Dhani & Mangalajodi – Opening Gateways to Responsible Tourism & Transforming Livelihoods
Dhani & Mangalajodi are two unique sites in terms of the bio-diversity they represent, the wilderness it offers to the outsiders and the potential to generate a harmonious co-existence between humans and nature. Dhani is a virgin forest with grown up tree species, birds and animals and has a great potential to be a paradise for trekkers & wildlife enthusiasts. Mangalajodi is a winter habitat for plenty of migratory birds who flock every year to spend the winter season and breed. It is located in the Chilka lagoon, Asia’s largest estuarine eco-system experiencing water and migratory birds. Most importantly, the once-before poachers have been transformed into wildlife protectors and are ...
About You
Contact Information
Title
Dr.
First name
Pankaj
Last name
Sharma
Your job title
Manager (Marketing & Promotion)
Name of your organization
Council of Professional Social Workers
Organization type
NGO
Annual budget/currency
Annual Budget/Currency
Mailing address
N-1, A-17. IRC Village. Bhubaneswar (Orissa). INDIA. PIN-751015
Telephone number
+91-9338343337
Postal/Zip Code
751015
Country
India
Website
Email address
Alternative email address
Your idea
This will be the address used to plot your entry on the map.
Street Address
N-1, A-17. IRC Village
City
Bhubaneswar
State/Province
Orissa
Postal/Zip Code
751 015
Country
India
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of tourist experience and educational benefit to tourists , Quality of benefit to residents for the destination , Quality of tourism management by destination leadership .
Organization size
Small (1 to 100 employees)
Indicate sector in which you principally work
Community Organization
Year innovation began
2009
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Other.
Name Your Project
Dhani & Mangalajodi – Opening Gateways to Responsible Tourism & Transforming Livelihoods
Describe Your Idea
Dhani & Mangalajodi are two unique sites in terms of the bio-diversity they represent, the wilderness it offers to the outsiders and the potential to generate a harmonious co-existence between humans and nature. Dhani is a virgin forest with grown up tree species, birds and animals and has a great potential to be a paradise for trekkers & wildlife enthusiasts. Mangalajodi is a winter habitat for plenty of migratory birds who flock every year to spend the winter season and breed. It is located in the Chilka lagoon, Asia’s largest estuarine eco-system experiencing water and migratory birds. Most importantly, the once-before poachers have been transformed into wildlife protectors and are ...
Innovation
What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
We foresee to provide sustainable livelihood for communities by way of Geotourism and conserving natural resources through education to both visitors and communities.
Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.
Dhani & Mangalajodi are two unique sites in terms of the bio-diversity they represent, the wilderness it offers to the outsiders and the potential to generate a harmonious co-existence between humans and nature. Dhani is a virgin forest with grown up tree species, birds and animals and has a great potential to be a paradise for trekkers & wildlife enthusiasts. Mangalajodi is a winter habitat for plenty of migratory birds who flock every year to spend the winter season and breed. It is located in the Chilka lagoon, Asia’s largest estuarine eco-system experiencing water and migratory birds. Most importantly, the once-before poachers have been transformed into wildlife protectors and are extremely proactive towards protecting the birds. At both places, the Government is keen on conservation and local communities have been involved in protection and management for quite some time now.
At both the locations, conservation efforts led to change in livelihood patterns of community. RBS Foundation India saw this as an opportunity wherein both sites can be promoted as Eco tourism destinations employing local people to provide sustainable livelihood, along with the help of Council of Professional Social Workers – an Orissa based NGO.
Explain in detail why your approach is innovative
This project involves - RBS Foundation India, Council of Professional Social Workers (An Orissa based grassroots level NGO) as implementing partners, and a team of wildlife enthusiasts – Wild Orissa (An Orissa state level NGO) as Knowledge Partners and the local communities who will manage the entire project in future. This synergy of efforts and ideas would enable the project to attain its long term goals.
Impact
Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
The project started just 5 months back i.e. in the month of December. In this short span of time we have successfully been able to mobilize the local communities at Dhani and Mangalajodi.
Quantitative:
• Decrease in number of poaching incidence
• Increased income level
Qualitative:
• Change in knowledge of people about environment and conservation.
• Attitude of the new generation towards environment.
• Cross cultural integration.
