Tourism booms in Ladakh, impacting Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary: study

Tourism is growing fast in sensitive ecological areas. But it can be both good and bad. A recent study looked at how tourism affects the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh, a region in the Indian Trans-Himalaya.

The study found that we need to balance protecting the environment and supporting local people’s livelihoods. Tourism can help economies grow, especially in developing countries. But if it’s not managed well, it can harm the environment and create social problems. In Ladakh’s wildlife sanctuary, tourism has become a big part of local life.

The researchers studied how wetland birds in the sanctuary react to tourists. They found that the birds are sensitive to the presence of tourists, which could affect local wildlife.

In a recent interview with Neeraj Mahar, the main author of the study, revealed deeper insights into the impact of tourism on Ladakh and the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. Mahar emphasised the delicate balance between conservation and development required in the region.

The interview illuminated challenges such as the COVID anthropause, political uncertainties, and environmental degradation, which include pollution-induced loss of natural sites and unregulated tourism influx. Local communities raised concerns, economic dependencies on traditional industries like Pashmina wool existed, and the younger generation aspired for a modern lifestyle and job opportunities, which the interview also discussed.

The interview gave a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics of tourism, conservation, and local livelihoods in Ladakh's unique ecological and cultural landscape.

Expert Interview:

How do birds in Ladakh's Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary change their behavior in presence of tourists?

A: In the presence of tourists, birds in Ladakh's Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary exhibit altered behavior, as highlighted in the study. Non-tourist sites show higher species richness compared to tourist sites. Only human-tolerant species, such as gulls, are commonly found in tourist sites. Nesting locations are recorded slightly farther away from tourist camps. Sensitive bird species tend to flush early in response to intruders, while tolerant species show delayed responses, with this behavior directly related to body weight and wing span.

Larger species, being more vulnerable, require more time and energy to respond to threats. Practices like off-road driving and recreational activities on shorelines negatively impact habitat types, particularly grasses and marshes. There is a potential for increased stress levels and unnecessary human interactions, such as feeding biscuits to wild animals. Misadventures, including vehicles getting stuck in marshes, can lead to damage to nesting sites and habitats of animals like marmots and voles.

Q: What are the advantages and challenges faced by the local community in Ladakh in managing nature-related tourism?

A: Nature-related tourism can provide alternative livelihood opportunities and boost the local economy in Ladakh if managed sustainably. However, regulating tourist activities and ensuring benefit sharing can be challenging. The influx of tourists puts extra pressure on already limited resources in the region, such as water for drinking and other domestic purposes.

With increasing climate vulnerabilities, locals need to have different sources of income. Relying on one occupation might lead to economic shocks, as happened during the COVID pandemic. People with resources and power might change many dynamics. For instance, in Uttarakhand, people have bought large areas of land in vulnerable and resource-deficit hilly states, leading to the marginalization of locals with small land holdings or those who are landless.

These circumstances could push locals into menial jobs and create economic disparity and sometimes limit access to local resources like water and forests. While land acquisition might not be an issue in Ladakh, investment through back channels and other mediums could affect locals’ social and economic status. If tourism earnings are not managed with strict rules and community-based institutions, it could lead to stratification among local people due to unequal distribution of opportunities.

Q: Concerns about uneven tourism benefit distribution and how community involvement in management can ensure equity?

A: The main concern is that unequal benefit sharing can give rise to economic and social disparities. For instance, if most of the community members receive a small share or do not get benefits at all, it might create a divide between them and affect their social status in the long run. They may only get menial jobs and individuals with more monetary value could dominate the tourism sector.

Community involvement can ensure equitable benefits by forming local village or panchayat level bodies and circulars, providing an equal chance of sharing tourists and their benefits. For example, Hemis has managed community-owned tourism by providing equal chances of benefit sharing and also provided capacity building opportunities to local residents. In the purview of tourism leakage, local communities need to be empowered by establishing and promoting local institutions. This approach ensures that the benefits of tourism are distributed more evenly across the community.

Q: Challenges in balancing tourism in the Trans-Himalaya region due to seasonality, harsh weather, and rising tourist numbers?

A: Tourism in Changthang remains restricted to summer months. The arrival of tourists and the breeding season of many bird and mammal species coincide with each other. Being a northern frontier with the presence of hostile neighbors, defense-related development is inevitable. In a resource-deficient region, land use change, influx of outsiders, and rampant development activities after amendments in the Forest Conservation Act near borders will have no restrictions for developmental activities such as road and other installations. Tourism, which has increased many folds in the last 15 years in such a harsh environment and resource-deficient region, will eventually increase vulnerability and further affect local people.

Q: What are local concerns about tourism’s effect on Ladakh’s Changthang Sanctuary?

A: Local communities are sceptical of its sustainability due to several factors. These include the COVID anthropause, political uncertainties, hostile neighbouring countries, and environmental degradation such as the loss of natural sites due to pollution and unregulated tourist influx, and access to LAC wetlands and lakes. The influx of a large number of tourists in areas with low human density could lead to cultural disagreements if local aspirations are not followed or respected. Economic dependence on tourism is still a far-reaching dream due to the high economic value of the Pashmina wool industry. However, the younger generation has their aspirations related to the outer world and job opportunities. They are more exposed to the outer world and their pursuit of a modern lifestyle leads them to cities like Leh and Chandigarh.

In places like India, where tourism often focuses on wildlife and communities with low incomes, the study draws attention to the need to balance conservation and development. The Trans-Himalaya region, which is ecologically fragile, faces extra challenges because of the seasonal nature of tourism, harsh weather, and increasing numbers of tourists.

Ladakh, known for its unique biodiversity and cultural heritage, has seen a rise in tourism over the years. The Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, home to important migratory waterbirds, has become a popular tourist spot. But this shared space between tourists and wildlife has raised concerns about the potential impact on animal behaviour.

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