"(The National Park Service's) purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations" -- NPS Organic Act of 1916
"Why do I have to pay an entrance fee? I pay taxes don't I?" -- Average Citizen at a Park Entrance, Every Country
 |
| Entrance Fees Often Cause Bottlenecks into Nature Reserves, But Why Are They Necessary? Source: The Chicago Tribune |
Trouble at the Gates
We often take nature for granted. The expansive wilderness always seems like it is just outside our window. We, as individuals, do not spend much time out there but we take solace in the fact that we could head out into the great outdoors whenever we please. It can come as quite a surprise when, upon trying to do so, we find ourselves stopped at a kiosk with a friendly Park Ranger demanding ten dollars for the right to go romping through the forest.
People often respond indignantly to such a price. How can it cost anything to visit a park? Is it not the purpose of taxes to provide funding for government programs such as this?
The truth is that environmental conservation, preservation, and protection are globally underfunded. For example, in 1994 it was estimated that all of the world's existing protected areas needed to be allocated $17 billion in order to be maintained in their present state. Only $4.1 billion ended up being budgeted worldwide, compared to $245 billion that was budgeted for agricultural subsidies in the same year. Right now, the US National Parks have a maintenance backlog with a projected cost of $11.3 billion. This is why parks are understaffed and fees are required for entry.
 |
| A Graph of Funding for the National Forest Service's Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness Programs Since 2001 Source: The National Wildlife Federation |
This gets at an innate paradox within the conservation movement. Conservation looks to sustain natural diversity to its highest potential, yet must also be financially sustainable and socially accessible to do so. This is a hard balance to uphold; actions that are best for the health of the ecosystem often go against economic trends or the demands of the visiting public. Additionally, environmental projects are expensive yet the bulk of governments' budgets are allocated to more popular issues like defense or infrastructure. But conservationists do not have to solely rely on public funding.
It has been proposed that conservationists should partner with the tourism industry in order to make protected areas more accessible and more profitable. Ecotourism and wildlife experiences have become highly popular as a growing urban population looks to find repose in beautiful sceneries and biodiverse areas. Tourism is a $1.5 trillion industry globally, with environmentally themed programs making up 20-40% of these profits. If conservation organizations could tap into these revenues, then their funding problems could be a thing of the past.
Whats the Issue?
A collaboration between conservation and tourism seems ideal. The environmentalists get much-needed money and the tourism companies get parks to send their wander-lustful customers. However, many environmentalists are suspicious with such an arrangement. This is because, in most instances, tourism and conservation have been on conflicting sides of the issue. Whenever an area becomes more accessible to tourists, the intensity of anthropogenic pressures on that area increases exponentially. The land becomes more disturbed and the conservationists struggle to keep up with the flood of visitors.
The tourism industry only exasperates the situation by attempting to build more roads, more hotels, and more facilities so that they can service more people and turn a bigger profit. Even ecotourism, which is defined by David Vaughan as "a type of tourism involving small to medium-sized operators, low environmental impact infrastructure, a recognition of local culture and a willingness to forgo some Western comforts in the interests of sustainable development", is guilty of disturbance. This specialized tourism has been found to cause trail erosion, deforestation for fuel needs, disruption due to development, and improper waste disposal.
To give one example of the impacts of tourism, a study in Nepal found that the average nature trekking excursion of 15 tourists would create about 15 kilograms of non-biodegradable and nonburnable garbage in only ten days. A similar study in Sikkim Himalaya, another popular region with hikers, found that 15 kilograms of trash was acquired every day in only one small beach area.
 |
| Trash Collected by Volunteers Along a Hiking Trail in Colorado Source: The Rocky Mountain Goat News/Mike Simpson |
Tourism is always damaging when it is not properly managed and controlled. Oliver Krüger calculated in 2003 that 50% of ecotourism ventures that were declared unsustainable failed because of too high tourist numbers and a lack of restrictions. An especially disruptive example of this is wildlife tourism in developing countries, referred to as the "selfie-safari". Thanks to the rise of social media, tourists are no longer content with merely acting adventurously, they must also come across as adventurous to their followers on social media. This has led to a demand for pictures with wild animals, a demand that many struggling communities are happy to oblige with. Wild animals are captured and held in inhumane conditions so that tourists can pose with them for a fee.
