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Ecotourism and Sustainable Development of Mountain Communities: A Study

of Dhanolti Ecopark in Uttarakhand State of India

Article  in  Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences · January 2013

DOI: 10.12691/aees-1-5-5

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Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2013, Vol. 1, No. 5, 98-103
Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/aees/1/5/5
© Science and Education Publishing
DOI:10.12691/aees-1-5-5

Ecotourism and Sustainable Development of Mountain

Communities: A Study of Dhanolti Ecopark in
Uttarakhand State of India
Chandra Prakash Kala*

Ecosystem and Environment Management, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Received October 03, 2013; Revised October 21, 2013; Accepted October 21, 2013
Abstract The value of ecotourism in creating opportunities for sustainable development of communities and
management of ecosystem and environment was studied in the Uttarakhand state of India. This Himalayan state
promotes ecotourism in national parks and sanctuaries, apart from exclusive areas created for ecotourism in the form
of ecoparks. One such ecopark namely Dhanolti ecopark was surveyed intensively, which is jointly managed by the
state forest department and the local communities. The ecopark’s income has continuously increased since its
inception and the participatory management practices have also improved its ecosystem and surrounding
environmental conditions. The area that was once degraded due to dumping of non-degradable plastic waste is now
almost free from such environmental-unfriendly substances. The study further argues that which model is more
appropriate for meeting the requirement of ecotourism; whether the national park and sanctuary or the ecopark.
Keywords: ecotourism, ecosystem management, sustainable development, Uttarakhand, national park, ecopark
Cite This Article: Chandra Prakash Kala, “Ecotourism and Sustainable Development of Mountain
Communities: A Study of Dhanolti Ecopark in Uttarakhand State of India.” Applied Ecology and Environmental
Sciences 1, no. 5 (2013): 98-103. doi: 10.12691/aees-1-5-5.

defined in different ways by different groups of people [8].

On one hand the scenic beauty of natural areas attracts
1. Introduction large number of tourists, while on other hand many
conservationists wish to regulate the flow of tourists and
Natural areas with rich biodiversity and scenic beauty, advocate implementation of existing conservation
such as the Himalayas, have been the major destination practices, especially in the environmentally sensitive areas
centers for nature lovers from historical time. With the [8,9,10].
passage of time, the heavy influx of unregulated tourism Recently in 2013, the UNWTO has given the node to
and its activities, however, have mounted unprecedented adopt the resolution which recognized ecotourism as a key
pressures on such areas of tourist’s attractions in terms of to fight against poverty, the protection of the environment
loss of native biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems and the promotion of sustainable development under the
and environment [1,2]. The continuous degradation of title ‘Promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and
such ecosystems and the loss of services supplied by them environment protection’. The recognition of ecotourism in
have evoked the need of sustainable development of creating opportunities for the conservation, protection and
tourism centric places all over the world. According to the sustainable use of biodiversity and of natural areas by
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), encouraging local and indigenous communities is a known
sustainability principles refer to the environmental, socio- fact, at present, which is supported widely. This fact
economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism encourages Member States to promote investment in
development along with creating suitable balance between ecotourism, in accordance with their national legislation,
these three dimensions. including creating small and medium-sized enterprises and
The concept of sustainable tourism has given birth to a cooperatives such as microcredit initiatives for the poor,
quite popular and acceptable term ‘ecotourism’, which local and indigenous communities, in areas of ecotourism
indicates the responsible travel to natural areas that potential and rural areas [11].
conserves the environment and improves well-being of In view of the importance of ecotourism, the
local inhabitants. The practice of ecotourism or Government of India prepared a detailed set of guidelines
sustainable tourism is known to have the potential of on the selection, planning, development, implementation
helping the conservation of natural areas in such a way so and monitoring of ecotourism in India. These directives
that the local communities may be benefited by improving and guidelines are applicable to all Protected Areas,
their living standards without slowing down their age-old including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, sacred
traditions and cultures [3,4,5,6,7]. Ecotourism is being groves, or pilgrimage spots within protected areas and
 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 99

