Publication: Green Growth Opportunities for Bhutan
Loading...
Published
2014-08
ISSN
Date
2014-12-18
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Bhutan has recently made significant progress in sustaining economic growth and reducing poverty. In 2012, average per capita household income was somewhat under USD 2,400/year (Living Standards Measurement Surveys 2012). Growth has averaged around 9 percent per annum over the past decade and is expected to be on the order of 8 percent per annum over the next five years. According to the 2012 Bhutan Poverty Analysis, 12 percent of the population are what is known as consumption poor , half the number as compared to 2007. Furthermore, extreme poverty defined as less than $1.25/day in PPP terms has fallen to only 2 percent of the total population. Bhutan has virtually eliminated extreme poverty within the living memory of one generation. Bhutan s population remains rural to a significant extent. According to a 2005 population census, 69 percent of the population lived in rural areas. And there remain significant income differences between urban and rural areas; average per capita household income in rural areas is estimated to be 28,000 Nu against 80,000 Nu in urban areas. There is, though, significant ongoing migration to population centers in search of increased opportunities. The 2005 urban population share of 31 percent of total population represents a substantial increase from only 5 percent in 1995.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2014. Green Growth Opportunities for Bhutan. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20804 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Note on Green Growth for Bhutan(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-07-31)Bhutan has recently made significant progress in sustaining economic growth and reducing poverty. Bhutan also has valuable deposits of primary materials including dolomite, lime stone, gypsum, quartzite, stone, and marble, which are useful for fabrication of other materials. Thus, a significant part of Bhutan's current and prospective economic gains come from use of natural resources called, green sectors. The basic message in this note is that Bhutan starts from a solid base in terms of green growth, with additional opportunities for meeting its development goals and overcoming the above mentioned challenges on the basis of its natural resource endowment. However, realizing those opportunities and meeting those challenges will require focusing on the economic contribution from sustainable use of those natural resources, in addition to conservation of the environment. It will also require complementary measures, using the economic surplus (or as economists refer to it, rent) from sustainable natural resource use to help diversify economic activity and address institutional and other constraints. A more comprehensive view of green growth emphasizes sustainable use of natural capital, along with managing environmental risks cost-effectively and in an institutionally sound manner to limit risks to human health and of irreversible degradation of the natural environment. In this context, green growth needs to balance conservation with sustainable economic use of all resources to meet the needs of the present, and maintain opportunities for the future. The note touches upon issues of inclusion where possible but not in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The purpose of the note is to provide food for thought in ongoing discussion of growth strategies for Bhutan, and how green growth ideas may contribute to that discussion.Publication Assessing the Environmental Co-Benefits of Climate Change Actions(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2010-11-15)This internal background paper has been prepared to help inform the 2010 environment strategy with respect to a proposed way forward on use of country systems. The World Bank Group environment strategy is built on three pillars: leveraging natural resources for growth and poverty reduction; managing the environmental risks to growth and development; and transforming growth paths. As part of its exploration of these three pillars, the strategy considers the question of environmental co-benefits of climate change actions. In particular, it poses the question of potential trade-offs between actions to address climate change and other local and regional environmental priorities, and considers how to maximize co-benefits arising from climate action. The primary objective of this background paper is to assess the potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions to provide environmental co-benefits, particularly in the quality of environmental media, flow of ecosystem services, and maintenance of biodiversity. To accomplish this, the paper is organized in five sections: section one gives provision of an organizing framework to identify and classify potential co-benefits; section two gives summary of the external literature on co-benefits; section three gives review of examples from the World Bank portfolio; section four presents initial thoughts on creation of enabling conditions for co-benefit provision; and section five gives review of implications for the environment strategy.Publication Low-Carbon Development for Mexico(World Bank, 2010)One of the most compelling reasons for pursuing low-carbon development is that the potential impacts of climate change are predicted to be severe, for both industrial and developing countries, and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions can reduce the risk of the most catastrophic impacts. The challenge of reducing emissions is sobering: leading scientific models indicate that limiting the rise in global mean temperatures to less than two degree Celsius will require that global greenhouse gas emissions peak within the next 10-15 years and then fall by 2050 to levels about 50 percent lower than in 1990. Although many countries recognize the need