Conservation strategies in a human dominated landscape: a case study of Corbett Tiger Reserve and adjoining areas
Student name: Ms Attiwilli Suman
Guide: Dr Arabinda Mishra
Year of completion: 2008
Host Organisation: TERI University and WWF India
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr T.R. Manoharan
Abstract: Establishment of a protected area is considered by many conservationists as the most effective way of conserving biodiversity. It involves setting aside “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal and other effective means†(IUCN 1994). This means that human interventions inside a protected area should be minimal. The degree of human activity allowed inside a protected area depends on the category of protected area (e.g. rules are stricter for a National Park as compared to a Wildlife Sanctuary). Government policies and laws support this principle of exclusion and protection. However in reality, such ‘command and control’ policies are difficult to implement in human dominated landscapes such as in South Asia, where humans compete with wildlife for natural resources for subsistence. In such landscapes, cooperation of local people is vital for conservation. Monetary or other incentives need to created for local people to participate in conservation. In India, the policy change that allowed for a shift from regulatory to participatory approaches occurred in the 1990s, with the introduction of Joint Forest Management and Ecodevelopment. Ecotourism is recognized as one of the incentive generating mechanisms in these participatory approaches.
Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) is critical habitat for a huge array of biodiversity including the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger. It is one of the best managed parks in India and attracts a large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign each year. CTR and its peripheral areas face many threats such as huge demand for fuel wood and fodder from forests, and mass tourism. Ecotourism initiative has been launched at CTR, with the objective of increasing efficiency of conservation programs by involving local community using tourism to generate incentives. The study aimed to review conservation strategies and the ecotourism program at CTR. It was found that ecotourism is still to be widely accepted both among hosts and guests. The reasons behind this were explored. It is suggested that the attitudes of the locals and perceptions of the tourists need to be accounted for in order for ecotourism to be widely accepted and meet its goals.
