Impact of Plantation Induced Forest Degradation on the Outbreak of Emerging Infectious Diseases—Wayanad District, Kerala, India

Saha, Kakoli; Ghatak, Debjani; Muralee, Nair Shruti S.

doi:10.3390/ijerph19127036

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

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“…The government's forestry program has exacerbated the problem by converting natural stands of forest into plantations of tree species, such as eucalyptus, acacia, and mahogany. These exotic species have deprived wild animals of their natural food sources, forcing them to leave the forest (Varkey et al, 2018;Saha et al, 2022). The combination of these factors, along with the impact of tourism development activities, contribute to the alarming increase in wild animal attacks today.…”

Section: Environmental Impact and Agrarian Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

The socio-ecological impacts of tourism development in the Western Ghats: the case of Wayanad, India

Varghese,

Natori

2024

Front. Sustain. Tour.

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Globally, tourism is advocated as a development tool with the potential to uplift socioeconomic conditions for marginalized populations and contribute to biodiversity conservation. The expectation is that the tourism model of development can bring about positive social changes in diverse communities by broadening livelihood opportunities and concurrently preserving crucial ecosystems, which are regarded as valuable assets in the tourism sector. We investigated Wayanad in the Western Ghats of India, challenging the notion of “tourism for development.” We examined the socio-ecological features of the region, the evolution of tourism and sustainable tourism, and the implications across various sectors. The research employed an empirical approach grounded in the critical examination of socio-ecological systems for tourism governance and sustainability. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews conducted in Wayanad and a review of the relevant literature. The results reveal that despite the prevalent and persuasive arguments favoring tourism, there are extensive multi-sectoral implications in tourism development that negatively affect both the environment and people at large. These impacts include the erosion of agrobiodiversity-linked traditional Adivasi lifestyles, the displacement of local communities, the encroachment of tourism projects into forests and increased human–animal conflicts, the absence of social security measures for marginalized communities, a decline in traditional livelihood options, and an overreliance on the tourism industry and the private sector. These discernible impacts have pushed the fragile region further into a socio-ecological imbalance. Tourism development in ecologically delicate areas should take into account socio-ecological impacts because a region's culture and nature are key components of its attractiveness as a tourist destination. Large-scale landscape planning should involve the perspectives of various stakeholders, including both direct and indirect participants who could be influenced by tourism. The marginalization of Adivasi communities that maintain the region's ecological integrity is unproductive for both the economic and regional development interests of tourism.

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Section: Environmental Impact and Agrarian Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%