ECOTOURISM
POLICY of Madhya Pradesh
PREAMBLE
Madhya Pradesh
is endowed with a very rich spectrum of scenic and relatively
undisturbed landscapes, forests, wildlife and cultural diversity.
The State has the largest forest area (94,669 sq km) in the country
of which more than 10,000 sq km is under Protected Areas and the
largest tiger population housed in five world famous tiger reserves.
It is also home to several endangered species including the Gangetic
Dolphin, the Ghariyal, the Great Indian Bustard
and the Kharmor amongst others. More than 80 per cent
of tourism in Madhya Pradesh is centered on nature and wildlife.
The State has long been a premier wildlife destination especially
for ‘Tiger viewing’. Excessive and exclusive focus on tigers and
tiger reserves however has the potential to lead to problems including
resource degradation, neglect of other areas, erosion of the local
culture and other management problems associated with excessive
centralization. Besides, a majority of tourists are deprived of
experiencing other lesser known but equally rich facets of the
State’s natural heritage, which could also lead to stagnation
in the growth of tourist inflow to the State.
It is in this context that “Ecotourism” has gained its relevance.
Ecotourism or Ecologically Sustainable Tourism has been defined
as responsible tourism to natural areas that conserves the
environment and improves the well being of local communities.
It has been recognized as an important conservation tool as
it encourages local communities, government as well as private
agencies to protect natural resources that attract visitors resulting
in economic benefits and at the same time caters to the growing
worldwide popular demand for opportunities to savour natural wilderness.
Ecotourism also has potential to play an important role in creating
environmental as well as cultural awareness amongst all the stakeholders
– local communities, tourists, government and the private sector.
With this background, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has
resolved to make the promotion of ecotourism in the State a priority
area. The focus shall be on conservation of natural resources
through awareness building, diversification of tourism activities
and destinations, and local community participation. This Policy
is aimed at informing and sensitizing the general public and related
Government Departments towards ecotourism and laying down the
framework for its growth in the State in an environmentally, socially
and economically sustainable manner.
OBJECTIVES
The State shall endeavor to promote regulated and meaningful
public access to forests, peripheral areas and other natural landscapes
of the State, through:
a) Development of permissible
and ecologically sound ecotourism infrastructure;
b) Identification and promotion of lesser known
areas having ecotourism potential in addition to popular destinations;
c) Diversification of the range
of tourism activities available at destinations;
d) Development and enforcement
of standards and norms for ecotourism activities;
e) Securing involvement of
the local communities living in and dependent on peripheral and
other areas for their livelihood;
f) Awareness building amongst general public; local
communities and government staff;
g) Securing regulated private
sector participation for the development of infrastructure and
services;
With the ultimate objectives of:
a.
Conserving
the natural resource base of the State;
b.
Promoting
the State as a prominent ecotourism hub;
c.
Securing
economic benefits for the local communities without adversely
affecting their cultural ethos.
PRINCIPLES
The development, management and promotion
of ecotourism in the State shall be governed by the following
guiding principles:
a.
All
ecotourism activities are to be in strict conformance with the
provisions of the existing environmental law of the country, especially
the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the Forest (Conservation) Act,
1980 and the various directives and guidelines issued by the Government
from time to time.
b.
Rules
and guidelines regarding technical procedures, stakeholder participation
and impact mitigation to be developed and strictly adhered to.
c.
Adherence
to international standards in terms of quality and safety in developing
and operating ecotourism facilities and activities to be given
highest priority.
d.
Priority
is to be given to developing sites near existing and known tourist
destinations.
e.
Striking
a balance between financial viability and affordability of the
ecotourism facilities.
f.
Creation
of environmental awareness amongst all sections and age groups,
especially the youth, to be incorporated as a major activity for
each ecotourism destination.
g.
Only
activities and facilities having least impact on the natural resources
and the local culture to be permitted.
h.
Preference
to the ‘quality of experience’ rather than the number of visitors,
without compromising on financial viability as far as possible.
i.
Wherever
resources harnessed for ecotourism are traditionally in use by
the local community, activities and facilities shall be developed
in consultation with them and mechanisms to ensure flow of benefits
to the community shall be identified and implemented.
j.
Adoption
of a “single window system” for delivery of ecotourism services.
k.
Marketing
strategies to be based on sound market research and segmentation
analysis, making wide use of electronic, print and cyber media
for marketing Madhya Pradesh as a multi-faceted ecotourism destination.
l.
Installation
of technologically efficient systems and clean development mechanisms
to be mandatory for operation of any ecotourism facility.
m.
Multi
stakeholder partnership in developing and operating facilities
and activities to be encouraged. Development and operations to
be undertaken either solely by the government agency
concerned or in partnership with the local community and private
enterprises, depending upon the specific requirements and the
category under which the destination area falls.
n.
Technical
co-operation with national and international agencies having expertise
in ecotourism to be encouraged, without compromising on local
interests.
o.
Mechanisms
to facilitate coordination between concerned Government Departments,
especially the Forest and the Tourism Departments - to be developed
and implemented.
MADHYA PRADESH ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT BOARD
The State Government through its Forest
Department constituted the MPEDB in July 2005 to act as the nodal
agency for development and promotion of ecotourism in the State.
