Social Ecology of Immigrant Population and Changing Urban Landscape of Thimphu, Bhutan

Chand Raghubir

Journal of Urban and Regional Studies on Contemporary India

This study addresses social-ecological dynamics in the capital city of Thimphu of Bhutan with focus on the immigrant population. Like other developing countries, Bhutan is experiencing rapid urban expansion mainly due to immigration from rural to urban areas. Internal migration has led to major socio economic and demographic changes in the Bhutanese cities. This paper explicates the urbanization of the capital city and my empirical analysis is based on the sample survey of 251 immigrant households of Thimphu town surveyed in 2010. The analysis is carried to study the variables such as gender, age, occupation and educational characteristics. The living conditions of sample households and their attachment with the place of origin with frequency of visits along with the year of migration and reasons for migration are also captured to interpret the changing urban landscape and social ecology of Thimphu. The results thus acquired are likely to be used for the future planning of the capital city of Bhutan.

social ecology

immigrant population

urban landscape

urbanization process

living conditions

Economics [ 330 ]

eng

The Center for Contemporary India Studies, Hiroshima University

(c) 2017 The Center for Contemporary India Studies, Hiroshima University

[ISSN] 2188-5222