DNote Xpress, Issue #14 May 2015

Issue: #14 | May 2015

ECOTOURISM

In this issue: Ecotourism: Preserving Indigenous Cultures and Promoting Livelihood

Chhoti Haldwani – A Community Based Ecotourism Initiative

Thenmala – The First Planned Popular Ecotourism Ecotourism Destination in Destinations India

Fiinobservation of National Days

www.fiinova on.co.in

From the Mr. Soumitro Chakraborty CEO, Fiinova on (Innova ve Financial Advisors Pvt. Ltd.)

CEO’s Desk

A constantly changing climate has become the centrepoint of concern for nations across the globe. Intense debates and discussions on the need for corrective action and lowering factors that contribute to environmental problems have been going on. While we engage ourselves in bringing effective policies in place to counter climatic adversities, we also must focus on preserving our environment lent to us in its purest form.

Our social development sector experiences have taught us and shown us that ecotourism not only conserves fragile, pristine, and comparatively undisturbed natural areas but also generates revenue for the local communities in the surrounding areas. Apart from this, it also provides a platform for local communities to highlight their cultural heritage through handicrafts, art and culture, cuisine and hospitality among others.

This edition of DNote Xpress is dedicated to 'Ecotourism – Making India Incredible' keeping in mind the opportunity to promote tourism as an alternate revenue generation activity, aligning with conservation measures in eco sensitive zones. We, at Fiinovation, take pride in India's rich biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural heritage, and understand that it should not only be protected but promoted as well.

I believe ecotourism is a sustainable approach towards conservation phenomenon, as often, the economic aspect is overlooked. There is a signiď€ cant amount of expenditure that goes into the conservation measures and there is a dependency on Central and State government budgetary allocations. Another crucial aspect of conservation is creating livelihood opportunities for the local communities, in order to reduce their dependency on natural resources.

Therefore, ecotourism is an appropriate solution to this social challenge.

It is in this context that I urge governments, corporations and civil societies to promote ecotourism in India. With ecotourism, India will not only safeguard its environment, but also promote its cultural heritage and well being of the local people. I also urge individuals to become responsible travelers and safeguard the environment for others to experience.

I dedicate this month to a vision towards making India truly incredible.

01

Ecotourism: Preserving Indigenous Cultures and Promoting Livelihood India has always caught the fancy of people from around the world, so much so that migrants from different parts of the globe chose to call it home, after having moved away from their place of birth.

With the promise of endless riches, many invaders and raiders plundered India in search of wealth, leaving behind cultural footprints that got deeply embedded in India's roots, and those that form the core of its very existence even today.

Symbiosis of various cultures, over the period of time, led to the creation of a unique India that reects hues of all the cultures the country has come to know.

India's affair with its visitors has crafted a history that continues to attract attention of people globally. It's no surprise that tourism is the second largest service industry in India. Yet, it is ranked 42nd in terms of tourist arrivals across the globe. Besides being a source of foreign exchange earnings, it is an instrument of employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development.

Travelling is associated with enjoyment, adventure, relaxation and leisure. But beyond this, tourism provides an opportunity for conservation of nature along with livelihood

opportunities for local communities. The ongoing serious discussions on the degradation of forests, threats to endangered species and environment is testimony to the rising concern on depleting natural resources that once was available in abundance.

Ecotourism can be the solution to this problem, to an extent, as it helps protect nature, acknowledge natural and cultural past of a region while maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem and providing beneď€ ts to the local people.

Today, the chorus for responsible travelling is gaining ground across the world. As the concept of ecotourism promotes travelling to places with rich vegetation, animal-life and cultural inheritance, it plays a crucial role in the conservation of biodiversity and improving social well-being. It is also worth noting that ecotourism provides a traveler with an understanding of interdependency of human-life with the surrounding environment. According to the World Tourism Organization, ecotourism is one of the fastest growing markets in the travel industry.

This points to the signiď€ cant contribution towards progression of the world's economy.

