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As a development tool, ecotourism can advance
the three basic goals of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP)-led Convention on Biological Diversity:
- Conserve biological (and cultural) diversity,
by strengthening protected area management systems (public
or private) and increasing the value of sound ecosystems;
- Promote the sustainable use of biodiversity,
by generating income, jobs and business opportunities in
ecotourism and related business networks, and
- Share the benefits of ecotourism developments
equitably with local communities and indigenous people,
by obtaining their informed consent and full participation
in planning and management of ecotourism businesses.
In the field, well-planned and managed ecotourism
has proven to be one of the most effective tools for long-term
conservation of biodiversity when the right circumstances
(such as market feasibility, management capacity at local
level, and clear and monitored links between ecotourism development
and conservation) are present.
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Why Promote Ecotourism in Sikkim?
- The need to conserve the rich biodiversity
of Sikkim. In recent years, the loss of entire species and natural
areas caused by human activity has been occurring at unprecedented
rates. The extinction of specifies brings about irreversible losses,
which are often linked to the development of medicines, foods
and jobs. Biodiversity offers us a "life support system".
Required for recycling of essential elements such as carbon, oxygen
and nitrogen, it is also responsible for mitigating pollution,
protecting watersheds and combating soil erosion. Because biodiversity
acts as a buffer against excessive variations in weather and climate,
it protects us from catastrophic events beyond human control.
- Sikkim, with its varied bio-geographical condition,
offers lush moist forests, alpine landscapes and a diversity of
cultural traditions which are an attraction for the ecotourist.
Conservation of this ecotourist destination sustains economic
development.
- Sikkim with its fragile ecosystem and numerous
inaccessible nature tourism spots, cannot sustain other forms
of tourism. Ecotourism is therefore the best means of fostering
preservation and promotion of the tourism industry.
- Benefits through ecotourism can percolate down
to the community level, thereby making the industry sustainable.
 Biodiversity
- The Web of Life
Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the
term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns
it forms. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions
of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly,
by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we
are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend.
This diversity is often understood in terms of
the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms. So far,
about 1.75 million species have been identified, mostly small creatures
such as insects. Scientists reckon that there are actually about
13 million species, though estimates range from 3 to 100 million.
Biodiversity also includes genetic differences
within each species - for example, between varieties of crops and
breeds of livestock. Chromosomes, genes, and DNA-the building blocks
of life-determine the uniqueness of each individual and each species.
Yet another aspect of biodiversity is the variety
of ecosystems such as those that occur in deserts, forests, wetlands,
mountains, lakes, rivers, and agricultural landscapes. In each ecosystem,
living creatures, including humans, form a community, interacting
with one another and with the air, water, and soil around them.
Ever responding to natural forces and human activities,
the Earth's biodiversity is in a constant state of flux. Biodiversity
is the combination of life forms and their interactions with each
other and with the rest of the environment that has made Earth a
uniquely habitable place for humans.
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