BHUTAN TODAY The New Perspective

From the mountains of Bhutan to the shores of Tuvalu, countries across Asia and the Pacific face a common challenge: transforming their agrifood systems to meet growing demand while protecting natural resources for future generations.I have witnessed this challenge firsthand in conversations with national leaders who are managing shrinking arable land and rising food prices. I have also spoken with …

…𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂, 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒘𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 By Kinzang LhamoDespite meeting all the criteria for Bhutan’s helicopter fare subsidy scheme, residents of Nubri and Yaksa chiwogs under Tsento Gewog in Paro remain excluded, leaving them without crucial transport support, even as neighbouring highland communities benefit from the scheme. The issue, raised repeatedly in …

…𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒈’𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕-𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒈 By Kinzang Lhamo The plan to construct a new Samtse Dzong has once again been deferred, this time to the 14th Five Year Plan (FYP), leaving local leaders and residents deeply frustrated as the dzongkhag continues to face cramped working conditions, inadequate space for public services, and the …

…𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒙 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 By Sonam Choden In recent years, ginger producers in the southern parts of Bhutan have faced a significant drop in farm-gate prices, falling from Nu 60 per kilogram in the previous year to Nu 15–25 per kilogram in the current season. The decline has …

Bhutan stands at a pivotal moment in its demographic journey. The country’s population is aging rapidly, reflecting significant progress in health care and living standards. While increased life expectancy is a clear mark of development, it also signals emerging challenges that demand urgent and thoughtful action. Bhutan is poised to become an aging society within a few years, and the …