02 The Indian government in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme has initiated projects to develop rural tourism through its sub brand 'Explore Rural India', of which many are ecotourism projects. With a view to maintain the sanctity of each destination, the Government of India is promoting ecotourism in less travelled areas with an emphasis on controlling the number of tourists arrival to the place. Yet, there is a lot that can be done. The corporations, especially from the tourism sector, can ensure development of ecotourism hubs catering to the needs of the travelers, and also serve as a source of income for regional people, communities, and other stakeholders which depend on the natural resources for their existence. The development of ecotourism destinations can also be a part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The Ministry of Tourism in India has set up basic guidelines to maintain the local culture, traditions and is investing efforts in its conservation, discouraging purchasing products made from endangered species, restricting access to avoid disturbing the ora and fauna, and advocating environment protection.

It is suggested that all the stakeholders, including corporations and communities, should follow the laid guidelines to ensure conservation of forest.

This can also lead to additional benets and help in:

Ÿ Increase in foreign exchange at a higher rate Ÿ Promotion of natural infrastructures leading to increased economic activities

Ÿ Regional development of the surrounding area Ÿ Increased employment opportunities for the local communities

Ÿ Conservation

of natural resources, hence preserving the identity of the target region

As ecotourism takes on a bigger role within the Indian travel space, new destinations are being explored and many destinations in India are being added to the list. Further, with the development of these regions, many inter-sector conicts can be avoided. With concerted efforts from government, corporations along with regional communities, the ecotourism industry can grow exponentially.

03

Chhoti Haldwani A Community Based Ecotourism Initiative Choti Haldwani, better known as Jim Corbett's village, is located in the Nainital District of Uttarakhand, on the Ramnagar Kaladunghi highway. The place was inaugurated by the Honorable Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 4th August, 2003 at Chunakhan, on the outskirts of Corbett Tiger Reserve. The village is home to 138 families and earn their livelihood mainly from agriculture. Some of the major attractions of the village are Corbett's house (which was converted into a museum in 1967), the 'historical gun of Tej Singh' (that Corbett gave to Tej Singh, a villager), 'Moti's house' (a house that Corbett help build for Moti, his constant companion in the Kaladhungi jungles), the wall of the village, the Chaupal (a public space), Diben Baba ji (an elderly gentleman from Corbett's time), Aranya (the community diner), the iron foundries and the boar canal which date even further back.

Objectives :

Ÿ To

take up tourism for the direct benet of the village community alongwith with conservation

Ÿ Capacity building, generation of awareness, training and workshops, documentation and eld research in the eld of ecotourism

Strategy:

Ÿ Mobilisation

and consultations with local community members to promote the place as an ecotourism hub

Ÿ Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti (formed in 2002) implemented the project at the village level - to conduct meetings, generate income and help organise visits to tourist spots

Ÿ Identication of the Unique Selling Point (USP) of the village (Corbett Heritage Trail) Ÿ Undertaking other supporting activities such as training of people as guides, identifying home stays, establishing a souvenir shop and an information kiosk

Impact:

Ÿ Creation of new jobs and additional supplementary sources of livelihood with the promise of more opportunities

Ÿ Direct engagement of 30 people through the initiative Ÿ Increase in number of tourists to more than 1000 annually Ÿ Ensured equal distribution of prots by sending a portion of income from all activities to the Samiti

Ÿ Increased awareness about natural and cultural heritage and tourism issues in local communities

04

Thenmala The First Planned Ecotourism Destination in India Situated at about 72 kms away from Thiruvananthapuram, Thenmala has gained popularity due to its unique vistas, bio-diversity and functioning. This ecotourism destination is managed by Thenmala Ecotourism Promotional Society, which is an undertaking of the Government of Kerala. It offers equal opportunities for fun, adventure, leisure and learning the signicance and necessity of eco-friendly measures for promoting tourism related activities.

