“We need participation and governance by the local communities in order to legitimise their local knowledge while empowering them economically” – UN International Day for Biological Diversity (22nd of May)

“The practice of religious rituals, ceremonies and sanctions by specific cultural groups allow such sacred landscapes to be maintained, emphasizing that humans are intrinsically part of the ecosystem. Taboos, codes and customs specific to activities and community members restrict access to most sacred groves. […] The inclusion of local people’s needs and interests in conservation planning is increasingly accepted as essential, both to promote the well-being of human populations, and to ensure that biodiversity and conservation needs are met in the long-term.” – Nazir A. Pala, Ajeet K. Neg and N.P. Todaria in “The Religious, Social and Cultural Significance of Forest Landscapes in Uttarakhand Himalaya, India” (International Journal of Conservation Science, Vol. 5, Issue 2, April-June 2014) | Sacred groves | Biodiversity and development – Himalaya >>

There is very little evidence that ecotourism in its present form is sustainable […] Tourism is inherently an exploitative industry, both ecologically and socially and we need to accept that. But the ill-effects of tourism on biodiversity conservation can be contained. What conservation needs today is a robust model, which restricts ecological and carbon footprint through a much more nuanced policy. We need participation and governance by the local communities in order to legitimise their local knowledge while empowering them economically. And we need wider discussion and debate about this among the general public.

Source: Smrity Ramavarapu in “Ecotourism-a yay or a nay for conservation?” | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Bangalore)
URL: https://www.atree.org/news/ecotourism-yay-or-nay-conservation
Date visited: 2 May 2020

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a global non-profit organisation which generates interdisciplinary knowledge to inform policy and practice towards conservation and sustainability.
For over two decades, ATREE has worked on social-environmental issues from local to global policy levels. ATREE envisions a society committed to environmental conservation and sustainable and socially just development.
Our mission is to generate rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge for achieving environmental conservation and sustainable development, to enable the use of this knowledge by policy makers and society, and to train the next generation of environmental leaders.
To deliver on our mission, we work across issues like biodiversity and conservation, climate change mitigation and development, land and water resources, forests and governance and ecosystem services and human well-being.

Source: Purpose | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Bangalore)
URL: https://www.atree.org/news/ecotourism-yay-or-nay-conservation
Date visited: 2 May 2020

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Find up-to-date information provided by, for and about Indian authors, researchers, officials, and educators | More search options >>
Search tips: in the search field seen below, combine the name of any particular state, language or region with that of any tribal (Adivasi) community; add keywords of special interest (health, nutrition endangered language, illegal mining, sacred grove); learn about the rights of Scheduled Tribes such as the Forest Rights Act (FRA); and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, women’s rights, and children’s right to education; specify any other issue or news item you want to learn more about (biodiversity, climate change, ecology, economic development, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, global warming, effective measures to prevent rural poverty, bonded labour, and human trafficking).

For a list of websites included in a single search, click here. To search Indian periodicals, magazines, web portals and other sources safely, click here. To find an Indian PhD thesis on a particular tribal community, region and related issues, click here >>

Images © publishers & photographers featured in *Safe Search* results
Learn more about water-related issues that affect India’s tribal communities >>
“National development and the development of tribal communities are linked to each other.” – Droupadi Murmu | Speeches by the 15th President of India >>

“Together, we must endeavour to strengthen tribal communities which are the role model in preservation of water, forest and land, and learn from their connection with nature and the surrounding environment for the sake of the entire human race.” – journalist and tribal rights activist Dayamani Barla in The Wire >>

Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel 2011 — Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel
Source: www.thehindu.com (accessed: 16 September 2016) | Backup copy (PDF, 3,6 MB) >>
Learn more about
Western Ghats tribal heritage and ecology >>

For additional learning resources visit the website of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), “a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi”:

Communication for Awareness
CSE’s publications and informational products have been its strength and they have always combined research and readability to get the message across.

CSE’s tools for awareness raising are periodicals, publications, films/short spots, briefing papers, exhibitions, posters and other products. CSE’s informational products reach people in more diverse ways such as features service, website and e-news bulletins. […]

Source: About CSE
URL: https://www.cseindia.org
Date Visited: 10 July 2022

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