Impacts of Community Based Ecotourism

IMPACTS OF CBET – ECONOMIC, SOCIO-CULTURAL & CONSERVATIONAL

Economic Impacts

CBET helps to raise local awareness on the financial value of natural & cultural sites leading to the economic development of the community of the area. One such case is that of the forest area joining the two villages of Siswan – Mirzapur  in Punjab, which is being developed not only to preserve the forests but also to improve the economical status of the local community of both these villages. The Punjab Forest Department has of late built a trek from village Siswan to Mirzapur (about 6 kms), which passes through very attractive landscapes & varied forest types. Tourists can also enjoy Bird Watching while trekking. The villagers who had immense knowledge of the flora and fauna of this area were engaged by the forest department to build this trek and were trained as guides and interpreters. They possessed knowledge about the medicinal and commercial value of certain plants there, which could be of interest to the ecotourists. Besides, they are aware of the existence and movement of the wildlife in these forests, which adds to the tourists' experience. In addition to the local cuisine, the village women are expert in making local traditional handicrafts (Phulkari embroidery of Punjab), pottery and many other articles. These can be sold as souvenirs to the tourists. All these activities together aim to increase the earnings of the local community. The Forest department is working on arranging Camel, Horse & Elephant Safaris on this trek and they also made a team of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), trek on this route.

Socio-Cultural Impacts

CBET provides for transmission of cultural and historical traditions along with preservation of local heritage. The Hidden Valley which is a privately owned Ecotourism camping adventure site in the Shivalik Foothills in Punjab is a good example of the same. It is located near the famous Mata Jainti Devi Temple in Village Jainti Majri, very close to the union territory of Chandigarh. Besides being in the pristine nature, it offers Ecotours, Tents, Trekking, various Jungle safaris like – Camel safari, Horse Safari, Mountain Biking, Bird Watching, group games in nature, Slides & Swings, Cart rides, glance of village life activities and many more. For all the above activities, the villagers are involved and they portray their country side lifestyle and culture to the visitors. Besides nature education, and socio-cultural entertainment for the visitors, this helps in uniting the villagers / local community for a common cause of conservation and livelihood. Thus, CBET here helps to revitalize culture & traditions.

Biodiversity Conservation

CBET has become a popular tool for biodiversity conservation; based on the principle that biodiversity must pay for itself by generating economic benefits, particularly for local people. CBET provides incentive for conservation. The incentive can take several forms. The ideal is a direct linkage, in which tourism earnings are so high that people deliberately protect biodiversity to protect that income. Tourism can also draw local labour and capital away from biodiversity unfriendly activities¹.

Case of Ladhakh: Himalayan Homestays, an innovative community based ecotourism program by the Snow Leopard Conservancy, was a winner of the Global Vision Awards 2005 in recognition for its “exceptionally farsighted program” that links tourism with conservation through culturally and environmentally friendly homestays. The homestays serve as a means to support local mountain communities and protect the endangered snow leopard, a species endemic to the region. The program has also transformed the common perception of the snow leopard, from that of a dangerous predator that attacks livestock to an animal whose presence draws travelers and provides important economic opportunities to villagers throughout the region. With locals now increasingly involved in efforts to protect the snow leopard, Himalayan Homestays is a model of a self-sustaining and profitable conservation program. The program aims to ensure that hosts are able to develop unique mountain experience through Homestay, and obtain a fair return for their services & investment and to contribute to conserving local, cultural & natural heritage. The men & women are trained to be village based nature guides, offering visitors short walks or day hikes to look for plants, birds & other wildlife².

The significance of CBET is based not only on its economic potential and its intention to protect resources and culture, but also in its efforts to make the indigenous people think about themselves, learn to empower themselves through the capacity-building process, and sustain their resources. CBET can transform people in positive ways by increasing their power, confidence, & environmental awareness, more than just making them richer or giving them jobs. Furthermore, active involvement & control of eco-tourism products & services by indigenous communities will benefit the indigenous people themselves. The richness & diversity of indigenous cultures & traditional knowledge is an invaluable treasure for all human   beings. People will always travel. They will have the desire to go & see the wildlife in pristine areas worldwide. In doing so, they will learn from the cultural & biological diversity of places but would also be involved in measures to protect them. At the same time, many local communities that have an abundance of unique natural & cultural features and beauty are struggling with poverty and the impact of modernization. CBET, as a new option, may well be one answer to keep the balance between sustainable development and conservation³.

References:

1.     Kiss Agnes, Is community-based ecotourism a good use of biodiversity conservation funds?, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Vol 19, No.5, May 2004, www.ibcperu.org/doc/isis/8351.pdf

2.     - www.snowleopardconservancy.org

      3. Ping Wang Jian, CBET in Northern Thailand,

           www.asianscholarship.org/asf/ejourn/.../jianping_w.pdf - Thailand