His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo accepts the prestigious 2022 Blue Planet Prize

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

Her Royal Highness Sonam Dechan Wangchuck received the prestigious Prize on behalf of His Majesty the Fourth King in Tokyo on October 5, 2022 during the Prize Award Ceremony that was attended by Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko 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 in the world.

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 Blue Planet Prize was established by the Asahi Glass Foundation 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.

Photo: Her Royal Highness receiving the 2022 Blue Planet Prize from Shimamura Takuya, Chairman of the Asahi Glass Foundation

Source: Kuensel Facebook Page