The Happiest Country in the World Is Building a Mindful Mega-City

Bright Side

They’re calling it the Anti-Dubai, and the idea is already making people argue online. In this video, we talk about how the happiest country in the world is planning a mega-city that does the exact opposite of flashy skyscrapers and luxury overload. Instead of excess, it’s built around walkability, nature, mental health, and everyday happiness backed by real data and urban science. I’ll compare it to Dubai’s model, explain why both exist, and why this quiet, mindful approach might actually be the future for cities. It’s one of those moments where you realize progress doesn’t always mean bigger, louder, or shinier 🌿🏙️  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Gelapu Mindfulness City, also known as the Anti-Dubai.

00:14Because instead of massive glass skyscrapers, supercars, and neon lights everywhere,

00:19Bhutan wants to create a city that blends in with nature.

00:23It will run along the rivers, leave room for wildlife, and feel calm and walkable.

00:28This isn't some cute little eco-pilot, though.

00:31It's a billion-dollar mega-project with some serious next-gen tech in the mix.

00:38The plan was announced at the end of 2023 as Bhutan's biggest, boldest plan to create jobs,

00:45spark new ideas, and build a modern future.

00:48It will be constructed near the town of Gelapu, and it will cover about 965 square miles,

00:55which is roughly three times the size of Singapore.

00:59What's especially interesting is the way they imagine the city itself.

01:03It's designed to stay low, open, and spread out.

01:07One of the coolest ideas is a set of 9 bridges that people won't just pass through.

01:13They'll actually live and work there.

01:15Yep, each bridge is planned like a full piece of the city.

01:18Just to give you a few examples, one bridge will include the new international airport,

01:24another will host a university, and another will serve as a hydroelectric dam.

01:29From there, the city spreads out into 11 long, ribbon-like neighborhoods that follow the natural shape of the land.

01:36They're designed to curve around all 35 rivers and streams in the area, instead of cutting them off.

01:45Now, when we hear about rivers running through a city, we usually think about flooding, right?

01:50And yes, that's a real concern there.

01:52But what's smart is that the plan works with rivers, not against them.

01:57Along the water, they want to build paddy fields in steppe-like terraces that go down the hills into the valley.

02:03These terraces slow down flood water and help hold it back.

02:07At the same time, they work like green pathways for nature.

02:10Animals can still move through the area, and even elephant roots stay open, so wildlife isn't pushed out as the city grows.

02:18Each neighborhood will be laid out like a mandala, with the same pattern repeating around a central public space.

02:25That's where people can meet up, take walks, and spend time together.

02:29The city is meant to stay close to nature, so there won't be any buildings taller than the trees.

02:34Near the wildlife sanctuaries and farmlands, the structures will be minimal and mostly residential,

02:40so those areas stay quiet and protected.

02:43Now, all of this already sounds like a super ambitious and fascinating architecture project.

02:50But what about the mindfulness part?

02:53Here's the idea.

02:54This city is supposed to reflect Bhutan's happiness-first philosophy at its core.

02:59They say Galapu Mindfulness City will focus not just on economic growth,

03:05but also on the personal well-being of every person who lives there.

03:09They want residents to live in harmony with nature, while still enjoying a modern, high-tech city.

03:15And they're planning some pretty unique things to make that real.

03:20Residents and visitors will be able to relax and meditate in green spaces designed especially for that.

03:26There will be community activities, eco-tourism, and lots of ways to slow down.

03:33The food is meant to be fully organic, electricity will come from renewable sources,

03:38and the whole city will be designed for cycling and walking, not for cars.

03:43As you've probably noticed, this isn't a small eco-experiment.

03:47And of course, just because it won't look as flashy or high-tech as Dubai,

03:52doesn't mean it's going to be cheap.

03:53Estimates say it will cost around 100 billion dollars.

03:58Yep, billion, with a B.

04:01But you might be wondering, why spend so much money on this?

04:05Is it really going to be worth it?

04:07Well, yes.

04:09And that's because this new mindfulness city might end up saving the whole country.

04:13You see, we're talking about Bhutan, a South Asian nation that is a little bigger than Maryland.

04:18It's home to fewer than 800,000 people, and about 70% of the country is covered in forest.

04:26It's a stunning remote place, what a lot of people describe as a kind of Shangri-La tucked into the Himalayas.

04:33You might know Bhutan as the land of the thunder dragon, and also as the kingdom of happiness.

04:39And there's a reason for that.

04:42This nation is known for measuring progress using something called Gross National Happiness, or GNH.

04:49Basically, money and GDP come second.

04:52They put things like spiritual well-being, cultural preservation, and environmental protection first.

04:57In Bhutan, schools and hospitals don't come with a price tag, and happiness isn't just a personal feeling.

05:05It is a national goal and a top priority.

05:08And that's not the only thing that makes this place so special.

05:12Ever since the country unified in the 17th century,

05:15they've done everything they can to protect their identity and thrive with very little outside influence.

05:20They didn't even allow tourists in until the 1970s, and TV only arrived in 1999.

