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Ecotourism in the Sundarbans and Local Food Security: Data Overview from Bangladesh Dissertation Research

Written by Cat Padgett on July 19, 2023. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized.

FINDING SOLIMAR

Throughout my time studying food security at the University of Edinburgh, I was vaguely aware of the advantages of sustainable tourism development projects in vulnerable areas of the world, but I wasn’t clear about how these efforts can actualize environmental and social improvements in practice. A friend of mine working in ecotourism then introduced me to Solimar, and I was energized by their results and success. Solimar connects people with economic opportunities and promotes environmental initiatives through sustainable tourism development.

I learned that Solimar was doing work in the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, and I became hooked on the idea of getting involved in their project. Throughout my course in food security, I developed a fascination with mangroves and how they can support food security in the world’s vulnerable coastal areas. I then got connected with one of Solimar’s project partners, the Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS). BEDS is a Bangladeshi NGO pursuing cooperative solutions to the country’s deteriorating mangrove habitat, coastal instability, and livelihood vulnerabilities among Bonojibi people (forest dwellers) who live in and around the Sundarbans. I was able to piggyback my research onto an existing project in the area – USAID contracts Solimar to develop the Bangladesh Ecotourism and Conservation Alliance (BECA) in collaboration with BEDS.

Getting connected with the larger Solimar, BEDS, and BECA networks granted me access to a world of sustainable development I thought I could only encounter much later in my career. These connections helped me better understand some of the vast economic and environmental results Solimar and BEDS have achieved with their program interventions.

Existing research in Bangladeshi mangrove preservation has focused on the ecological stability of the region. Working within existing frameworks, I proposed to contribute a food security angle to the existing data with my dissertation research, studying the effects of participation in mangrove conservation efforts on the four food security pillars in local households.

The Four Pillars of Food Security, as defined by The Committee on World Food Security

Thus, my research project was born:

Can Mangrove Conservation Interventions Increase Short-Term Food Security for Banojibi villages, while working towards Long-Term Ecological Stability, in The Sundarban Forest of Bangladesh?

A Case Study Evaluation of Local Perspectives on Bangladesh Environment and Development Society Mangrove Conservation Initiatives

The experience blew me away; I was able to travel to Bangladesh and interview stakeholders in and around the Sundarbans. I spoke with mangrove conservation project managers, forest rangers, farmers, ecotour guides, students and professors at Khulna university, and other interested parties to better understand the influence of mangrove conservation efforts on local livelihoods. The data collected from my study has since helped to inform food system lens for BECA project interventions in the Sundarban Reserve Forest, including the monitoring, evaluation, and learning of implemented project activities, specifically related to food security outcomes.

KEY FINDINGS OF ECOTOURISM IN THE SUNDARBANS ON LIVELIHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION

The culmination of my field research in the Sundarbans revealed some compelling themes linking ecotourism development to the improvement of livelihoods, including economic opportunities and food security outcomes for local people. BEDS’ ecotourism sector is one of five sectors (including agriculture, aquaculture, non-forest timber products, and mangrove reforestation) that is supporting regional environmental security in the Sundarbans. In addition to promoting mangrove health and coastal stability, BEDS’ ecotourism sector also facilitates cultural exchange between local people and tourists, and increased awareness of the vulnerable Sundarbans habitat. It also supports mangrove conservation in its emphasis on sustainable development, prioritizing local, small-scale, and sustainable materials for infrastructure, environmental education, and cultural exchange among local people and tourists. These actions increase awareness of the Sundarbans’ value and reduce resource pressures on mangrove habitat, in lieu of large-scale development of tourist facilities, and associated environmental degradation. The following statistics from my research showcase the results of ecotourism opportunities in the study area:

Nypa Palm and Bamboo Eco-Cottage Under Construction in Banishanta Union

A large majority (87.5%) of interviewees in the sector agreed that mangrove conservation initiatives have increased their access to professional opportunities.
Before the BEDS intervention, 50% of interview participants reported working as domestic and day laborers. All of those (37.5%) who reported working as domestic laborers were women. After getting involved in BEDS programming, however, 100% of people reported that their primary income came from ecotourism opportunities.
Over 71% of interview participants noted that increased opportunities for extended community partnerships between sectors could add value to ecotourism in the area. Specifically, 50% noted that opportunities to experience village lifestyle and culture would increase the value of ecotourism activities. Another 50% also mentioned healthier mangroves and Sundarban biodiversity as a driver of ecotourism value.
Ecotourism in the study area contributed to increased income and economic opportunities for women (affecting access to food), increased access to drinking water (affecting the utilization of food), increased ecological stability, improved land use practices, and cooperative partnerships (affecting the stability of local food systems).