forested areas. The guidelines intend to adopt low-impact development, the state government of Uttarakhand in
tourism that protects ecological values of the destination India has established an ecopark in Dhanolti – a small hill
and its surrounding areas, including building up station. The Dhanolti ecopark is 30 km away from
environmental and cultural awareness, facilitating Mussoorie town and 63 km away from Dehradun - the
sustainability of ecotourism enterprises and activities, capital city of Uttarakhand. The ecopark is situated at an
providing livelihood opportunities to local communities, altitude of 2280 m a.m.s.l. between 30° 42’ N, 78° 24’ E.
and to use indigenous, locally produced and ecologically Before setting up the ecopark, the villagers in and
sustainable materials for tourism activities [12]. Realizing around Dhanolti town were approached by the state forest
the diverse natural areas in the country, the responsibility department, and a series of consultative meetings were
to develop state-specific ecotourism plans are dispensed to held with them on the prospects of developing an ecopark
the respective State Governments. at Dhanolti. The numbers of problems of the villagers
Uttarakhand is one of the Indian states, lies in the were identified during the consultative meetings.
Himalayas, and is well known for its rich biodiversity, Unemployment was one of the major problems, which had
scenic beauty and tourist destination [13,14,15,16,17]. The forced local youths to migrate from their villages to cities
Government of Uttarakhand promotes eco-tourism in search of employment and better opportunities,
through its eco-tourism wing which is created to promote especially to Dehradun and New Delhi.
eco-tourism activities, especially in the forest areas of the The lack of knowledge and less-informed tourists and
state. The eco-tourism wing seeks to draft policies and locals used to through garbage frequently in the
provide funds for various eco-tourism projects and surrounding deodar forest, which polluted the ecosystem
provide a framework for the promotion and development and environment of this hilly region. Trespassing in
of eco-tourism in the state. The state has developed reserve forest by hoteliers and locals were a matter of
ecotourism areas in the national parks, sanctuaries and in grave concern for forest department in order to manage
forest areas. An eco-park has been developed in the hills the existing forests mainly composed of deodar,
of Uttarakhand under the banner of Dhanolti Ecology and rhododendrons and oaks.
Ecotourism Development Committee, which is commonly To mitigate pressure on the forest ecosystem, and at the
known as Dhanolti Eco-park. This eco-park has been same time to provide some employment to the local
selected as an example for studying various issues of people apart from ascertaining their participation in the
ecotourism, its pros and cons and the avenues of management of forest and ecosystem, the consensus
developing appropriate strategies for promotion of emerged on developing an ecopark at Dhanolti. A
ecotourism in the state. The study further discusses that committee was formed naming Dhanolti Ecology and
which model of ecotourism, whether the national park and Ecotourism Development Committee (DEEDC), which
sanctuary or the ecopark, is more appropriate for meeting was registered in 2008 under the Society Registration Act
the requirement of ecotourism as chalked out by the 1860. The place, as offers a panoramic view of the
UNWTO and the state government. Himalayas and magnificent deodar forests, the ecopark
was finally established in about 13 ha of reserve forest
chiefly dominated by deodar trees. The ecopark declared
2. Methods open for public and tourism activities were initiated here
from June 2008.
Dhanolti ecopark of Uttarakhand state in India was
studied intensively and surveyed for collection of data on 3.2. Management of Ecopark
the yearly arrival of number of visitors and income
generated by providing required facilities to the visitors Dhanolti ecopark is managed by a committee of 18
and also conducting various activities in the ecopark. The members, including 3 members from woman folks. The
ecopark authorities and employees were interviewed for main role of DEEDC is to manage the ecopark, conserve
the collection of information on the benefit sharing forest and ecosystem, dispose off and recycle garbage, and
mechanism and employment generation after establishing collect fees for various amenities, as provided to the
ecopark. The official records of Dhanolti ecopark on tourists. Besides, the committee looks after the
various expenditures for developing and maintaining conservation and management of adjoining forest areas.
ecopark along with various sources of ecopark income, as The five major amenities provided by ecopark to the
maintained by Dhanolti Ecology and Ecotourism visitors are: accommodation facility in eco-huts,
Development Committee (DEEDC), were also examined. amusement facilities like flying fox and burma bridge,
The waste disposal mechanism of DEEDC was scrutinized. plantation of memory saplings, nature trails with yoga
The collected information on the number of tourists and centre and a interpretation centre.
income generation at the ecopark was compared with the Eco-huts are made up of bamboo and are rented to
similar information available for the national parks and visitors for night stay on some nominal charges (Figure 1).
sanctuaries within the state of Uttarakhand. The adventure sports facility is available for visitors in the
form of walking over the flying fox and burma bridges
and riding horses. There is also a facility for visitors to
3. Results and Discussion plant a sapling of tree species in the memory of their
beloved, which is called as memory sapling plantation.
3.1. Dhanolti Eco Park There is a Yoga centre in the ecopark’s premises, which
disseminate the power of Yoga to maintain health and
In view of the wide recognition of ecotourism in the keep one’s body away from diseases. Besides, there is an
natural areas and also to fight against poverty, apart from interpretation centre which helps to generate awareness on
protection of environment and promotion of sustainable
100 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences

the conservation and management of the Himalayan are also available in the ecopark to visitors for purchase.
ecosystem and biodiversity. Some local handicraft items