to curtail carbon emissions, there is considerable uncertainty about how much this will cost in individual countries, what measures can be undertaken in both the short and longer term, and how cost-effective specific interventions are in reducing emissions. This study analyzes a range of energy efficiency options available in Mexico, including supply-side efficiency improvements in the electric power and oil and gas industries, and demand-side electricity efficiency measures addressing high-growth energy-consuming activities, such as air conditioning and refrigeration. It also evaluates a range of renewable energy options that make use of the country's vast wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal resources.Publication Mexico - Low-Carbon Development : Main Report(World Bank, 2009-01-01)This study analyzes a range of energy efficiency options available in Mexico, including supply-side efficiency improvements in the electric power and oil and gas industries and demand-side electricity efficiency measures to limit high-growth energy-consuming activities, such as air conditioning and refrigeration. It also evaluates a range of renewable energy options that make use of the country's vast wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal resources. But low-carbon (CO2) development is not only about energy production and consumption. In Mexico one of the most important sources of greenhouse gas emissions continues to be emissions from deforestation. The rate of deforestation has fallen steadily in Mexico over the past decades. Expanded programs for forest management, wildlife conservation, and efforts to increase the stock of forests can provide needed employment in rural areas and help make Mexican forests net absorbers of CO2 in the coming years. A fundamental question often asked about low-cost mitigation options is why they are not already being undertaken. As the study shows, the availability of commercial technology and even low financial costs is often not enough to overcome barriers related to institutional and knowledge gaps, regulatory and legal constraints, or societal norms. Inability to surmount these 'transactions costs' is typically at the root of the problem of why supposedly low-cost actions are not undertaken. To partially overcome this dilemma, one of the explicit criteria used in this study for identifying low-carbon measures was that they had already been implemented on some scale in Mexico or in a similar economy outside of Mexico. In order to mainstream low-carbon development, a package of new stimuli will be needed, including public and consumer education and training, public demonstrations, standards and regulations, and financial incentives.Publication Benefit Sharing in Practice : Insights for REDD+ Initiatives(Program on Forests (PROFOR), Washington, DC, 2012-02)Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing carbon stocks (REDD+) has raised the profile of benefit sharing in the forest sector. Sharing benefits, however, is not a new concept. Previous work on benefit sharing (associated with intellectual property, forest and agriculture concessions, mining, and so forth) has focused on clarifying the concept and examining how benefit sharing could feed into broader development outcomes. Getting benefit sharing right in the context of REDD+ has a similar objective. The objective of this study is twofold. The first is to examine existing arrangements for sharing benefits and extract insights from existing community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) arrangements that involve sharing benefits, specifically insights regarding how benefits are determined, how beneficiaries are identified, and how the set-up is influencing the effectiveness of the arrangements. The second objective is to provide community perspective on benefit sharing and partnerships in the forest sector. This study examines nine partnership arrangements in three countries Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Uganda. The partnerships include five performance-based PES arrangements (of which two are focused on carbon). The remaining four partnerships involve sustainable management of forests for specific objectives (timber, ecotourism, wildlife conservation, and so forth). All the partnerships took several years to set up, and some have been under implementation for several years. For purposes of this study, benefit sharing or sharing of benefits refers to an intentional transfer of financial payments and payments in the form of goods and services to intended beneficiaries.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.Publication Global Economic Prospects, January 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-16)Global growth is expected to hold steady at 2.7 percent in 2025-26. However, the global economy appears to be settling at a low growth rate that will be insufficient to foster sustained economic development—with the possibility of further headwinds from heightened policy uncertainty and adverse trade policy shifts, geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation, and climate-related natural disasters. Against this backdrop, emerging market and developing economies are set to enter the second quarter of the twenty-first century with per capita incomes on a trajectory that implies substantially slower catch-up toward advanced-economy living standards than they previously experienced. Without course corrections, most low-income countries are unlikely to graduate to middle-income status by the middle of the century. Policy action at both global and national levels is needed to foster a more favorable external environment, enhance macroeconomic stability, reduce structural constraints, address the effects of climate change, and thus accelerate long-term growth and development.