Staff Reporter  

His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan was awarded the 2022 Blue Planet Prize by the  Asahi Glass Foundation of Japan.  

Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck received the prestigious Prize on behalf of His Majesty the Fourth King in Tokyo on 5th October 2022 during the Prize  Award Ceremony that was attended by Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince and  Crown Princess Akishino of Japan, representatives from the government and scientific community of Japan and other dignitaries.  

The Prize was awarded in recognition of His Majesty the Fourth King’s visionary leadership and the contribution to environmental conservation made by His Majesty the  Fourth King’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness which has found scientific recognition and wider adoption worldwide.  

During the Prize Acceptance Speech, Her Royal Highness said that His Majesty has decided to accept the Prize not because of His contribution to solving environmental problems nor for the credit given to him as the author of GNH but because it is a  befitting tribute to Bhutan’s commitment and the sacrifices and unstinted support of the  Bhutanese people to preserve ecological balance.  

The Asahi Glass Foundation established the Blue Planet Prize in 1992  coinciding with the Earth Summit. The Prize is awarded to two individuals or organizations every year from around the world in recognition of outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application that provide solutions to global environmental problems. Professor Stephen Carpenter of the University of Wisconsin is the other 2022 Prize recipient for his research on lake ecosystems for more than four decades.  

His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akishino along with Prime Minister of Japan  Kishida Fumio and other well-wishers offered their congratulations to His Majesty the  Fourth King for being awarded the 31st Blue Planet Prize.