Figure 1. An income generation source - the attractive bamboo huts - in Dhanolti ecopark of Uttarakhand state, India

increased, as they provide the pleasure of living in huts

3.3. Income Sources of Ecopark and the scenic beauty, as well. In the initial stage of
There are different sources of income. The ecopark is establishing ecopark the expenditure was naturally higher
divided into two major parts – the upper one is called as for developing infrastructure, which is declined over the
Ambar (sky) and the lower one is Dhara (earth). The years.
visitors pay some nominal entry fees, which varies from
Rs. 20 per adult [56 Rs. = 1 US $] to Rs. 10 per kid for Table 2. Non-biodegradable waste disposal from the ecopark
visiting Ambar and Rs. 15 per adult to Rs. 10 per kid for Year Waste disposal (in kg)
visiting Dhara. Per night stay charge in the bamboo hut is 08-09 2040
Rs. 1500. The charge for enjoying a walk over the Burma
bridge is Rs. 20 per person and the charge for sliding on 09-10 951
the flying fox is Rs. 50 per person. The cost of memory
10-11 910
sapling plantation is Rs. 350.
11-12 210
Table 1. Expenditure in developing eco-park Dhanoulti and
subsequent income generated
Total Income generated
Total 3.4. Ecosystem and Environment Management
No. of income
Year expenditure The approach of participatory conservation through
visitors Bamboo Park generated
(in Rs. )*
huts activities (in Rs.) DEEDC has improved the ecosystem and environment
2008- conditions of Dhanolti. The area which was once degraded
9602600 43281 0 538660 538660
09 due to dumping of non-degradable plastic waste is now
2009-
10
2231797 114154 87785 1615131 1702916 almost free from such non-biodegradable substances. The
2010- use of such wastes has declined over the years and so that
750000 107350 621811 2112749 2734560
11 the quantity of its disposal has reduced (Table 2). DEEDC
2011- has placed holdings on the road and vantage points
464000 119745 699747 2614951 3314698
12
depicting the ill effects of non-biodegradable substances
Total 13048397 384530 1409343 6881491 8290834 and other garbage, which help in spreading awareness
*One US $ = 56 Rs. as on June 2012 among the tourists and locals to use dustbins rather than
The ecopark income has continuously increased since littering anywhere in nature. The waste is gathered and
its inception in 2008 from Rs. 5,38,660 to Rs. 33,14,698 transported to the nearest city, Dehradun, where it is
in 2012, which is over 6 times higher (Table 1). Over the recycled or dispose off properly. The reduction in garbage
period of four years the ecopark has generated a total Rs. has helped the local flora to revive. In addition, over 1000
82,90,834. Of this income 83% is gained by conducting saplings of tree species, mainly of deodar, have been
various activities in the ecopark and remaining 17% is planted as memory plantations in the ecopark area. These
contributed by providing accommodation in the eco-huts. saplings flourish well, as they all are under intensive care
Eco-huts were made functional in 2009, and since then the of the DEEDC. The encroachment activities have also
income generation from these eco-huts has continuously been minimized.
 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 101

3.5. Benefit Sharing and Livelihood Generation regular employees of ecopark such as, local mule owners,
photographers, small shopkeepers, hoteliers, restaurant
The total income as generated by conducting different owners, porters, vendors, including local farmers
activities in the ecopark is shared in such a way so that the producing seasonal vegetables and fruits etc.
ecopark can be made functional besides providing benefits
to the local people. Of the total ecopark income, the
maximum share (40%) is provided as honorarium to the
3.6. Sustainable Mountain Development
local people for conducting various activities in the Dhanaulti eco-park contributes considerably to
ecopark and environmental conservation. Thirty percent of establish the concept of eco-tourism as a tool for
ecopark income is used for the maintenance and sustainable development of communities along with
development of ecopark. Twenty percent is allotted as nature and natural resources. The well designed mandate
revenue in state exchequer, and remaining 10% of total of this ecopark ensures participation and engagement of
ecopark income is deposited in the corpus fund. local communities in conservation and management of
The ecopark provides regular employment to 25 local ecosystem and environment. It further helps to create
youths, including 3 women. Various park activities and awareness in masses about the conservation of
increase in tourist’s influx have enhanced livelihood biodiversity and natural resources by synchronizing these
opportunities to many other local people who are not valuable assets with the livelihood of local people (Figure
2).