 |
| Tourists Crowd Around a Dolphin in a Wildlife Encounter Source: The National Geographic/Kirsten Luce |
National Geographic recently published a special report about the "selfie-safaris". They described the effects on one photogenic species, the sloth. "The effects on sloths are particularly severe. These docile, delicate animals sleep up to 20 hours a day in the wild, and the stress caused by repeated handling by hyperactive tourists can be very damaging, says biologist Neil D'Cruze... when sloths are handled by strangers, their hearts beat extremely fast, which can lead to their premature death." Such mistreatment of animals is hard to stop because it is either not illegal or countries are not able to enforce their laws effectively. The tourism companies involved allow such cruel treatment to continue because they can make a profit.
 |
| Despite Appearing to be Hugging, Sloths Cling to Things When They Are Stressed Source: The National Geographic/Kirsten Luce |
The disturbance and mismanagement often seen do not signal that tourism can never be paired with the environment. Such difficulties only occur when there is a lack of control. I and others believe that environmental tourism can be a successful venture if there is strict oversight.
A Short Leash
The first aspect of a successful conservation and tourism partnership may seem overly simple but is incredibly important. The environmental experts must be in complete control of decisions related to conservation and natural resources. Companies and tourism operators cannot be allowed to sway such decisions as they do not have the proper scientific background. The companies will always act in the best interests of their shareholders and profits, and this path sacrifices sustainability in order to reduce costs.
Privately owned reserves and parks are good indicators of what happens when tourism companies are left in sole charge. Private reserves are popular because their success brings employment and development to local communities. However, repeated studies have been unable to correlate the financial success of these reserves with their conservation value. Reports have also discovered that the management plans of private reserves are built upon economic values and lack biological scientific methods. These sanctuaries are more concerned with appearing sustainable than actually following the principles that they extol.
 |
| The Prevalence of Canned Hunting in Africa is an Example of Feigned Sustainability Source: Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism |
There are methods of controlling private interests while allowing them to benefit from tourism development. The Peruvian company of Inkaterra was recently featured in an exploratory study. The company runs a number of wilderness lodges within the borders of national nature reserves. The government of Peru ensures that the company will always act in the land's best interest by stipulating an ecotourism concession. Inkaterra is allowed to run their business and facilities as long as they prove that they share benefits with conservation and community groups and that they demonstrate sustainable ecological practices. The company is thus in charge of their business dealings but not given complete control over environmental decisions.
If private companies are given too much authority, then you can also expect to see vast economic leakage. Economic leakage is when the proceeds from enterprises do not stay in the locality where the activity is taking place. For example, the article that studied hiking in Sikkim Himalaya found that 90% of the proceeds from the trekking industry was distributed to foreign companies. The food, guides, equipment, and administrative work were all sourced outside of Sikkim Himalaya. Thus the region was barely benefiting from the industry that was occurring within their borders. The overall goal of ecotourism needs to be to provide funding for conservation efforts and resource protection. The bulk of proceeds should stay locally and be spent on the management of the local environment.
 |
| A View of Sikkim Himalaya Source: Himalaya Tourism |
Keeping ecologically knowledgeable individuals in charge of the environmental management would ensure that the sustainability that tourists experience is not just some facade. Tourism companies have a lot to offer in terms of economic strategies and advertising, but they can not be given the reins where the environment is concerned.