05:28Actually, in that same year, Bhutan banned plastic bags, and it made headlines around the world.

05:34So even with how fast and high-tech the world is today, the country still feels peaceful and unchanged.

05:41Visitors say it feels like you've stepped into another time.

05:45And a big reason is the architecture, as most buildings are still made in their traditional style.

05:51They also follow some pretty unique rules for living in harmony with nature.

05:56For example, they're surrounded by gorgeous mountains, but you're not allowed to climb them.

06:01That's because the mountains are considered sacred, seen as the home of deities.

06:06For them, nature isn't something you conquer, it's something you respect and protect.

06:11But things changed when this fairy-tale kingdom met the modern world.

06:15Even though Bhutan is often seen as one of the happiest countries on Earth,

06:19people are leaving in unprecedented numbers.

06:22Many are moving abroad for better opportunities, and a lot of them don't come back.

06:27Estimates say around 9% of the population has left in just the last few years,

06:32mostly young people.

06:34And Australia is a big example of that.

06:37The number of Bhutanese moving there doubled between 2020 and 2024.

06:41A big part of this is happening because unemployment is rising.

06:47Tourism is one of the country's main sources of income,

06:50but it's been going downhill since we all know what happened in early 2020.

06:54In 2023, for example, Bhutan welcomed only about a third of the visitors it had in 2019.

07:01And when tourism drops that hard, it hits people directly.

07:05Lots of workers lose their jobs, and fewer new opportunities show up.

07:09So even if people feel happy living in Bhutan,

07:12a lot of them still feel pushed to live in search of a more stable future.

07:17But the authorities believe they can bring them back by creating good, well-paid jobs at home.

07:23And that's precisely where Gelapu Mindfulness City comes in.

07:27In the long run, they want this place to become a clean tech and innovation hub,

07:31bringing in global investment and giving Bhutan's economy a real lift.

07:35If everything goes as planned, it will be absolutely huge.

07:41So, tell me, are you convinced by the idea of a Mindfulness City?

07:45If so, you're probably already thinking,

07:48OK, when can I move?

07:50Well, I have to warn you, this won't pop up overnight.

07:54A project this big needs time.

07:57Gelapu Mindfulness City will be built in phases,

08:00with private partners helping fund and create everything the city needs.

08:03Roads, bridges, an airport, homes, schools, hospitals, and all kinds of businesses.

08:09The goal is that around 150,000 people could be living there within the first 7 to 10 years.

08:16And once the whole project is finished, they expect more than a million residents to move in.

08:22Estimates show it will probably take around 20 years for the city to be fully completed.

08:27But honestly, that wait might be totally worth it.

08:30Bhutan hopes this place won't just attract locals back home,

08:34but also draw in international investors.

08:37And if everything works fine, this city could reshape the country's economy

08:41and open the door to a stronger, more hopeful future for Bhutan.

08:46So, a few years ago, in 2019, folks in Australia said they liked an old idea with a new twist,

08:56using extra floodwater from the north to help dry areas in the west and south.

09:01This plan got the name of the new Branfield scheme.

09:05It was based on an old idea from the 1930s.

09:08The idea was to catch floodwater from the north and move it to the south and west.

09:13But the original plan never actually happened.

09:16Over the years, lots of experts said it wouldn't work.

09:20They thought it was too expensive and too tricky to build,

09:23even though it could potentially help fix drought problems in dry parts of Queensland.

09:28The original idea appeared a long time ago,

09:32when an engineer named John Branfield got a big idea.

09:36He wanted to take floodwater from rivers in northern Queensland

09:39and send it inland to Lake Eyrie, one of the driest spots in Australia.

09:44He planned to use dams, pumps, really big pipes,

09:47and even tunnels to transport all that water over the Great Dividing Range,

09:52a big mountain range in Australia.

09:54The biggest dam would have been called Hell's Gate,

09:57and Branfield wanted it twice as tall as what it was originally planned.

10:01This way, pumps and gravity could help move the water over the Great Dividing Range.

10:06The water would then flow south and help irrigate farmland near places like Hugendin.

10:12It would change the weather, make it rain more, and turn the dry land into green farms.

10:18Eventually, it would reach Lake Eyrie, turning the desert into a green growing area.

10:23That way, Australia could grow more food, sell it to other countries, and make more jobs.

10:29He hoped that the area could turn into a food bowl for the country.

10:32For some time, people talked about the plan a lot.

10:35They loved the idea.

10:37They thought it could change how farming worked.

10:40And some even believed that nature had already planned for the land to be filled with water.

10:45Dry rivers and lake beds were just waiting to be used.

10:48They even said that rains fell on the wrong side of the mountains,

10:52and Branfield's plan could fix that.

10:54But when the authorities looked into this idea,

10:57they found big problems.

10:58And the main one was that the plan would cost too much.

11:02Plus, there weren't enough scientists or engineers to do a full investigation.

11:07The land was too dry and harsh.

11:10No one was sure it would even work.

11:11Like, how much water would really get there?

11:14Plus, some of Branfield's measurements were wrong.

11:17Especially the dam heights.