Minimizing negative impact:
• Conservation of biodiversity
• Cultural rejuvenation
• Low carbon footprint tours
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
• CPSW will be involved in this project for the first two years. After this period, the project responsibilities will be gradually transferred to the village community who will maintain the entire activities.
• Local people will work as eco-guides and take care of hospitality & catering.
• In the initial stages, the local community will set up the infrastructure.
• Managing the revenue generated from the project
• Involved in the decision making process
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Involving eco guides (transformed poachers) who would generate awareness among the tourists about the importance of conservation.
• Educating tourists about wild flora and fauna.
• Experiential learning: Go inside Chilika Lake with a fisherman and know about different techniques of catching fish and a glance into his daily life.
• Continuous innovation through customer feedback
• Money spent by visitors will be utilized by local communities in improving infrastructure and their overall livelihoods.
Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.
For the past 25 years, efforts by the villagers’ have rejuvenated the two ecosystems at Dhani and Mangalajodi. The current project is puts effort so as to showcase this to the whole world, and in this way enabling communities to augment their livelihoods on sustainable basis.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Project is financed by RBS Foundation India.
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?
Yes, it is financially and organizationally sustainable for the coming two years.
We can attract following segments of people
• Wildlife enthusiasts/ Adventure seekers.
• Research Scholars: In different Educational institutions.
• Corporate houses.
• Ecologically and socially conscious individuals.
• Documentary & Film Makers.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
• Financial constraints
• Casteism resulting in a lack of participation from backward caste in hospitality
• Lack of participation from women.
What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
We would like to put efforts to make it totally Carbon Free Tourism involving local and scientific knowledge. We would also like to replicate it to involve nearby places like Rishikulya, breeding site of endangered Olive Ridley Turtles.
The Story
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
CPSW, a non-governmental development organization was established in 1987 and got registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860 and FCR Act, 1976. It started as an association of trained social workers and focused initially on promotion of social work practice in Orissa. It conducts research, training, documentation and organized seminars/workshops to enhance the standard of social work practice. It undertakes projects for the development of tribals, dalits, the rural poor, drought and disaster affected people, displaced persons, vulnerable children and other disadvantaged groups. Reduction of poverty and promotion of rural livelihoods has been its main focus. Besides this, CPSW has been engaged in policy advocacy for land and forest rights of the poor. In the process, CPSW is trying a noble way of providing livelihood support to communities through Ecotourism.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.
Mr. Nand Bhujwal who works with Wild Orissa transformed poachers into conservationists by providing them constant support for long time. He was faced with the challenge to provide livelihood to them who were earlier earning a wage of Rs. 1500/- per day by poaching migratory birds. Nand Bhujwal approached RBS Foundation India and CPSW so that they could initiate a project whereby with the help of Eco tourism, both livelihood and conservation could be taken care of. This would motivate and urge more poachers to leave poaching and move to a more sustainable way of livelihood.
It is important to note that are very few community based tourism models which are working efficiently in India. Both RBS Foundation India and CPSW have taken it up as a challenge and are working hard to accomplish the long term objectives of this project.
Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.
• Wild life photography in Dhani forest: Dhani boasts of a plethora of terrestrial birds like the Golden Oriole, Crested Serpent Eagle, Flycatchers etc. and nocturnal birds like the Nightjar and Barn owl.
• Bird photography in Mangalajodi: Mangalajodi is home to a variety of resident and migratory birds like Rudyshell Ducks, Purple Moorhen (Poorphyrio porphy) and Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum), Open Billed Stork, Ibis, Pied Kingfisher, Wagtails, Godwit etc. It offers you the closest possible view of birds at Lake Chilika.
• Trekking in Dhani forest
• First hand training on bamboo and its uses: Dhani forest has bamboo species like Bambusa nutans, B. bamboos & Dendroclamus strictus. These bamboo varieties are used by local people in making huts, handicrafts and even for cooking different local dishes.
• Experiential learning (life of fisherman, poacher turned eco-guide and conservationist)
• Night stay in bamboo huts to have a close interaction with nature
• Exposure to local culture and cuisine.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
Partnerships with organizations working in the area of Environment Protection and Conservation of Natural Resources would help us to a great extent in designing low carbon footprint products & packages, training employees etc. Establishing networks with such organizations would be imperative in attaining long term objectives of the Ecotourism project.
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