Tiger Tourism Pros & Cons
In the tiger lands or the reserves, tourism is the butt of contention for its detractors. Yes, there appears to be a small tribe that includes some officials and a few organizations who do not believe that any form of recreation is deserving in our tiger reserves.
Alternate tourism in the buffer or now eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) does not seem to be promising and could reduce tourism to naught sinking local economies back to primitive status as before the advent of tourism. This area is subject to biotic and abiotic pressures on its limited resources and space.
Although cumbersome legal interventions in the past were unwarranted the impact has been remedial as far as the dangers of extractive or mass tourism are concerned. This does not imply that legal battles are imperative.
The credit for reducing carbon footprints in the reserves by restricting mass tourism goes to the sagacity of our legal system and wildlife managers - the wise men that are at the helm. Equity is of utmost importance as far as the preservation of natural lands and its denizens are concerned and tourism accords it without fail. This also clears the fact that what pays stays, a harsh reality indeed.
The reserves generate a lot of revenue from tiger safari and the funds are plowed back into conservation activities managed by local labor, and regular and permanent staff. Fund flow as salaries providing livelihood.
The tiger reserves are remotely situated but not far removed, most of them are engulfed by dense humanity in the surrounding livestock included. Well-fed people respond better to natural surroundings the fragile ecosystems. Thus economic activities can never be thwarted or subdued beyond a limit.
Tiger tourism in India has proved benign, for years of inception, no noticeable damage has occurred in the ecosystems. On the contrary big cat population and prey, density has increased and habitat recovery is noticeable. The recent entry caps have further assured the validity of preservation laws.
Thus the vision of detractors is at best myopic and seems to ignore the harsh reality of a free economy. All income generation activities are for survival and thus unavoidable. We can at best regulate and restrict in order to save the environment and the local infrastructure from the immense pressures of mass tourism.
Tourism in Tiger Reserves
Tiger Tourism is already regulated, the permit system and cap on vehicle entry are all environmentally friendly measures that substantially reduce carbon footprints. Fewer vehicles on drive mitigate pressure on wildlife and enhance the safari experience as well.
Mass extractive tourism is always a threat to the local environment where the environmental consequences are oft-ignored. This is due to the belief that mass tourism augurs immense benefits to the local economy in spite of exploitative tourism practices. But in a rich man's world where travel is a privilege of the upper crust more in the post-vaccine rollout era, the tourism hot spots are turning back into an unmanageable hub of activities. Paradoxically unregulated tourism is the biggest damage monger to the environment and to the local infrastructure.
In natural places by local infrastructure, we should not restrict ourselves to roads and bridges and the concrete structures that eventually crop up. The ecology-rich areas and natural resources come under the purview of local infrastructure, and the maximum damage occurs here...irrevocable in most cases.
Tiger Tourism Concerns & Remedies
No pressure should be exerted upon crucial aquatic systems, deforestation should not take place, agrarian practices should improve but not expanded, livestock rearing should be organized such that biotic pressures are mitigated, urbanization is the bane of eco-sensitive areas and alternate habitation should be encouraged.
Prevention of debilitating industrial activities is of utmost importance in order to prevent deforestation and pollution. Commercial activity should be nature-oriented like encouragement to arts and crafts. Local hospitality ancillaries are vital for tourism everywhere hence monopoly should be discouraged. Real estate exploitation is a reality in such hot spots nevertheless the tribal lands are well protected by law.
All this appears to have been copied straight from some ecologist's write up but this is beside the point. The desire to move in the perceived right direction is stressed out here. This article simply points to a rethink as far as wilderness management is concerned in India.
Threats & Perceptions
The Threat Remains in Buffer Zones. The term buffer zone itself is defeatist in nature with no remedial action deemed possible. Considered as a leftover fragment of the intact ecosystem in the core this is where livestock rearing and agrarian practices are permissible. Space is also for the survival of sink populations of wild animals chiefly the tiger. But cohabitation in modern times at best seems a romantic illusion. Some species are very sensitive to human interventions and animals like the swamp deer for example cannot simply survive in the buffer. Sturdy wildlife does survive in green pockets in stressful circumstances giving rise to man-animal conflict. Tourism in the buffer is another plus point.
Although the translocation of human settlements in the outer ring or buffer appears to be an instant panacea this is not a pragmatic approach. Alternatives have to be found for better preservation of the reserve keeping in place the inviolate area or core as sacrosanct.
Small or large-scale industrial activities have not yet entered most of the reserves I have visited, but the threat remains. Our belief that urbanization is development in terms of concrete infrastructure and economy is mired in fallacy. The policymakers see all regions including the places of natural importance as uniform entities and thus insidious urbanization is creeping in. With no alternate framework specific to places of natural importance the die is cast.
Exploitation: Corollary to Mass Tourism
Mass or extractive tourism is often linked to the exploitation of local resources and manpower. This stands true in most circumstances but this corollary does not apply to the tiger reserves or protected areas in India with restrictive and regulated tourism.
Low salaries and extensive working hours as some point out are due to capitalism is not the case in the reserves. If there are such instances then competition is a great leveler and hard-working locals who grasp diverse skills are not facing any problems and their status is at best robust. As a matter of fact, due to empowerment, the local youth is moving out to cities for better opportunities.
Small is Good
In this writing up there is a message for wildlife resorts that large establishments will never see the daylight. In keeping with environmental concerns, vehicle entry limits are not going to be enhanced. Hence room requirements would be low-scale except in the rush.
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| Courtyard House Kanha - Responsible Lodge |
Creating a small establishment or responsible lodge is the order of the day. It has become imperative to keep accommodations small. Perhaps a larger establishment would need to bring down the number of rooms. This will help reduce carbon footprints and improve nature in the surroundings.
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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, environmental issues.
He also provides SEO and Website Contents in English. He teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in Summers.
He can be contacted at:
Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
Mob: 09755089323
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