The move will bring in more foreign income, but some locals worry that it may be at the expense of the environment as has happened in parts of Nepal. Indeed, thanks to a strong conservation policy, forest cover in Bhutan has increased considerably. Officials are at least concerned enough about fulfilling both GNP and GNH that they held workshops to find an answer to the conundrum. The Bhutanese, who receive free primary education and health care, live longer and earn more. It is difficult to put a cap on aspirations.
Infrastructure is limited and expensive to build in the mountain kingdom.
Fewer than half the 40,000-plus people in Thimphu can afford television. Still, the winds of change have never blown more swiftly in the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Only about 5,000 Thimphu residents have a telephone connection, but a third of them are likely to be linked to the Internet by the end of the year. That is as much a challenge as preparing this Shangri-La for the 21st century. All Rights Reserved.