Objectives :

Ÿ To

develop Thenmala dam and its surroundings as a major tourist destination

Ÿ To promote ecotourism on the basis of sound principles of ecological sustainability in the surrounding areas

Ÿ To have a well planned tourist destination with emphasis on sustainable tourism development so as to become a model for other destination development programmes

Process and Strategy :

Ÿ Discussions among local communities and civic authorities to control mass tourism in the outskirts of the sanctuary Ÿ Establishment of the Thenmala Eco-Tourism Promotional Society Ÿ Co-ordination with Forest Department, the Irrigation Department and Tourism Department for implementation of various activities in association with each department

Ÿ Private initiatives undertaken in surrounding areas such as providing accommodation, transportation facility etc. Ÿ Development of attractive tourist activities such as trekking, bird watching trails etc. through the institution of Eco-development Committees / Participatory Forest Management Committees

Ÿ Organising environment impact assessment for the destination and the satellite spots by Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) Impact :

Ÿ Conservation of sensitive ecosystems Ÿ Made alternative livelihood available

to local communities including 15 guides, reducing destruction and dependency on forests

Ÿ Ensured protection of forests from poachers and other illegal encroachers

Ÿ Facilitated

revenue generation for conservation of natural resources for the benet of locals and enhanced ecotourism experience

05

Popular Ecotourism Destinations Kabini, Nagarhole National Park Kabini, Nagarhole National Park, is an ideal setting for an eagerly awaited vacation on the serene backwaters of the River Kabini. The place was once the hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore, and has been rated as one of the top ve wildlife resorts/eco lodge in the world by the British Tattler's Travel Guide.

Parambikulam Parambikulam, Palghat, a popular wildlife sanctuary, is one of the best ecotourism spots in Kerala. The destination is spread across 277 sq. kms amidst a range of hills. The region plays host to scientically managed teak plantation while the Kannimara Teak tree is the tallest and the oldest at 350 years. The retreat attracts the likes of wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers and botanists. Around 250 species of birds have been identied in the sanctuary. The place has an incredible oral diversity with 1320 species of owering plants to its credit.

Hodka Mawlynnong Mawlynnong, referred to as 'God's own garden' has won the title of being the cleanest village in Asia in 2003. It is a community based ecotourism initiative, known for its cleanliness, and is located around 90 kms from Shillong. The community has collectively made the effort to maintain the ambience of a clean village. The destination is endowed with natural beauty and offers treks to the famous living root bridge at a neighbouring village Riwai. Besides this, the getaway is home to natural balancing rock which is a sight to behold.

Hodka located in the district of Rann of Kutch, lies at the centre of the Banni grassland in Gujarat. It offers a perfect experience of rural India and connects the tourists to the cultural spirit of the local communities. The painstaking efforts of the local communities has turned the area into a picturesque locale with traditional Bhungas (mud houses) adorning the village. It is replete with architecture and arts, music and dance, textiles and cuisine, unique panoramas and topography.

Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia, is popularly called Diver's Paradise for its exclusive dive resort and conservation centre. It is cocooned in an archipelago of uninhabited islands. At the very core of marine biodiversity lies the private resort island. Surrounded by 1220 sq km (465 sq mi/300,000 acre) Marine Protected Area the island and the scuba diving sites are truly a paradise for marine lovers.

Belize, Central America Belize's topography compels visitors from far off places to visit the country, located in Central America. It is bestowed with vast water bodies and exotic marine life. Visitors ock to the destination to experience the natural surroundings which offers opportunity to explore lagoons, caves, waterfalls, rivers, wetlands, channels and reefs. Unspoiled by external intervention, the place shelters exotic birds, three species of sea turtles, three types of dolphins, river otters and one of the largest manatee population in the world.

A major tourist attraction is water excursion that includes sailing, snorkeling and kayaking, allowing divers access to the animal's native habitats.

06

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Food for Thought...

As per Ministry of Tourism, India earned over Rs 3.22 lakh crore worth of foreign exchange through tourism in the last three years.

The growth rate of ecotourism in India is 15 to 20 percent With 514 wildlife sanctuaries and 100 national parks, India is becoming a hub for ecotourism (As per Ministr y of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2009) In 60 countries, tourism is the number one export, of which ecotourism captures 20 to 25 percent of total travel As per Tourism Satellite Account of India 2009-10 and subsequent estimation, the employment generated through the tourism sector during 2010-11, 201112 and 2012-13 were 57.94 million, 62.04 million and 66.96 million respectively.

Hear the Inuencers Speak...

"Responsible and sustainable tourism should develop skills and take into consideration the reality of the human footprint, tourism's social economic as well as its environmental impact."