Figure 2. Sharing of experiences with the post graduate students by Dhanaulti Ecology and Ecotourism Development Committee members on the
management of Himalayan ecosystem and environment

Table 3. Status of national park and sanctuaries in Uttarakhand state of India (One US $ = 56 Rs. as on June 2012)
Year of Area (in square Number of Total revenue generated (Rs. in
Name of protected area
establishment km) tourists lakhs)
Corbett National Park 1936 520.82 210262 719.38
Rajaji National Park 1983 620.42 21061 52.42
Gangotri National Park 1989 2390.02 15367 38.15
Valley of Flowers National Park 1982 87.50 6855 11.39
Nanda Devi National Park 1982 624.60 63 .13
Govind National Park 1990 472.08
2297 4.88
Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary 1955 485.89
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary 1988 45.59 17775 37.57
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary 1987 301.18 17111 29.41
Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary 1972 975.20 803 1.31
Ashkot Musk Deer WLS 1986 599.93 Data not available Data not available
Mussoorie WLS 1993 10.82 Data not available Data not available
7134.05 291594 894.64
102 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences

is a newly established ecopark, spans over a small area,

3.7. Comparison of Dhanolti Ecopark with and even not advertized properly within the country.
other Ecotourism Sites Despite several such limitations, the park has attracted a
Uttarakhand being a Himalayan state that harbours rich large number of visitors and has got considerable
biodiversity and breathtaking landscape beauty, as per the recognition within past four years.
Wildlife Protection Act 1972 a total 12 protected areas Dhanolti ecopark, as an example, indicates tourist’s
have been set aside along the width and breadth of the attractions in community managed ecotourism. In addition,
state covering various ecosystems, forest types and local support is required for biodiversity conservation and
landscapes [18]. The reasons of creating these protected ecosystem management by combining co-ownership and
areas include the purpose of protecting, propagating or co-management, as reflected by a long-term study
developing biodiversity and maintaining ecological and conducted in the neighboring country of Nepal by
geomorpholocal values of the areas declared as a national Bookbinder et al. [19]. Further, the community-based
park or sanctuary. Half of these total protected areas are tourism can foster changes in local attitudes toward forest
national parks and half of the protected areas are wildlife and wildlife, as ecotourism encourages local guardianship
sanctuaries (Table 3). These protected areas altogether of resources. Dhanolti model of ecotourism is expected to
cover 13.95% of the state’s total geographical area. sensitize masses for coming forward seriously for the
The history of protection differs across the protected conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem. The need of
areas and the Corbett National Park being the oldest the hour is therefore to develop responsible eco-tourism
protected area in India still boasts high biodiversity based on thoroughly thought and rigorously applied rules
including tiger and hence attracts tourists from far and and regulations.
wide. Within a year, from April 2011 to March 2012, a It is a subject of debate whether the protected areas,
total 2,91,954 tourists paid their visit to 10 protected areas especially the national park, should be opened for
of Uttarakhand out of total 12 existing protected areas ecotourism or they should be closed down for tourism
(excluding Ashkot and Mussoorie Wildlife Sanctuary as activities. There are reports which indicate that a large
data were not available for these two). Within one year number of wild animals stay outside these protected areas,
period, these protected areas altogether generated Rs. and the wildlife density remains comparatively high in the
894.64 lakhs revenue, of which the Corbett National Park unprotected human-dominated landscape outside some of
alone contributed Rs. 719.38 lakhs, which forms 80% of the old national parks [20]. Such results suggest the need
the total revenue generated by all 10 protected areas. of proper conservation policy, which can address
In one year, from April 2011-March 2012, Dhanolti rightfully the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem
ecopark, which spans over 13 ha of land, was visited by while promoting ecotourism. Merely promulgating
26,14,951 tourists. In a year the ecopark earned Rs. 33, protected areas is not a viable solution.
14,698 revenue, which is higher than the revenue earned The present study of Dhanolti ecopark suggests the
by 6 important national parks and sanctuaries such as the need of proper identification of natural sites, either
Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi National focusing conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem or
Park, Govind National Park, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, ecotourism. The keep off zones must be identified
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Kedarnath Wildlife properly and demarcated so that some natural wilderness
Sanctuary. The Nanda Devi National Park may be areas are made available for sensitive flora and fauna. At
excluded from this comparison to Dhanolti ecopark, as the same time, innovations in ecotourism are also required.
there are restrictions on tourism in this national park, and To meet this objective, the concerned institutions should
also the park remains under snow for major part of the develop proper planning and policy for meeting the
year. sustainability of natural resources.

Table 4. The trends in number of visitors to the Corbett National

Park and Dhanolti ecopark Acknowledgements
Number of Tourists
Year The author thanks the state forest department, and
Corbett National Park Dhanolti Ecopark ecopark authorities and staff for sharing their views during
2008-09 221,083 43281 the course of this study. I thank Komal Singh, sub-
divisional officer, and Jyoti Belwal for their support and
2009-10 223,761 114154
valuable suggestions. Director, Indian Institute of Forest
2010-11 189,793 107350 Management is acknowledged for help and guidance.
2011-12 210,612 119745
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