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Building a road to a better economy in Bhutan
A truck on the Bhutan National Highway.
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TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is, as you may know, an economically interesting place. It doesn't have much use for traditional measures of progress. It tracks Gross National Happiness, not gross domestic product. Until 40-odd years ago, it didn't have any paved roads at all. Even now a quarter of its population doesn't live anywhere near a road, paved or otherwise. But they'd like to.
Over the past couple of years, Bhutan's first democratically elected parliament has been making good on a promise to build roads to the most remote of mountain villages. Lisa Napoli explores at how a single smoothed-out strip of dirt has changed life for residents one village in eastern Bhutan.
Lisa Napoli: For centuries, to get to the village of Chali, people had to trek several miles up a steep mountain path. A tiny hamlet of 2,300, Chali's main landmark is a 14th century Buddhist temple.
Sound of prayer wheels ringing
But about six months ago a new sound started to compete with these sacred prayer wheels.
Sound of car rumbling
Trucks and cars. Government officials cut a dirt road into the side of the mountain. It's bumpy and winding and no wider than an SUV. But it's given Chali an economic boost. It's much easier now to get basic supplies to the village.
Ugyen Norbu is the district administrator of Chali. He says now people don't have to walk like they used to.
Ugyen Norbu: Originally, they had to carry everything on their backs, now they drive it here.
Miles from the village in the valley below, Chali residents can now sell their abundant produce at a small farm stand. Instead of lugging it down the mountain, they pool resources and hire a car.
An elderly woman named Chuki is peddling lemons and squash.
Chuki: I'm old now, the road makes it more comfortable.
The road to Chali is part of more than 100 miles that have been graded for vehicle traffic in this district alone. All around Bhutan, the government's trying to stem the tide of migration from rural areas to towns by making life easier and more prosperous in the villages.
Chali mayor Sonam Tshering says the mobility the road allows has certainly been a boon to his people.
Sonam Tshering: There's been improvement after the road. People are getting richer everyday, 100 percent better day by day.
District administrator Ugyen Norbu says it's not just financial. The more people who visit the village, and the more the villagers can travel, the broader their thinking will be. For himself, the first thing he did when the road was finished was to get a friend with a car to drive up and bring him a television.
Sound of music on TV
From Chali, Bhutan, I'm Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.
Ryssdal: Lisa first went to Bhutan while she was working here -- she used to be a reporter for us -- and came across the village of Chali in her travels through the more remote parts of that country.
You can see a video of the village and an excerpt from her new book, "Radio Shangri-La: What I learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth," on our new book blog, The Big Book.
i very much agree with Ackerson. While the whole policy is to maintain the GNH, where proving infrastructure like roads, is equally important. But, yes but, the accessibility when made easier will bring in more exploitation thereby bringing in a global culture. And once it becomes global, can they still find place for GNH? I really do wonder n get confused at times...
This story is ironic. Bhutan is well-known for having a high "Gross National Happiness" despite what Westerners call a lack of economic development. This is a result of policies that have consciously worked to develop an economy that served to enhance Bhutan's culture and Buddhist spiritual values.
The article's toss off comment about the sound of cars and trucks competing with that of prayer wheels is the real story. When the novelty of the road wears off, will the villagers be happy with the changes it has brought? Whether they like it or not, the changes that are coming are just like those that have happened everywhere that the monolithic worldwide culture touches: there traditional diet will be replaced by fast food and corn syrup; the traditional songs that gave their life meaning will be replaced by superficial pop tunes; the stories of the ancestors told around the fire will be replaced by the flicker of TV. Will these "improvements" lead to increased gross national happiness?
Building a road where there were none previously does provide a positive ROI for all of those involved. What we have in America is politicians looking to the past, when road building did help bring about economic progress, and try to apply it to today. While I understand that repairing roads is a good thing, they just aren't the economic saviors like what they are like here. Congradulations on your new raods Butan.
