Centre releases list of 90 potential eco-tourism sites, looks for a global eco-tourism destination | India News

NEW DELHI: As part of the Centre’s larger goal to promote sustainable eco-tourism through the site-specific plan, the environment ministry has released an indicative list of 90 potential eco-tourism sites in the country with the highest nine sites being identified in Gujarat followed by seven in Himachal Pradesh, five in Karnataka and four each in Assam, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
Though all these sites in the list of 90 are protected areas including popular national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, the ministry does not rule out the possibility of having eco-tourism sites in the community and private forests outside the protected areas if states identify it in the future while adhering to specific parameters.
Identification of potential sites is one of the eight implementation strategies of the ministry’s eco-tourism guidelines which lays a framework for practicing and promoting sustainable eco-tourism by maximizing outputs that support nature and natural resources in their original forms. These strategies are part of the ministry’s ‘Guidelines on Sustainable Eco-Tourism in Forest and Wildlife Areas 2021’, released in October last year.

Sharing the 11-page guidelines, the ministry has asked states and UTs to prepare a plan for every eco-tourism site keeping in view its five key objectives including enhancing the “potential of India as a global eco-tourism destination”. The ministry in its note to states/UTs said the “overall goal” of these guidelines is promoting a better understanding of nature and wildlife conservation while “generating income and opportunities for the local communities in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable manner”.

The prominent sites in the list of 90 include Gir National Park & Gir landscape in Gujarat, Morni Hills in Haryana, Pong Dam Lake in Himachal Pradesh, Dalma WLS in Jharkhand, Cauvery WLS in Karnataka, Silent Valley national park (NP) in Kerala, National Chambal WLS in Madhya Pradesh, Thane Creek Flamingo WLS in Maharashtra, Beas Conservation Reserve in Punjab, Chilika WLS in Odisha, Mount Abu WLS in Rajasthan, Gulf of Mannar Marine NP in Tamil Nadu, Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand, Neora Valley NP in West Bengal, Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh and Bhagwan Mahavir WLS in Goa.

Besides identification of potential sites through a participatory process involving stakeholders, particularly the local communities, the other seven strategies to implement the 2021 guidelines include funding support such as non-repayable loans and guarantees, start-up grants and marketing of eco-tourism places; use of information technology; capacity building; benefit-sharing through community-based eco-tourism and entrepreneurship; review; monitoring and education & outreach.

The guidelines note that the eco-tourism may be developed in and around designated sites in the forest and wildlife-rich areas and ex-situ conservation areas, and such designated sites may include sites of biological, geographical, geophysical, and eco-heritage importance such as mangroves, sacred groves, mudflats, beaches, streams, wetlands, waterfalls, rivers, hills, caves, etc.
Noting that many potential eco-tourism sites can be located in public, community, and private forests outside the protected areas, the ministry in its note to states/UTs said its guidelines would be “applicable to eco-tourism sites falling in all forest and wildlife areas irrespective of the ownership of the land”.
On preparing an eco-tourism plan, the ministry has asked states/UTs to appropriately demarcate the “eco-tourism zone” after assessing management requirements of the target wildlife, the habitat or the geographical entity, and their behavioral and ecological characteristics. It said the “eco-tourism zonation” will particularly ensure that the ecological integrity of the site, including breeding areas of wildlife and tribal habitations remain protected. “The zonation will also ensure that safeguards provided in the Forest Rights Act, 2006 are fully respected,” said the guidelines.
It also emphasizes that the eco-tourism site will be developed only in eco-tourism zones and in an eco-friendly manner. “Any ecotourism facility or structure on forest lands shall be subject to the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980. However, no permanent structure shall be made /constructed to create ecotourism facility/structure, but temporary structures/facilities made predominantly of natural material of local origin may be allowed in Protected Area or on forest land,” said the ministry.
Allowing homestay in eco-tourism sites, it said such facilities managed by local communities on non-forest land will be promoted, and asked states/UTs to develop benchmarks/ standardized criteria, based on site-specificity, for the adoption of best practices in eco-tourism including sustainable ecological management of the site.