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-10)The global economy is facing another substantial headwind, emanating largely from an increase in trade tensions and heightened global policy uncertainty. For emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the ability to boost job creation and reduce extreme poverty has declined. Key downside risks include a further escalation of trade barriers and continued policy uncertainty. These challenges are exacerbated by subdued foreign direct investment into EMDEs. Global cooperation is needed to restore a more stable international trade environment and scale up support for vulnerable countries grappling with conflict, debt burdens, and climate change. Domestic policy action is also critical to contain inflation risks and strengthen fiscal resilience. To accelerate job creation and long-term growth, structural reforms must focus on raising institutional quality, attracting private investment, and strengthening human capital and labor markets. Countries in fragile and conflict situations face daunting development challenges that will require tailored domestic policy reforms and well-coordinated multilateral support.Publication The Container Port Performance Index 2023(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-18)The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) measures the time container ships spend in port, making it an important point of reference for stakeholders in the global economy. These stakeholders include port authorities and operators, national governments, supranational organizations, development agencies, and other public and private players in trade and logistics. The index highlights where vessel time in container ports could be improved. Streamlining these processes would benefit all parties involved, including shipping lines, national governments, and consumers. This fourth edition of the CPPI relies on data from 405 container ports with at least 24 container ship port calls in the calendar year 2023. As in earlier editions of the CPPI, the ranking employs two different methodological approaches: an administrative (technical) approach and a statistical approach (using matrix factorization). Combining these two approaches ensures that the overall ranking of container ports reflects actual port performance as closely as possible while also being statistically robust. The CPPI methodology assesses the sequential steps of a container ship port call. ‘Total port hours’ refers to the total time elapsed from the moment a ship arrives at the port until the vessel leaves the berth after completing its cargo operations. The CPPI uses time as an indicator because time is very important to shipping lines, ports, and the entire logistics chain. However, time, as captured by the CPPI, is not the only way to measure port efficiency, so it does not tell the entire story of a port’s performance. Factors that can influence the time vessels spend in ports can be location-specific and under the port’s control (endogenous) or external and beyond the control of the port (exogenous). The CPPI measures time spent in container ports, strictly based on quantitative data only, which do not reveal the underlying factors or root causes of extended port times. A detailed port-specific diagnostic would be required to assess the contribution of underlying factors to the time a vessel spends in port. A very low ranking or a significant change in ranking may warrant special attention, for which the World Bank generally recommends a detailed diagnostic.Publication Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-05)Digitalization is the transformational opportunity of our time. The digital sector has become a powerhouse of innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Value added in the IT services sector grew at 8 percent annually during 2000–22, nearly twice as fast as the global economy. Employment growth in IT services reached 7 percent annually, six times higher than total employment growth. The diffusion and adoption of digital technologies are just as critical as their invention. Digital uptake has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.5 billion new internet users added from 2018 to 2022. The share of firms investing in digital solutions around the world has more than doubled from 2020 to 2022. Low-income countries, vulnerable populations, and small firms, however, have been falling behind, while transformative digital innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) have been accelerating in higher-income countries. Although more than 90 percent of the population in high-income countries was online in 2022, only one in four people in low-income countries used the internet, and the speed of their connection was typically only a small fraction of that in wealthier countries. As businesses in technologically advanced countries integrate generative AI into their products and services, less than half of the businesses in many low- and middle-income countries have an internet connection. The growing digital divide is exacerbating the poverty and productivity gaps between richer and poorer economies. The Digital Progress and Trends Report series will track global digitalization progress and highlight policy trends, debates, and implications for low- and middle-income countries. The series adds to the global efforts to study the progress and trends of digitalization in two main ways: · By compiling, curating, and analyzing data from diverse sources to present a comprehensive picture of digitalization in low- and middle-income countries, including in-depth analyses on understudied topics. · By developing insights on policy opportunities, challenges, and debates and reflecting the perspectives of various stakeholders and the World Bank’s operational experiences. This report, the first in the series, aims to inform evidence-based policy making and motivate action among internal and external audiences and stakeholders. The report will bring global attention to high-performing countries that have valuable experience to share as well as to areas where efforts will need to be redoubled.