Addressing Climate Change Loss and Damage: Promoting Ecotourism for the Sustainable Economic Development of Tribal Communities in Odisha

Abstract

The Odisha region of India is facing a major challenge of climate change that is threatening the lives and culture of tribal people in the region. Eco-tourism has been found to be a community based and sustainable strategy to mitigate these impacts and boost economic development and conservation of biodiversity. The research paper explores how eco-tourism has been utilized in two major tribal areas- Similipal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar by case study with secondary data and thematic analysis. The results indicate that eco-tourism helps in the adaptation to climate change through the adoption of sustainable land use, minimizing deforestation, and environmental stewardship. The level of community participation, particularly the grassroot initiatives at Keonjhar is central in the decent development and preservation of culture. Whereas Similipal has shown a state based model which gives focus on the conservation process which is controlled, Keonjhar has shown a participatory model which is community owned. The two examples emphasize the potential of eco-tourism as a multi-faceted tool of ecological sustainability, cultural sustainability and economic empowerment. Nonetheless, infrastructure discontinuities, inaccessibility to the market and institutional barriers need to be overcome to ensure that its long-term benefits are maximized. The paper ends by giving policy intervention, capacity building and inclusive governance recommendations to enhance eco-tourism as a climate-resilient developmental option to Odisha tribal communities.