The HIMALAYA gets visitors in such volume that in several places, roads and campsites have become part of the landscape, wildlife has been chased away into areas away from their natural habitat and the food-chain and ecosystem have been seriously disrupted.
Whoever thought that the mighty mountains that form formidable frontiers would need protection? Now sustainable development and carrying capacity are some of the buzzwords doing the rounds in politically correct circles; and a substantial amount of funds and manpower is being made available for preserving the environment as a heritage for the future.
Trekking and Mountaineering Associations, Nature Conservationists and Tourism Boards need to regularly hold workshops, training programs, clean-up drives.
Human needs have to be balance with the environment on a sustainable basis by ensuring maximum community participation through a process which people are both the principal actors and beneficiaries. Tourists themselves also have to be educated on what effect they have on the place they have chosen to visit and this is no mean task. |
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