|
Eco-tourism is a recent concept in the field of most
rapidly growing and most dynamic sector of tourism and
is popular with the present day tourists who are quite
conscious of concepts such as ecological balance and
environmental stability. The World Tourism Organisation
(WTO) defines eco-tourism as “tourism that involves
travelling to relatively undisturbed natural areas with
the specified object of studying, admiring and enjoying
the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as
any existing cultural aspects (both of the past or the
present) found in these areas”. According to the
International Eco-tourism Society this is “Responsible
travel, which conserves environments and sustains the
well being of local people”. Eco-tourism or Nature
tourism is distinguished from resort tourism or mass
tourism by requiring lesser infrastructure development
and a lower impact on the environment.
The key elements of eco-tourism are:
|
1) |
Existence of National Park /
Sanctuary / natural environment as a prime,
star attraction. |
|
2) |
Should be ecologically,
socially, culturally and economically
sustainable. |
|
3) |
Should have participation of
the local stake-holders (host community). |
|
4) |
Should be a low profile
venture. |
|
5) |
Should be capable of
dovetailing in the existing tourism of the
State. |
The main objectives of promoting
eco-tourism are to increase awareness among the people
towards the better environment and the need for a more
sustainable way of life on earth. The environmental
ethic underlined this statement is best expressed by the
Kenyan proverb: “We do not inherit the earth from our
parents, we borrow it from our children.” implying
the need to sustain the world resources not only for the
present generations but also for future generations.
The benefits of eco-tourism are as
follows:
|
1) |
It generates local income. |
|
2) |
It reduces alleviate poverty
and reduces the rates of poaching and
deforestation. |
|
3) |
By making natural assets, the
central pieces of the economy, it heightens
environmental awareness among both the local
people and visitors. |
|
4) |
It provides recreation for
general people. |
|
5) |
It imparts education to
students and others about the nature,
forests and environment. |
In India, the tourism industry has lapped
the opportunity to showcase its natural wealth to
national and international audience. Sundarban, home
of the Royal Bengal Tiger, is the ideal destination for
nature loving tourists. Sundarban is the largest
intertidal area of approximately 26000 sq. kms. formed
by the meeting of two great river systems, Ganges and
Brahmaputra with the Bay of Bengal along India and
Bangladesh. It is the largest delta in the world and
harbours the largest chunk of mangrove vegetation on
earth. The Indian part of Sundarban covers an area of
9630 sq. kms, bounded between estuary of river Hooghly
on the West to Ichhamati-Raimangal in the East, Bay of
Bengal in the South.
The forest area consists of a group of
islands which are about 48 in number, interspersed by
innumerable rivulets, tidal rivers, creeks and is
covered with thick and impenetrable mangrove forests
which are known for their environmental adaptation
limits.
Sundarban has very rich biodiversity of
mangrove flora and fauna. The area contains sixty-four
mangrove species, which is the highest in one area. It
is a peaceful shelter of many endangered and threatened
species like Royal Bengal Tiger, Estuarine Crocodile,
Salvator Lizard, Grey Water Monitor, Batagur Terrapin.
It provides nesting ground for endangered marine turtles
like Olive Ridley, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle,
aquatic mammals like Gangetic Dolphin, migratory birds
like Curlew, Golden Pelican, Sea Eagle, Winbird, Giant
Heron. Hermit crabs are the “living fossil” breed on
mudflats of Sundarban.
Approximately, a population of 3.7
million inhabit this vast saline tract which consists of
54 numbers of low lying conglomeration of islands
interconnected through tidal rivers, creeks and
marshes. People are poor; subsist on single-crop
agriculture, other agricultural activities, fishing,
honey and wood collection from the forests. In absence
of gainful alternative employment, they depend on
traditional skills to earn their livelihood and depend
largely on harvesting natural resources and sometimes
migrate nearby towns and districts for seasonal
employment. They live in reclaimed areas, which are
surrounded by earthen dams and dykes that stop tidal
water from flowing into the inhabited land and suffer
from hurricane and ravages of stormy wind.
The population living in the fringes of
forests have been brought into the fold of Forest
Department by forming Forest Protection Committees (FPC)
and Eco Development Committees (EDC) as part of
Participatory Forestry Management. There are 60 such
committees in the whole of Sundarbans. The members of
FPCs and EDCs regularly participate in the protection of
Forests and Wildlife.
Sundarban has always attracted the
attention of man world over. The UNESCO declared the
Indian Sundarbans, as Biosphere Reserve under Man &
Biosphere Programme in 1989, which has been
subsequently declared as Global Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO in November 2001. The Man & Biosphere
Programme launched in 1971 is a World Wide Programme of
International Scientific Cooperation dealing with
people-environment interactions in the whole range of
bio-climatic and geographic region of the biosphere.
The Mangrove forest area of 4263 sq. km.
is spread over in two administrative units namely
Sundarban Tiger Reserve and 24-Parganas (South) Division.
There are three Wildlife sanctuaries namely
Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Lothian Wildlife
Sanctuary and Holiday Wildlife Sanctuary and one
National Park namely Sundarban National Park. The
whole mangrove forest area has been declared as
Reserved Forest. The Reserved Forest on the eastern
side of Matla River has been declared as a Tiger
Reserve under Project Tiger scheme of Govt. of India
in the year 1973. The Sundarban National Park area is
also declared as World Heritage Site (WHS) in 1989.
The Sundarban Wetland is also likely to get the status
of Ramsar Site very soon.
The Sundarban is the world’s largest
mangrove delta, and a place of rare beauty and
tranquillity. This dynamic ecosystem now holds the
largest single tiger ( Panthera Tigris)
population in the world, as well as a host of other
mammals, avians, reptiles, marine fauna and
invertebrates. No one who visits the Sundarbans can
possibly go away unmoved. This archipelago of 102
islands interspersed by tidal rivers and creeks feels
primeval. The inaccessibility has probably made this
mangrove delta the world’s safest place for tigers; this
also harbours the richest inter-tidal biodiversity in
the world. |
|
