Komodo National Park Indonesia - some lessons for India
Komodo, is famous for its Komodo Dragons, but its underwater environments are virtually unrivaled in biodiversity. Blast fishing was common throughout the region and responsible for decimating the underwater ecosystems. The tourist infrastructure in disrepair,
the locals with few economic opportunities, very little constructive engagement with the government, all these are problems we in India identify with.
Nature Conservancy partnered with the Indonesian government to revamp all aspects of the park. The strategy the Conservancy is
1. No-take zones for fishing -- These are enforced by floating ranger stations, in order to allow the reefs to regenerate and allow for sustainable fish populations.
2. A system of concession fees for tourist operators -- These were established in order to help fund park maintenance and provide local communities with an additional revenue stream
3. Increase ecotourism and opportunities for alternative livelihoods - using aquaculture and fishing outside of the protected areas.
"Just as important, if we want to limit direct access to biological resources for local populations, we need to provide the people with alternative forms of economic development. This is not only fair, but the only strategy that has the potential to permanently
align their interests in the direction of long-term conservation"
says an article in nature.org at the following link
http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=progress_20070902_mbr&autologin=true