Subjective QOL, Objective QOL, Environment,

No abstract

Ecotourism is a market-based conservation strategy which strengthens household economies and improves attitude of people towards conservation efforts. India has tremendous potential for ecotourism. This paper is set in the context of ecotourism activities flourishing around Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage Site, situated in north east India. The main objectives of the study are to evaluate the perception of respondents towards ecotourism and to examine how participation in this activity affects economic welfare. A field survey is conducted in the periphery villages of the park. We use random sampling to interview households and analyse the data by applying descriptive statistics as well as regression method. The results demonstrate that respondents associated with ecotourism enjoy better living condition, nourish positive attitudes towards this business and feel politically empowered. Ecotourism generates economic welfare by positively and significantly affecting different components of expenditure in the budget of a household. We recommend economic activities based on local resource and skills to generate income in the offseason. Extension of activities related to local culture, festival and other outdoor activities may diversify livelihood. Finally, government has to create an enabling environment along with expansion of eco-development projects, bank loan and training facilities. ARTICLE HISTORY

Kaziranga National Park (henceforth, KNP) is a protected area situated in the North Eastern part of India. The park is a World Heritage Site and has a very rich ecosystem. KNP is an attractive tourist destination and occupies a significant place in the life and culture of the people living in this part of the country. Conservation of the park started more than a century ago, and local people have often contested such efforts. This is mainly because indigenous people have been facing displacement and deprivation from resources, which they have been using for centuries. Besides deprivation, wild animals often damage their properties and paddy fields. This leads to resentment among local people and become potential cause of grudge in the form of encroachment, poaching, biodiversity loss, and excessive collection of forest products. As a result, conservation measures may fail to deliver desired outcome. This paper tries to examine the gains and losses for living around KNP and assess the park-people relation. We conduct a case study in some periphery villages of the park and find that people have been suffering from difficulty in rearing livestock and loss caused by wild animal. However, people gain from tourism business. Based on the findings we recommend extension of tourism/allied activities and community welfare measures. The findings may be used to derive policy implication for sustainable management of the park.