J&K Wildlife Club & Ecotourism Society

Yes, the wilderness is vanishing, and cultures are fading, but what saves them are not dry statistics and doomsday scenarios, but rather the emotional sumptuousness and connection that comes from wilderness areas. My job, as an ecotourism advocate, is to figure out how to inspire someone on a couch in a city watching his television or computer screen to get up and make that step and come see and feel the witchcraft of wilderness. Once so touched, travelers become the most passionate advocates for preservation, as the trees and brooks and wild things are as a family.

In future Ecotourism is likely to be a major industry in Jammu and Kashmir State. However, there are some doubts regarding its impact on wildlife and indigenous/local communities. This page explores the multitude of interactions that exist among the welfare of wildlife, conservation biology and socio-economy of the local people.

Nature tourism is the organized viewing of wildlife. Nature tourists pay a considerable amount of money to participate in viewing wildlife in their native countries and in foreign countries that promote nature viewing to attract the revenue of tourists. The basic idea behind initiating any ecotourism activity is to raise monetary gains from the industry to benefit the conservation efforts by implementing effective management practices to safeguard wild animal populations, their habitats and sustainable development of local communities.

Steps to success:
1. Set biodiversity priorities that link with conservation goals.
2. Clarify local, national and global bio-diversity conservation priorities.
3. Involve those responsible for implementing conservation actions: Government agencies, NGOs, local universities and local communities.
4. Give local people economic incentives to protect wildlife ecosystems.
5. Involve government policy makers in conservation efforts.