- Sibongumusa Ngidi, Chief Director for the Department of Na onal Tourism, South Africa

"The tourism sector has been increasingly recognized as a key engine for economic growth, especially in developing and least developed countries. It is not only responsible for a signicant share of world GDP (5%) and employment (6-7%), but is also an important source of foreign investment reaching as much as 30% of the world service's exports. The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020.”

- Luigi Cabrini, Director for Sustainable Development of Tourism, World Tourism Organiza on

"Denitely, the biggest challenge that the global tourism sector faces is sustainability. Sustainable tourism development is as much about protecting the environment and societies as it is about creating wealth in destinations through lucrative and long-lasting tourism enterprises."

- Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, World Tourism Organiza on

"Manipur and other north eastern states have huge potential for tourism. The tourism industry requires little investment but gets maximum returns. Everyone from tea sellers, taxi drivers to small homestay owners all can earn their livelihood through tourism."

-Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India

"It was like heaven on earth, and almost immediately, I found this opportunity to purchase an island there. The aim is to reverse environmental damage from overshing, deforestation and an eroding coastline. The focus is to do something that will change the world, I couldn't have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something like this, if it weren't for the idea it could be groundbreaking in the environmental movement."

- Leonardo Di Caprio, Actor, UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change

07

Fiinobservation of National Days International Labour Day

World Press Freedom Day

1ⁿ May

3 May

International Biological Diversity Day 22ⁿ May

India is slated to become the youngest country in the world by 2020. With 1.2 billion people and the world’s fourth-largest economy, India’s growth has been powered by many hands that came together to achieve this dream. Out of this, some have been acknowledged while others continued to work in anonymity. These “unsung heroes” are our labourers.

The rst May Day celebration in India was organised in Madras by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on 1st May, 1923. This was also the rst time the red ag was used in India.

It is estimated that India will add about 13 million new workers every year to its labour pool. We should envisage an India where no labourer should have to lead a life in penury for want of opportunities and where their standing in society is decided on the work they do. Let’s salute our workers for investing their efforts in lending a strong foundation to the nation. They deserve dignity of life and respect as much as any other working class in our society.

Freedom of the press is the freedom of communication and expression through mediums including various electronic media and published materials (Sour ce: Wikipedia). Every year on 3rd May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is observed as World Press Freedom Day. This day is said to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom of press, assess its state throughout the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Media is not only a mirror of the society, it works towards informing and educating people and act as a medium of communication between various channels of society. It holds great power as it has the ability to change a culture and sway public opinion in a particular direction. Setting limitations upon the press as to what kind of information they can and cannot share, greatly intrudes upon their freedom. Unless this whole structure of ownership and control in the media is changed, the press cannot be free in the real sense.

There are 10 to 14 millions of species living on earth, all of which are integral part of our ecosystem. With more than 7 billion population, we humans are the dominant species on the planet. What makes us different from the rest of is our ability to think. Our continuous quest for progress led us to witness industrial revolution and since then we have remained unstoppable.

Realising the importance of safeguarding the environment, the world stands together to take initiatives for protecting the natural habitat of millions of species. One such initiative is International Biodiversity Day which is dedicated to spreading awareness regarding issues related to biological diversity in the world. In December 2000, UNGA adopted 22nd May as International Biological Diversity Day with the view to conserve biological diversity of the planet. In India, we use the phrase "Anekta mein ekta" for signifying the importance of unity and it's time to use the same phrase in context of biological diversity and implement it in our development initiatives.

About Fiinovation Fiinovation, a research based organization, is an integrated solution enabler in the CSR and sustainability domain. It is focused towards enhancing quality across organizational value chain through meaningful innovation thereby ensuring sustainability. It is Asia's rst proposal research laboratory wherein research is focused primarily on four sectors, which include health, education, livelihood and environment. The practices CSR Portfolio Management (CPM), CSR-CSO Partnership, Initiative Design, Initiative Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Impact Assessment and Sustainability Reporting help provide simple solutions to their partners.

Fiinovation 24/30, Ground Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III New Delhi - 110020 Phone: 011-42332200 | Fax : 011-42332205 website: www.inovation.co.in | Email: media@inovation.co.in