Himachal Pradesh must maximise dividends from ecotourism

Sandeep Sharma

Deputy Conservator of Forests, Himachal Pradesh

ECOTOURISM is one of Himachal Pradesh’s major sectors that hold immense potential for economic growth and environmental protection. However, despite an abundance of natural features, the Himalayan state has not been able to reap ample benefits from this sector.

Ecotourism is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the wellbeing of local people and involves interpretation and education” (International Ecotourism Society, 2015). In the ecotourism policy 2017 of Himachal Pradesh, this ethos resonated. The policy envisages ecotourism as an activity that is sensitive to the environment and local culture of the area.

At present, there are very few notable examples of ecotourism facilities that have been developed by the state government. There are many success stories from other parts of the country which have not been replicated in the hill state. Ecotourism can be a vehicle of sustainable development in the state.

Forests account for 68.16 per cent of Himachal’s geographical area. Most of the natural sites that are fit for ecotourism are forest land. The provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 — now amended — applied to all such lands. As per the law, these areas could be converted into ecotourism sites by the state only after obtaining prior approval from the Central Government.

In addition to the approvals, the state government or the agency that intended to build such a facility had to acquire non-forest land of an equal size and convert it into forest area. Subsequently, it had to undertake plantation activity over that land and pay compensatory afforestation and ecosystem services charges in the form of net present value (NPV) on a per-hectare basis. All these costs and the process of obtaining permission made such projects financially unviable and cumbersome. The legal and financial complications acted as a hindrance to the development of such facilities in the state.

Now, there is hope for the development of ecotourism sites. The Union government amended the 1980 Act last year. The amended Act has been in force across the country with effect from December 1, 2023. The amendment can boost ecotourism activities in the state.

Some changes with regard to ecotourism have been made in the Act. Ecotourism is now considered as a forestry activity. The state government can now use forest lands for ecotourism without seeking approval from the Centre. There is no precondition now for providing alternative non-forest land, paying compensatory afforestation and NPV charges.

The state Forest Department must take the lead by preparing a list of areas across the state that have the potential for ecotourism. The potential areas should be added to the working plans. Specified prescriptions regarding the management of such areas should be made part of the plans. The management of such an area should be entrusted to the local people or professional agencies. This can be done by way of an auction. The work responsibilities among the local people residing around the site must be specified in advance. A benefit-sharing mechanism between the locals and the government agencies must be developed.

While developing these sites, some aspects should be part of the ecotourism planning. The ecotourism facility should help in the protection and conservation of the environment of the area and sustain the wellbeing of the local people. It should involve nature interpretation and education for the tourists. The structure, material and admissible facilities that a site needs to have should be decided in advance by the government. Officials from the departments of forest and tourism, in consultation with the local bodies, should play an active role in planning.

Preferably, the ecotourism site should be on a degraded forest site that has scenic/religious/cultural value. The area of operation should not be more than 2 hectares. The area adjoining the site up to 500 metres from its periphery should be maintained and afforested by signing a tripartite agreement between the forest department, villagers, and the ecotourism site management agency. The ecotourism site management agency should procure vegetables, milk and other locally available material from the villages adjoining the ecotourism site. If possible, organic farming should be encouraged in the area and highlighted to the ecotourists. The site should not be leased out to any agency. However, the area should be managed by the agency that is selected by the government by way of an open auction.

The ecotourism management agency should be allowed to make temporary structures to house the tourists in the area. Permanent and other structures that destroy the natural beauty of the area should not be constructed in the area. The sites should not be permanent, and they should be changed once the degraded forest area around the site is established and converted into a medium dense forest. The period can be fixed in advance based on the ecoclimatic zone. A business plan, environment monitoring plan and its review mechanism should be prepared in advance. In addition, the baseline socioeconomic and ecological status of the locality for each site should be available to the forest department before starting the work at the chosen site. The socioeconomic and ecological indicators should be monitored regularly over a pre-decided interval.

The contribution of ecotourism to the state’s revenue is negligible at present. States like Karnataka, Kerala and Sikkim have performed better in this sector. HP needs to make the most of ecotourism as an industry. It can act as a vehicle for sustainable development. It can also yield revenue for the state, conserve and protect its environment and open up livelihood options for the local youth. This is a win-win business model if it is implemented cautiously and ethically.

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