It shall be the Board’s mandate to ensure the attainment of the
objectives and adherence to the guiding principles set forth in
this policy. For this, the Board shall develop the necessary
systems, standards and institutions. The Board shall be equipped
with required technical and financial resources to implement this
Policy. It shall liaise with local, national and international
stakeholders for planning, developing and implementing projects
compatible with this Policy.
The Board shall also be empowered to
oversee and approve specific ecotourism projects, activities and
site management plans that are in conformance with this policy
and other statutory requirements.
More specifically, the functions of
the Board shall be:
a) Identifying
and prioritizing ecotourism destinations throughout the State
based on parameters to be defined.
b) Overseeing
the process of infrastructure and facilities development at the
destinations identified
c) Creating
and maintaining a conducive policy environment
d) Developing
and enforcing standards and norms to regulate operations
e) Encouraging
public-people-private partnerships
f)
Generating synergy among the Forest Department, Tourism Department
and other stakeholders.
g) Liaisoning with statutory authorities
to obtain requisite clearances for projects expeditiously.
h) Making
ecotourism a mainstream programme of the Forest Department
i)
Capacity building of government staff, local community, tourism
entrepreneurs and other stakeholders through
regular training programmes, exposure visits, seminars and workshops,
experience sharing etc.
j) Promoting involvement of
youth, both urban and rural in various aspects of ecotourism
development through incentives including internships, stipends
etc.
ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES
Ecotourism activities to be identified
and developed at any destination shall be site-specific i.e. dependent
upon the potential of the particular site being developed. Following
are the activities and facilities that may be undertaken for promoting
an area as an ecotourism destination within the State.
a.
Nature
Camps
Camping sites may be identified and
provided with basic facilities to enable the tourists to stay
in natural surroundings either solely to experience the wilderness
or additionally for participating in other activities requiring
overnight stay in forests.
b.
Eco-friendly
Accommodation
Adequate facilities for boarding and
lodging of tourists may be developed. The infrastructure must
be eco-friendly and strictly in accordance with guidelines laid
down in this regard. Suitable existing buildings, located in picturesque
locations, may also be developed for tourist accommodation. Where
feasible, local community members may also be encouraged to provide
lodging and boarding facilities to the tourists, subject to prescribed
quality standards.
c.
Trekking
and Nature Walks
Trekking routes of varying distances
and guided nature trails through designated paths may be identified
and developed in scenic landscapes rich in biodiversity, causing
minimum disturbance to the natural vegetation and soil. Staff and local persons, especially youth may be appropriately
trained to act as Nature Guides and Naturalists so as to assist
visitors during wildlife viewing and trekking.
d.
Wildlife
Viewing and River Cruise
Wildlife viewing in eco-friendly
vehicles or on elephant backs may be promoted at appropriate sites
for observing wildlife. Sites having suitable water-bodies may
be developed for providing river cruise facilities in non-polluting
boats.
e.
Adventure
Sports
Facilities for adventure sports such
as rock climbing, rappelling and parasailing along with water
sports such as river rafting, boating and canoeing may be developed
in consultation and cooperation with experts and the concerned
department or agency having control over the water bodies.
f.
Angling
Angling facilities for Mahaseer
and other suitable fish species, strictly on a catch and release
basis, may be developed on suitable rivers/ water bodies flowing
through or along the forest areas in consultation with the concerned
Department. Angling guidelines to be formulated by the MPEDB shall
be strictly followed in this regard. If necessary, water bodies
may be artificially stocked by rearing and releasing fish seed
into the rivers that have been depleted of the target species
over time.
g.
Herbal
Ecotourism
Herbal ecotourism may be made the thrust
area at suitable locations having a rich herbal heritage. Traditional
medicinal practices of such locations may be explored and based
on these; authentic herbal inputs having appropriate certifications
and recognition may be made available to the tourists. These activities
may be promoted in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest
Produce Federation.
j. Urban Ecotourism through Eco-Parks
In order to promote urban ecotourism,
eco-parks may be developed in various urban centers. Such Eco-parks
may contain provisions for various ecotourism activities including
interpretation centers, trekking, nature walks, biking, bird watching,
camping, angling, herbal center, adventure sports etc. on a small
scale depending upon the area being developed. For this purpose,
existing public parks in urban localities may also be utilized.
h.
Visitor
Interpretation Centers
Existing interpretation facilities
may be strengthened to make them more comprehensive to accommodate
the requirements of various classes of visitors envisaged. Each
destination must incorporate ways to enhance and enrich the visitor
experience.
i.
Conservation
Education
Conservation education must be promoted
in and around each destination for creating awareness amongst
school and college students, local communities, government staff
and visitors in order to maintain and enhance support for ecotourism
and environmental conservation. Various means that may be adopted
include media campaigns, formation of eco-clubs at schools and
colleges, exposure visits to destinations, displays and hoardings,
community centers etc. New and innovative methods shall also be
encouraged.
k. Other Facilities
Facilities for any other eco-friendly
activities may also be provided based on specific requirements
of a site provided the activity is compatible with the overall
objectives of this policy and in conformance with the various
standards and guidelines laid down in this regard.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
The Government of Madhya Pradesh is committed to achieving the
objectives of this Policy in an effective and time-bound manner
for which it shall enlist the support of all stakeholders, thus
focusing on the concept of "Public-People-Private-Partnerships".
The principles laid down in the policy shall be translated into
comprehensive standards and guidelines so as to facilitate its
proper implementation. For this, existing services and systems
of the Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism Development Board of the Forest
Department shall be channelised.
