Evaluation of Ecotourism Initiatives in Bangladesh Using the Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Ecopark as a Case Study: Application of GIS and Formulation of a Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Ecotourism is increasingly being viewed as a tool that induces sustainable development. Bangladesh has huge potential for ecotourism due to it hosting several world-famous natural heritages, but ecotourism is not properly operationalized. The Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Ecopark (SBGE), the nation’s first ecopark, was established at the Sitakunda Upazila in 2000 as a bid to conserve the rich biodiversity of the area. This study explores the scope of GIS and remote sensing technology in the evaluation of conservation and ecotourism initiatives by taking the SBGE as an example. It then attempts to develop an ecotourism framework for Bangladesh. Finally, it provides recommendations for better operationalization of ecotourism in the SBGE. This study revealed that, unlike the anticipated outcomes of the SBGE project, after a brief increase in vegetation coverage of 84.6% from 1995 to 2000, the vegetation coverage fell drastically from 2000 to 2015, where 33.4% of vegetation had been lost, and much of the dense and medium vegetation had been converted to sparse vegetation or other land uses. Anthropogenic activities, namely, unplanned urbanization, are suggested as the most likely reason that contributed to this decline. From the period of 2015 to 2020, however, vegetation is seen to regenerate, potentially due to the decelerating urbanization or the possible manifestation of the ‘U’ shape relationship between the changes in vegetation and rates of urbanization. With an average accuracy of 92.33% for classified images, this study has exhibited the benefits of GIS-RS technology in the assessment of biodiversity conservation practices. Ecotourism projects in Bangladesh need to be planned and managed in a way that induces local sociocultural empowerment, environmental conservation and development, as well as local economic development. The inclusion of locals in the governance of natural resources, the consideration of the carrying capacity of the natural environment, and the implementation of economically friendly measures are key in determining the successful establishment and running of these ecotourism spots. In the context of the SBGE, sustainable land use policies and the incorporation of community-based ecotourism and co-management practices, particularly social forestry programs, may help attain the targets of the project and lead the SBGE to emerge as a success story of the Bangladeshi ecotourism industry.