ECOTOURISM AND PROTECTED AREAS: CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY, PILOTED IN SATKOSIA R. Raghu Prasad Joint Project Director, Orissa Forestry Sector Development Project, SFTRI Campus, Bhubaneswar 751003 [email protected]ABSTRACT Community based Ecotourism is a strategic component which is being piloted for in few Protected Areas in Orissa that aims to enhance livelihoods of forest dependent communities. The participatory processes that were piloted in Satkosia Tiger Reserve have demonstrated to park managers and policy makers, for the first time in Orissa, the relevance of Community based Ecotourism as an effective tool in PA management. Experiential learning through the process of piloting ecotourism provides the opportunity for lessons learnt to be taken into account during replication elsewhere. The involvement of the community in ecotourism initiatives have bridged the gap that existed between the forest dwellers and the PA management. The community has started envisaging the benefits that would accrue to them through ecotourism by keeping the biodiversity intact and by supporting conservation of the natural areas surrounding their villages. The success of the Ecotourism initiatives in the Satkosia reflects the concern for achieving a balance between conservation of the sanctuary and livelihood of people living in and around it. Models and methodologies generated in Satkosia Tiger Reserve are now being replicated elsewhere in the State, while recognizing that the process and protocols will continually evolve with experience and in response to new challenges. INTRODUCTION Orissa State in East India has a wealth of natural forests that range from coastal mangroves in the Bay of Bengal to dry and moist types of tropical deciduous forests in the Eastern Ghats. Approximately 37% of the State is classified as forest, including a well-planned network of protected areas (PAs) that comprises 2 national parks and 18 sanctuaries. Much of the remaining forest is under huge pressure from forest fires, livestock grazing, shifting cultivation, wildlife poaching, and collection of fuel wood, timber and other forest products. Major initiatives are underway in Orissa to conserve its forest biodiversity. The Forest Department has been focusing on reducing the dependence of local communities on forests through participatory approaches to forest management and promoting alternative livelihoods. Community based Ecotourism is a strategic component which is being piloted for in few sanctuaries in Orissa that aims to enhance livelihoods of forest dependent communities. The participatory processes that were piloted in Satkosia Tiger Reserve have demonstrated to park managers and policy makers, for the first time in Orissa, the relevance of Community based Ecotourism as an effective tool in PA management. This paper describes the experiential learning processes and mechanisms evolved and upscaled in Orissa to engage forest communities in planning and managing ecotourism enterprises, while protecting biodiversity in the adjacent or surrounding PA. Principles and mechanisms for prioritizing the livelihood needs of those most dependent on forest resources are defined, along with the processes necessary to forge robust and effective
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ECOTOURISM AND PROTECTED AREAS: CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY, PILOTED IN SATKOSIA
Fundamental to the community based ecotourism model is the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding
between the protected area management and the local community (EDC) that defines the relationship between
parties, in terms of their respective responsibilities and the distribution of financial benefits accruing from the
venture (Box 1). It is particularly important to ensure that the revenue benefits those running the venture (ecotourism
group), the wider local community (EDC) and the conservation of the resource (biodiversity) upon which it is
dependent. Thus, financial mechanisms need to be instituted whereby varying proportions of the revenue are
distributed between those running the ecolodge, the local EDC and the protected area management. (Green et al,
2010).
A variety of benefit sharing models has been developed in other PAs in India, Periyar Tiger Reserve, for
example which is acknowledged for its successful development of community based ecotourism. The benefit sharing
model will be specific for each ecotourism venture and will depend on various factors namely, type of venture
(accommodation, trekking, boating, catering, nature camps, guides etc), period of operation and institutional
arrangements. In order to provide an equitable benefit sharing between the Ecotourism group, the village EDC and
conservation initiatives, a benefit sharing model was evolved for Nature Camp, Tikarpada through discussions with
various stakeholders and was proposed to be implemented from 2011 onwards, (Table 5). Accordingly 50 % of
Box 1 – MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN
FORESTS AND ENVIORNMENT DEPARTMENT AND ECOTOURISM/ECODEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES FOR
COMMUNITY-MANAGED ECO-LODGES
A MoU should be define the relationship between the Forest Department and EDC, whereby ownership and/or management of an
eco-lodge is entrusted to an EDC in return for providing certain facilities and services to agreed standards and principles of ecotourism.
It may be complemented by a Service Level Agreement in which services are quantified in more detail and reviewed annually.
Both parties are partners sharing a common interest: to protect the natural resource base upon which ecosystem services and,
therefore, local livelihoods depend.
The responsibilities of each partner are defined, the role of the Forest Department being advisory and facilitative, while that of the EDC is to oversee management of the eco-lodge.
