Bhutan's happiness stems from its hydropower too

EPFL researchers are supporting this Himalayan country's efforts to expand its hydropower capacity. At a time when dams in Switzerland are up for sale, another small mountainous country intent on preserving its natural environment is looking to further tap into its hydroelectric potential. Bhutan, which sits in the Himalayan foothills, wants to expand its production of hydropower, one of the country's only indigenous resources, in part to sell it to neighboring India. Only 5% of this resource has been exploited, meaning there is enormous untapped potential. Yet Bhutan - a country known for its Gross National Happiness Index, age-old traditions and resistance to globalization - is in no hurry. It wants to be sure it has all the skills and knowledge needed to develop, operate and maintain its new dams without foreign assistance. It has only called on outside experts to help it set up its Hydropower Research and Development Center.