Green piece: A look at eco-tourism as a means to fight climate crisis
The older generation of Indians who protected forests and wildlife as part of their every culture, are declining.
As the G20 converges to discuss eco-tourism today, the need to think about this over-used term has never been greater. In a nutshell, ecotourism is specifically for appreciating the local biodiversity, culture and nature.
But isn’t eco-tourism also a means to fight climate crisis?
The older generation of Indians who protected forests and wildlife as part of their every culture, are declining. Today, most Indians do what can be monetized. Ecotourism, if done well, will pay for conservation and the enormous efforts that it needs.
Doing this well is predicated on emphasising three essentials in our current economic paradigm. First, more locals must have a significant stake in eco-tourism, beyond menial work. They must own assets. This is the case in Dhanaulti, where most farmers earn the year’s income during the summer.
Doing this requires focussed capacity building and mentoring for locals, not just entrepreneurs.
Second, tourists must understand that minor inconveniences are part of the experience, because conserving nature is at the center. Why would ecotourism in a desert include showers instead of buckets? Would that not be depriving someone else of precious water? Today, we have in our arsenal the powerful tool of LIFE (Lifestyles for the Environment), which should guide us to find solutions. Embracing frugality as a happy adventure can happen only with widespread campaigns. Finally, because of carrying capacity issues, more locations should be encouraged to explore eco-tourism instead of burdening one hotspot and making it unsustainable. The G20 can surely deliver these and more guidelines as a gift to the planet.
(The writer is founder and director Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group)
