ECO Tourism in Sunderbans...A Life Line For Local People and the Ecology

Environmental concern is an integral part of human society which can be traced to the practices of the old civilization. In old civilization it was believed that the existence of human race is inseparably linked with the grace of surrounding environment. Industrial revolution gradually brought a change in this perception. Advanced technological knowledge, man started to think that he can modify the environment according to his command. Now, need based development of the pre-industrial era have been replaced by greed based development which is marked by the thoughtless consumption of resources by the society. This resulted in ugly and degraded environment. This is crucial moment where in one hand man is making rapid progress in technological progress whereas in the other hand environment is left to degrade at an alarming rate. Nature has been vanquished at the cost of human progress, thereby putting the very existence of human society at stake. Forests have become the most vulnerable area on the earths surface because of human trespassing in terms of sustainable forest exploitation, clearing the forest for various types of crops, mining, industrial development, construction of dams etc. The largest inter-tidal mangrove forest in the world and the home of the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger, Sundarban is also no exception from this lunatic destruction. This region criss-crossed by innumerable water channels or rivers. Its high time to conserve this fragile ecosystem of Sundarban. Conservation steps put to an end to forest exploitation but it creates another problem. The local community which depended entirely on the forest is now in utter poverty. Their sustenance will be at stake if conservation steps fail to create alternative employment for the local people. Ecotourism has been the savior of conservation efforts of this delicate ecosystem as well as provide employment opportunity to the local people. These intend to resolve the various serious problems related to the local community, their ownership rights and conservation of natural resources and recognition of the strong ethical dimensions and survival spirit of the local community in a changing world where Ecotourism can prove life supporting apparatus as it works at local scale incorporate landscape and people- scape in particular. This paper emphasizes on the concept of ecotourism, different issues related to promote local economy, socio-cultural changes and life style of the people settled in and around the tourist locations, challenges related to opportunities and weakness of ecotourism as well its impact on development of socio economic condition of the socially challenged regions.