Agnes Krocha
Concern for the global climate change is certainly making a wave all over the world. And it is becoming a common thing for us to read in the papers about pollution in one form or the other and its impact on human lives. While problems of environmental degradation seems to be on the increasing high, with a lot of people and especially our own people, ignorant or aware-but-least-bothered about it, the solutions to these problems sometimes seems far and out of reach.
Endowed with rich and varied cultures with rich and varied bio-diversities added to it, eco-tourism shines out as a golden opportunity for us to preserve what we already have and also to provide our bit of the solution to the world’s existing problems, be it environmental problem, employment problem or economical problem. Eco-tourism taken up carefully will prosper us in ways innumerable and will surely help us make a great difference to the world.
One may wonder how eco-tourism can be part of the answer to the problems we face locally and globally. The first and foremost goal of eco-tourism is to conserve rich biodiversities and natural environment and propagate the message of conservation to the people. Fortunately for us, in Nagaland, we have not yet had much opportunity to allow traditional tourism to adversely affect our physical environment, like so many places in the world. Many places of tourist attraction in the world which prospered, in terms of economy, through traditional tourism are now regretting and trying to undo traditional tourism which has buried their green wealth under concrete. While the world is undoing traditional tourism it is a favorable time for us to begin with eco-tourism. This will help us conserve our wildlife - unique flowers and trees, insects and birds, animals and all our green wealth and that is real wealth – we survive because of it.
According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism is said to be generating 10% of total gross domestic product and employing over 10% of the global workforce worldwide. This means Eco-tourism will provide more opportunities for employment for both the educated and uneducated local people. They just have to know something about the familiar environment they live in everyday of their lives. And who doesn’t know that? What is ordinary and familiar to a local resident is of interest and value to an outsider. This holds true for travelers all over the world. While generating employment it will avoid damage to tourist attractions and physical environment.
Eco-tourism is economically viable. When it comes to buying things when traveling anywhere whatever is locally made is more appealing to most buyers. Also, who is going to hack down trees, pollute water bodies, etc., if there is money to be made out of keeping them pristine for tourism? Eco-tourism enables economical growth by conservation of natural resources.
Eco-tourism respects local culture and tradition and supports the cultural integrity of the local people. At an age when our local cultures seems to be dwindling with the influence of modernism what better way to preserve our indigenous cultures than through the means of eco-tourism. Increased respect for local cultures by post-modern youngsters can come about through eco-tourism.
Eco-tourism educates people by increasing local communities’ awareness of environmental issues. It promotes personal growth and learning new ways to live on our vulnerable planet.
It means wonderful trips to responsible travelers anywhere in the world. Any responsible traveler would be attracted to places that strive to preserve and protect the environment. Locally, the Green Village Khonoma, is a ‘Yarrow unvisited” for many people. I’ve heard many people (outsiders to this village) speak of this environmentally conscious and friendly destination with excitement after their visits. And I can safely say that the major attraction of the Green Village is its choice and effort to preserve its cultural integrity through preservation of its natural environment.
Can you imagine the very word ‘Nagaland’ bringing a sparkle of excitement to the eyes of a listener? Well, you can - when you think green and once eco-tourism is here to stay.
(The writer has done M.Sc (Environmental Science and Technology) and B.Ed. She also writes and teaches science in a High School)
aggiekrocha@gmail.com
