What’s past is prologue: history, current status and future prospects of library development in Bhutan

Purpose This paper aims to outline the history of libraries in Bhutan, to describe the current state of library development and to recommend priority areas for library enhancement. Design/methodology/approach The authors have worked extensively as library professionals in Bhutan and share factual details derived from their personal experience. They review the published literature, particularly the fieldwork of two scholars who studied Bhutan’s libraries and library workers. The authors use their own experience to interpret those findings and make suggestions for future development. Findings The paper briefly traces the evolution of print culture and the history of libraries, exploring monastic, school, college, public and national libraries. The paper examines government policies regarding education and libraries and discusses the acknowledgment of the value of libraries and the lack of actual support. Originality/value There is limited study of the history of reading culture or libraries in Bhutan. The authors document their first-hand experiences and efforts to implement systems for library resource sharing and professional development. The authors hope that this record will serve to illuminate past effort, to describe the unique information environment in Bhutan and to guide future decision-making. The authors recommend many future avenues for study, including reading habits, information-seeking behavior and attitudes toward libraries and librarians

Malaria burden and costs of intensifi ed control in Bhutan, 2006–14: an observational study and situation analysis

Introduction The number of malaria cases has fallen in Bhutan in the past two decades, and the country has a goal of complete elimination of malaria by 2016. The aims of this study are to ascertain the trends and burden of malaria, the costs of intensifi ed control activities, the main donors of funding for the control activities, and the costs of diff erent preventive measures in the pre-elimination phase (2006–14) in Bhutan. Methods We undertook a descriptive analysis of malaria surveillance data from 2006 to 2014, using data from the Vector-borne Disease Control Programme (VDCP) run by the Department of Public Health of Bhutan’s Ministry of Health. Malaria morbidity and mortality in local Bhutanese people and foreign nationals were analysed. The cost of diff erent control and preventive measures were calculated, and the average numbers of long-lasting insecticidal nests per person were estimated. Findings A total of 5491 confi rmed malaria cases occurred in Bhutan between 2006 and 2014. By 2013, there was an average of one long-lasting insecticidal net for every 1·51 individuals. The cost of procuring long-lasting insecticidal nets accounted for more than 90% of the total cost of prevention measures. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was the main international donor, accounting for more than 80% of the total funds. Interpretation The malaria burden in Bhutan decreased signifi cantly during the study period with high coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets. The foreseeable challenges that require national attention to maintain a malaria-free status after elimination are importation of malaria, especially from India; continued protection of the population in endemic districts through complete coverage with long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying; and exploration of local funding modalities post-elimination in the event of a reduction in international funding

Development and evaluation of a spatial decision support system for malaria elimination in Bhutan

BACKGROUND: Bhutan has reduced its malaria incidence significantly in the last 5 years, and is aiming for malaria elimination by 2016. To assist with the management of the Bhutanese malaria elimination programme a spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed. The current study aims to describe SDSS development and evaluate SDSS utility and acceptability through informant interviews. METHODS: The SDSS was developed based on the open-source Quantum geographical information system (QGIS) and piloted to support the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) in the two sub-districts of Samdrup Jongkhar District. It was subsequently used to support reactive case detection (RACD) in the two sub-districts of Samdrup Jongkhar and two additional sub-districts in Sarpang District. Interviews were conducted to ascertain perceptions on utility and acceptability of 11 informants using the SDSS, including programme and district managers, and field workers. RESULTS: A total of 1502 households with a population of 7165 were enumerated in the four sub-districts, and a total of 3491 LLINs were distributed with one LLIN per 1.7 persons. A total of 279 households representing 728 residents were involved with RACD. Informants considered that the SDSS was an improvement on previous methods for organizing LLIN distribution, IRS and RACD, and could be easily integrated into routine malaria and other vector-borne disease surveillance systems. Informants identified some challenges at the programme and field level, including the need for more skilled personnel to manage the SDSS, and more training to improve the effectiveness of SDSS implementation and use of hardware. CONCLUSIONS: The SDSS was well accepted and informants expected its use to be extended to other malaria reporting districts and other vector-borne diseases. Challenges associated with efficient SDSS use included adequate skills and knowledge, access to training and support, and availability of hardware including computers and global positioning system receivers

Carbon neutral policy in action: the case of Bhutan

Climate policy across the world is proceeding at a highly variable pace, with some places very committed to decarbonizing their economies and others just beginning. Emerging nations are generally just starting along this journey. However, among the few nation states that have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality, is Bhutan, a least developed country. Carbon neutrality is an ambitious climate policy that is increasingly being recognized as necessary in order to stabilize global temperature rise at 1.5°C. However, Bhutan is likely to face significant challenges in maintaining this status as the country balances its desire to grow in economic opportunities (GDP) and in human happiness (GNH). Little research has been conducted inside the policy processes to better understand how Bhutan will maintain carbon neutrality. Through open-ended, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, this study provides an inside view on the current situation and future challenges that Bhutan may face, along with the complexities associated with implementing and maintaining an ambitious carbon neutral policy. The paper highlights Bhutan's story and how it could be useful for policy learning and knowledge sharing, especially in the context of emerging nations’ climate governance

On the Middle Path, The Social Basis for Sustainable Development in Bhutan

Religion, culture and polity have largely influenced what is unique about Bhutan today. As a Mahayana Buddhist Kingdom, Bhutan has inherited a philosophy of life that is deeply rooted in religious traditions and institutions. Basic values such as compassion, faith, respect for all life forms and nature, social harmony, the spirit of community participation and prevalence of spiritual development over material achievements have played a significant role in shaping modern Bhutan. The overall goal of development is to achieve sustainable development, which is guided by the development philosophy of pursuing ‘Gross National Happiness’. The way it will be pursued is through a unique development strategy called ‘the Middle Path Strategy’. The aim of this study is to acquire a better understanding of the unique path towards sustainable development chosen by Bhutan. By analysing some specific cases, covering a broad field of sustainability issues that are relevant in Bhutan, we hope to inform our readers of how to understand development as a means of achieving Gross National Happiness. It also aims to understand the process of change, its implications, and particularly how it is rooted in society. We approach this research by analysis of Bhutan’s development philosophy combined with empirical sector-studies. The empirical chapters form the heart of our research. The research methods for the Chapters are based on literature study and empirical research. The information was gathered in three rounds of interviews all over the country. In the first round information for Chapter 4 was gathered; in the second round information for Chapters 5 and 6; and in the third round for Chapter 7. Sustainable development policy enjoys good support on the local level and in various stakeholder groups. The issue of social equity, especially the distributional aspects of the modernisation process, are a topic of discussion in the country. The challenge is to find a balance between openness and preservation, between hierarchy and participation, and between growing national income and distribution among the general population. The empirical study on the public perception on Bhutan’s approach to sustainable development in practice particularly, related to the four pillars of Gross National Happiness, highlights diverse views and expressions. The civil servants and people from civil society groups and the market fully support the spirit of this development strategy, although not always with a full understanding of the official concept. The local communities’ perceptions of nature conservation policy of the government is more skewed for the conservation of nature. In tourism, rural communities benefit from the trickle-down effect of tourism revenue. The ‘high value, low volume’ policy has been a successful policy so far in preventing negative environmental impacts. The Sustainable Development Agreement was well received in Bhutan and it provided lot of capacity building opportunities. In the Netherlands; however, the government was sceptical about the agreement and therefore, the programme received less political support and some of the projects implemented in the Netherlands were criticised