Data from the ecotourism sector presented compelling opportunities for commercial cooperation and cultural-exchange between BEDS’ five sectors. For instance, BEDS’ ecotourism adds value to its local communities by developing increased employment opportunities and increasing regional awareness of the state of the Sundarbans. For instance, shrimp yields are highest from September to October in the study area. This is also the most popular tourist season, as it is the dry season in Bangladesh. This overlap could provide a valuable opportunity for pop-up retail markets in the aquaculture sector, and the diversification of market opportunities for farmers. This program also is one of the limited professional avenues for local people,especially women. This is a valuable avenue into the professional workforce for people in the study area, and a compelling avenue for reducing regional gender inequities.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE?

The ecotourism sector in Bangladesh is facing an interesting opportunity. The introduction of a 6 km bridge across the padma river on June 25, 2022, which will streamline transportation between Bangladesh’s metropolitan hubs, including Dhaka and Khulna, and the co

astal part of the country, is certain to increase regional tourist traffic. Unrestricted tourism could be disastrous for the area. However, increasing measured and intentional opportunities for sustainable ecotourism development could present an opportunity for increased awareness of the SRF, and an influx in economic opportunities in depressed local markets. The influx in capital, as a result of ecotourism, can change the micro and macroeconomic landscape of local communities in the world’s mangrove supporting regions. These benefits are critical to regional food security; economic opportunities like this are positively correlated with increased access to food, a diversified diet, and increased stability of local food systems.

HOW CAN DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM IN THE SUNDARBANS SCALE THESE RESULTS?

These results reveal several compelling themes that highlight the intersections of mangrove conservation efforts in the SIZ, and regional food security:

Multi-stakeholder initiatives can address opportune connections between local markets and ecosystems, helping to support local mangrove conservation and food availability and access
Increasing opportunities for ecotourism will increase opportunities for the retail sale of premium mangrove-friendly products in food producing sectors
Increasing opportunities for young people to be involved in ecotourism will improve environmental education and gender equity
Opportunities for visitor engagement in forest regeneration in the study area will increase opportunities for improving coastal stability and habitat production for the ecotourism sector, and food-production habitats for food producing sectors

Much of what was revealed in this research is already documented in current literature: mature mangrove forests can support food security, and mangrove conservation efforts can support livelihoods. This work adds an additional, targeted food security angle to the field, and contributes to the emerging research about how conservation interventions can also support food security in the short-term, as reforested and protected mangroves grow from saplings to resource-giving trees. Not only can cooperative mangrove conservation interventions, like ecotourism development, endow Bangladeshi communities with food security-supporting services, but these efforts can also stimulate education, a fair distribution of incomes, gender equality, cultural celebration, access to land and ownership, regional climate resilience, and other socio-ecological and economic assets.

WORKING WITH LOCAL PEOPLE

A pillar of Solimar and BEDS’ work in the Sundarbans is to ensure that the perspectives and priorities of local people are centered in every initiative taken on the behalf of the forest that they steward. Results from my limited work in the study area contribute to existing research indicating that conservation interventions are most successful when local communities are involved. Formal interviews and casual conversations with locals revealed to me that there is a robust momentum for mangrove conservation in the region I visited. Community-based mangrove forest management in the Sundarbans, including the development of the ecotourism sector, appeared to be a successful avenue to conservation, based on the results of my research and the perspectives of local people. This avenue for conservation initiatives redistributes the agency of forest conservation from powerful stakeholders to local people who rely on the forests’ resources for their livelihoods. These are the people targeted in Solimar’s work in Sundarbans ecotourism, and these are the people who will most directly influence policy and conservation.

Welcoming Solimar’s Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Internship Cohort

Written by Jenny Lundt on February 1, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

We recently kicked off our Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Internship cohort, working with 18 of the most talented budding tourism professionals from around the world. Our interns are from 12 different countries (such as China, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, and more) and live, study, and work spread across the globe.

Each season, we are amazed at the vast talent and promise our interns share, and this semester was certainly no exception. We received a record-breaking number of applications for this cohort, and have selected the most qualified candidates. These ambitious professionals are joining some of our projects and helping with communications campaigns, DMO development, research, and content writing. They are working on our projects around the world from supporting Friends of Wallacea in Guyana, to Liberia, to Timor-Leste, New Hampshire, and beyond!

Without further ado, get to know the spring 2022 intern cohort and discover the amazing skills that make each one of them unique and talented.

