded the Bhutan survey schedule.
△ Exterior view of buildings in Bhutan