Do Not Forget the Locals
"Sustainable tourism is not just about revenue, but also about how local people are able to maintain their own lifestyles at the same time." David Vaughan
A venture between conservation and tourism cannot be exclusively bilateral, the local community must be an equal partner with the two influential camps. Local or native people are the greatest allies that both conservationists and tourism operators can have. They can provide labor, they possess intimate knowledge about the land, and they have the most direct influence on how the land is managed.
 |
| A Tour In Hawaii: The Best Ventures Will Employ Locals as Guides Source: Hawaii Discount |
In an article written in 1999, Sahorta Sarkar discussed how best to conserve biodiversity and how crucial local participation was. He gave the example of the Jharkhand region of east-central India. In this region, thousands of local and traditional communities were displaced to make room for nature reserves and parks. The locals were not offered employment at the reserves and they were denied their traditional livelihoods by strict environmental regulations. The communities felt threatened and ostracized. Locals turned to poachers for income and assisted them in hunting protected species while avoiding anti-poaching efforts. There were even reports of acts of arson against the reserves by villagers who felt their lives were ruined by the creation of the protected areas. If the local community had not been completely excluded by the government and environmental groups, there would not have been such animosity and struggle between the groups.
It is not enough to merely employ local people or gain their permission to develop an area. The locals must be active in all aspects of the project. Jennifer Hill and Ross Hill identified six essential principles for the inclusion of local communities in ecotourism enterprises.
- Empower communities by integrating them directly into the venture
- Exchange knowledge between a community and tour operator
- Manage forest resources jointly between a community and tour operator
- Minimize local economic leakage
- Educate tourists through interpretive programs helmed by locals
- Minimize environmental and wildlife disturbance
By integrating the local community into ecotourism ventures, as stakeholders and employees, you invest them in the project and gain valuable allies. The inhabitants will not only work toward the success of the project during their working hours but they will also adjust their home lives as their livelihoods are now more connected with the health of the environment. Often the hardest part of any environmental endeavor is to change the destructive habits of local people, but integration easily clears this hurdle.
The native inhabitants also possess a broad knowledge of resources, native species, and environmental processes. They often can contribute traditional methods of managing resources. In exchange for this valuable expertise, the conservation groups and tourism companies can provide more generalized information and training. The residents can be educated about global conservation goals and be trained in natural interpretation and customer service. Then the local people will be able to play a more active role in global trends and improve their economic situation.
The National Geographic article on wildlife tourism included a positive example of how ecotourism can be properly integrated with a community. They found the town of Mocagua in Amazonian Colombia, just across the river from another village plagued with animal abuse. In Mocagua, the villagers had managed to create an economy out of helping animals instead of taking advantage of them. A rehabilitation facility was built in the village and is completely staffed with local people. Those who do not work directly at the facility are employed either as nature guides or in hospitality, providing housing and food for tourists. The village has become a hotspot for tourists because of its sustainable reputation and the rehabilitation program. The villagers have been successfully invested in the welfare of wildlife.
 |
| "Rodolfo Obregón photographs his wife, Luz Adriana Obregón, at the Maikuchiga Foundation in Mocagua, Colombia. Maikuchiga is a monkey rehabilitation facility that allows no more than six tourists to visit at a time." Source: The National Geographic/Kirsten Luce |
Often areas with high biodiversity are impoverished with little hope for economic growth. Ecotourism is one of few ways these people can find a better life. As one local man in Peru stated, "We do not have many development options, but we do have flora and fauna." The local people must always be considered when planning an environmental tourism venture. They are powerful allies who will provide invaluable labor and expertise provided that they are kept invested in the project. This means reinvesting profits in the community, providing them with training and education, and giving them a seat at the table.
How It Can Work
Conservation and environmental protection have been struggling since the ideas were first formulated. While many people love the sights and experiences that nature can provide, it can be hard to budget for its protection since the causes are rarely profitable. The safeguarding of natural areas will always take a backseat to political powerhouses such as economic development, defense, infrastructure, and healthcare. But if conservation was to tap into the rising demand for ecotourism and pair up with the tourism industry, then large swaths of funding would become available.
Such a partnership would have to be heavily scrutinized and controlled. Conservation must always be the primary priority and the environmental experts must always have the final say on ecological management. The locals must play a central role as well. If they are excluded then the project will immediately become an uphill battle with little chance of success.
A partnership between tourism companies and environmentalists could be a match made in heaven. If treated respectfully, then such ventures could be the answer to the funding woes long experienced by conservationists. The protection of our natural resources could become a more painless and organic process.
No comments:
Post a Comment