Meet our Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Interns

Eliot Heiss – has significant experience with journalism and communications, as he hosts his own podcast! He has studied in different countries, including Canada and Austria. His degrees are in Political Science, with a specialization in international relations and environmental politics.

Jess Moore – has extensive experience in the field of tourism, with over 19 years working in the field. Her background is in Leisure Studies, and she has dedicated a big part of her career to working on luxury tourism. She has recently discovered a passion for sustainable tourism and wants to use her career to generate an impact.

Hannah Lambert – is incredibly passionate about adventure tourism and sustainability. She is an avid traveler and she is currently traveling through Asia teaching English. Her studies are in Natural Resource Tourism with a minor in Business Administration. Hannah is excited to see her work have an impact on the world.

Kylie Blank – is a junior at Cornell University. She is Majoring in Hotel Administration and minoring in Sustainable Business and Economic Policy. Kylie was inspired to take this internship to gain knowledge in the area of sustainability. She hopes to apply this knowledge into the area of hotel management that she has been actively involved in for many years.

Thomas Kalchik – is an experienced young professional. Most recently, he has been involved in social responsibility in hotel chains and other types of non-profit work related to the tourism industry. He is extremely passionate about the power of tourism and wants to bring people together through travel.

Kim Sucré – looking out for the best study and research experience, Kim has adventured herself to study abroad in the UK and Italy. Her degree is in International Tourism Management, and her passions involve foreign cultures and languages. She is a member of her city’s Council for local tourism development, and she wants to continue to work in tourism development. She has already been applying her vast knowledge of tour planning and development to the Destination Marketing Internship!

Asfar Ahmad – is from Bangladesh but is currently based in Copenhagen, where he is completing his Master’s in Tourism. Asfar is looking forward to contributing with the projects and is hoping that his time with Solimar will boost his career.

Célia Hulin – has strong experience working with a DMC in Myanmar for over five years. She is ambitious and is completing her second Master’s in Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Most recently, her interests have been focused on working directly with local communities.

Emma Barfus – has lived in multiple places across the United States, which enticed her interest to explore the world. She is currently finishing her degree in international studies. Emma believes that her time in Solimar will give her the tools to become a better professional in the future.

Adam Pudi Luddy – is an activist with a degree in Tourism Business. He is moved by issues such as inequality, human rights, climate change, gender, people empowerment, and poverty alleviation. Adam wishes to address these social issues through tourism and become a sustainable tourism specialist.

Alexandria Kleinschmidt – is passionate about earth science, and she graduated in Geological science from Boston College. She spent two years teaching English in Germany. During her time abroad, she was able to rekindle her passion for cultural and nature tourism, which led her to explore all continents on earth.

Antony Noyes – is very proud of his Japanese, Filipino, and Swedish heritage. Raised in San Francisco, he made sure to keep his family traditions alive by cooking traditional food and spending lots of time outdoors. Antony is very keen on sustainable tourism and is eager to help develop the World Heritage Journeys Silk Road project.

Janis Rehme – is a skilled and experienced young professional in the areas of customer service and event management. He is currently studying International Tourism Management in the Netherlands where he balances his studies with his passion for traveling, exploring nature and meeting new people.

Nina Wang – is based in Hong Kong, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism. She is passionate about exploring different cultures and being around nature. She hopes to contribute to sustainable tourism and envisions her internship at Solimar as a way of doing so.

Greta Dallan – has recently finished her Master’s in International Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. She is well traveled and eager to learn more about sustainable tourism and destination marketing and management. Her career goal is to improve the state of tourism in Italy, her home country.

Lisa Elmes-Bosshard – was born on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. She has dedicated her life to the tourism industry, an industry in which she has occupied different positions throughout her career. She has traveled the world, from the Caribbean all the way through to Nepal. Now, Lisa dedicates her days to pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable Tourism studies at George Washington University. Her skills make her an ideal Destination Marketing Intern.

Jessica Pool – has great experience living abroad. She has lived in six countries in the last two years. She is currently pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Latin American studies. Jessica strongly believes that tourism has the potential to improve life in communities if properly managed.

Caitlyn Marentette – is an undergraduate majoring in South Asia Studies. Her research interests center around the history of colonialism in modern India, Pakistan, linguistic diversity in South Asia, and the Gunpowder Empires. Caitlyn has been an editorial intern for an academic publishing journal for the last year and a half. After graduating, she hopes to continue her studies, pursuing a career in academic research on modern South Asia.

Did you enjoy reading about our interns? You can read their full bios here. If you have similar interests in gaining real world tourism experience, visit our internship information page and join our next season of virtual interns!

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Tag: sustainable development