Gross income generated from the eco-lodge and ancillary facilities and services, or net income after deduction of running costs (e.g. food, fuel, cleaning materials etc)2, may be shared as suggested below:
o 20% lodge maintenance, development and staff training fund; o 10% PA welfare/development fund;
o 10% EDC fund for distribution among EDC members for promotion of other IGAs; and
o 60% wages of eco-lodge employees. Where wages exceed Rs.2,5003 per employee in a month, the balance may be shared equally (33.33%) between the PA welfare/development fund, EDC fund and employees.
The accounts should be professionally audited annually.
Provisions should include certain reciprocal conservation management commitments on the part of the EDC, such as
recording/monitoring wildlife encountered while guiding nature walks, reporting incidences of poaching and fire, and protecting
an area adjacent to the facility from encroachment and fire.
Services provided by the EDC additional to running the eco-lodge should include guided trips (by boat, non-mechanised vehicle,
on foot or elephant) with interpretation of the local history, culture and biodiversity.
gross revenue will be used for recurring and non-recurring expenditure of the nature camp, to be done by the
ecotourism group which manages the camp. The remaining 50% of the profit will be shared between 3 stakeholders.
Table:5. Proposed benefit sharing for Nature Camp, Tikarpada
Expenditure (50%) Recurring 35 %
Non recurring (Corpus fund) 15 %
Profit (50%) Ecotourism group members (TIPPS) 30 %
Eco-development Committee 10 %
Satkosia Ecotourism Society 10 %
Table: 6. Projected income and expenditure based on proposed benefit sharing mechanism
Unit cost as Rs. 750 per tourist / day
Benefit sharing Share
in %
50% bookings
on full capacity
[1800 tourist
days]
60% bookings on
full capacity [2160
tourist days]
70% bookings
on full capacity
[2540 tourist
days]
80% bookings
on full capacity
[2880 tourist
days]
Recurring expenditure
[35%]
35% 4,72,500 5,67,000 6,66,750 7,56,000
Corpus fund [15%] 15% 2,02,500 2,43,000 2,85,750 3,24,000
NB: Full capacity: 12 tents x 2 persons x 5 months = 3600 tourist days
COMPREHENSIVE ECOTOURISM PLAN FOR SATKOSIA
Based on the experiences gained in implementing the pilot community based ecotourism initiative, a
need was felt for evolving a comprehensive ecotourism plan for Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Many villagers within the
PA started demanding an ecotourism venture as the profits from these activities are much higher than other
livelihood activities promoted under various eco-development or poverty alleviation schemes. Accordingly under
the OFSDP, a comprehensive vision for community-based ecotourism strategy was developed (Box.2), for Satkosia
Tiger Reserve, keeping in view the needs of various stakeholders viz, the protected area and its biodiversity, local
community, park management and the visitors. (Green, et al. 2010).
Box 2 –ECOTOURISM VISION PLAN FOR SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE
A variety of destinations, accommodation and activities are available to visitors, sufficient for at least a week’s duration that can be filled with different experiences.
Visitors enter the Sanctuary by vehicle and alight at Pumakote, Tikarapada or Baliput where accommodation is available in eco-
lodges. Those wishing to visit other parts of the Tiger Reserve may travel between destinations by non-polluting, quiet forms of
transport. Potential options available for travel, developed as part of the ecotourism experience, are by foot, bicycle, rickshaw,
traditional fishing boat and bullock cart. Personal luggage is carried in back packs, using locally hired porters if required, in the case of travel on foot or cycling (mountain bikes).
A variety of accommodation is available, notably eco-lodges, nature camps and home-stays, all of which are run by members of local communities. A centralized on-line booking system is available at http://www.satkosia.org/.
Tea/curio shops, providing drinks, snacks, picture postcards and prints of the local natural/cultural heritage, maps, guide books and
local handicrafts, are to be found in villages, especially those located strategically between destinations.
A range of activities in and around destinations are available to visitors, including: guided nature walks/treks on foot, guided visits
to sites of cultural interest, cycling, traditional angling by boat with local fisherman, paddling/travelling with fisherman in their traditional boats, learning local handicrafts, teaching skills to villagers, sitting up at night with villagers in machans to see wildlife or
scare off elephant and wild boar from raiding their crops, and being received as guests in village homes.
Ecotourism facilities are run by EDCs in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Forest Department that incorporates standards and criteria to be met, in conformity with ecotourism principles and the policies and regulations pertaining to
the tiger Reserve. Ecotourism, as a component of eco-development, is coordinated by a federation of EDCs that works in partnership with the management authority.
Local guides are knowledgeable in natural history and local culture, trained in interpreting such knowledge, accredited and licensed;
and they are able to converse with visitors in Hindi or English.
Visitors are made aware on entering the Tiger Reserve that it is a special place where littering, use of vehicle horns (emergencies
apart) and excessively noisy behavior out-of-doors are prohibited and enforced by effective measures.
Day visitors similarly access the Tiger Reserve via the two metal roads that terminate at Baliput and Tikarapada, respectively. They
may picnic in designated areas along/adjacent to these routes and on the banks of the Mahanadi River.