11:19So, in 1947, they officially shut the project down.

11:24Claiming that even if they built the project, it wouldn't be worth it.

11:27After all, even places next to oceans, like parts of Chile, still stay bone dry.

11:33So, a big lake might not result in more rain.

11:37And still, in 2019, one political party brought the idea back,

11:42with an updated version called the new Branfield scheme.

11:45They wanted to try it again, but with some changes to make it work better.

11:50Their plan included the following steps.

11:52Take water from the South Johnstone, Tully, Herbert, and Burdekin Rivers.

11:58Store that water using a big dam called Hell's Gate Dam.

12:01But this time, they wanted to make the dam twice as tall as in the original plan.

12:06Let the water flow through tunnels using gravity, instead of using lots of pumps.

12:11Move the water under the mountains and into the Warrego River in southern Queensland.

12:16Use the water to grow crops in dry places south and west of Hughendon,

12:21a huge area even bigger than Tasmania, eventually turning it into a food bowl.

12:26At the same time, they didn't say how much the whole project would cost.

12:30But they promised to spend $20 million to let Australia's National Science Agency

12:35check if the plan could work.

12:38Those innovative ideas sounded good.

12:40But for over 80 years, loads of experts kept saying,

12:43Nope, it won't work.

12:45Why?

12:46Branfield said his idea would cost 40 million pounds back in 1941.

12:52That's about $3.2 billion today.

12:54But the new version of the plan might cost more than $15 billion

12:58and take over 10 years to build.

13:01Also, people who care about nature are worried.

13:04They explain that taking water away from where it usually goes

13:08could hurt animals and plants.

13:09It might let invasive plants and animals spread to new places.

13:14It might mess up rivers and oceans, where fish and other animals live.

13:18It could even hurt towns and businesses near the coast that depend on those natural water flows.

13:24Still, some people really believed in the idea and thought it was worth doing,

13:29especially to help farmers and fix drought problems.

13:32However, in 2022, the government decided to stop trying to fix the drought in western Queensland

13:38with the Branfield scheme.

13:41Experts looked closely at the plan and said it just wouldn't work.

13:45The problem?

13:46There's not enough water all the time to make it happen.

13:49Apparently, the new cost of the plan would have been over $30 billion.

13:53That's a huge amount of money.

13:55You could buy yourself a fleet of private jets and luxurious yachts.

13:59And more.

13:59So, experts said you'd need lots and lots of water to spend that kind of money.

14:05But the water just isn't there.

14:08Now, instead of one huge project, they suggested doing smaller water projects

14:13closer to where the rain and waterfalls are.

14:16These smaller projects, called mini Branfield grids,

14:20would be in four places along the Queensland coast.

14:23Those little grids could share water when some places had more or less rain.

14:27Other scientists looked at the plan too, and they agreed.

14:32Even if things went super well, the Branfield scheme would still cause problems and cost

14:36way too much, while the mini water grids project looks more plausible.

14:41They think the dry parts west of the mountains will do better without the full-scale Branfield scheme.

14:47There are easier and cheaper ways to help those places grow and get water.

14:52So, the big plan was drought, and now they're looking at smarter, smaller ideas to help with water and farming.

14:58And the matter is quite urgent.

15:01Australia is a super dry place, one of the driest places people actually live in.

15:06When there's a drought, there's not much water around.

15:09That means farms don't grow as much food, and that can cause a lot of problems.

15:14In the future, droughts are likely to happen more often and be worse.

15:18That's why it's necessary to start getting ready now.

15:23Experts are working on something called the Drought Resilience Mission,

15:27trying to figure out how to deal with droughts better in the future.

15:30One of them looked at how much droughts actually cost Australia.

15:34His research shows that droughts can hurt a lot of things.

15:38Farms, jobs, towns, and even the whole country.

15:41When there's no rain for a really long time, some towns can actually run out of water.

15:47That's called Day Zero.

15:49It's when the taps in people's houses get turned off because there's just no water left.

15:54In 2020, a town in Queensland called Stanthorpe hit Day Zero.

15:59About 50 other towns were really close, too.

16:03When such a situation happens, the only way to get water is by bringing it in with trucks.

16:08And that's super expensive.

16:10Stanthorpe had to get around 20 trucks of water every day for a year and a half.

16:16It cost them about $800,000 every month.

16:19In the end, they spent over $14 million just to have water.

16:24Luckily, it started raining again and filled the dams back up.

16:28But the authorities are working on ways to stop this kind of thing from happening again.

16:33They want to help towns be ready so they never run out of water like that.

16:38Because drought just doesn't mess with water, it can also mess with people's health.

16:43When everything dries up, plants vanish and the soil gets loose.

16:47Then the wind picks it up and makes huge dust storms.

16:50Those dust clouds can blow really far, even into such big cities as Sydney.

16:55That's what happened in 2018.

16:58The air got so bad that kids, older people, and anyone with breathing problems had to be extremely careful.

17:05The dust ruined some crops and made different foods, even fruit, unsafe to eat.

17:10That's it for today.

17:12So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

17:17Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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