Delhi Urban Ecotourism: Getting Urbanites Interested in Conservation

Tourism is the world’s largest and most promising industry. The concept of ‘eco-tourism’ is perhaps the most abused, little understood and least explored. Going to the mountains or a National Park and all other forms of natural tourism are often, though not always, marketed as ‘eco-tours’. While Ecotourism can be distinguished from nature tourism by its emphasis on conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation, there is a severe paucity of efforts and attempts in the right direction for conducting such eco-tours.

Now, a youth led organization and an urban think tank in Delhi, India has taken to itself to research and explore ‘urban ecotourism’ as a means to connect the citizens back to their city, and raise awareness about the ‘nature in the city’. Underlying to this initiative is also the understanding that for the first time in human history, a majority of people live in cities or towns and that cities are the future of the world!

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The United States and Western Europe have been urbanized for decades, but the developing world is starting to catch up, particularly Southeast Asia, India and West Africa. It is believed that by 2030 there will be almost 2 billion new urbanites. Consequently, the needs and wants of urban dwellers will definitely influence land-use on almost every hectare on Earth. And thus the need to make the ‘citi’zens aware of their footprint.

The Nature Conservancy defines Eco-tourism as environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples. This is the understanding used to plan the Delhi Urban Eco-tours, four of which took the citizens of Delhi to places like the landfill sites, lost green spaces, a biodiversity park, a lost lake and more importantly river Yamuna - all in the city of Delhi.

In accordance with the human nature, not only were the citizens informed about their responsibility towards the environment, they were also told what they would get out of conserving nature and the green spaces.

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