Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation In The Himalayas (Himalica)

Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation In The Himalayas (Himalica)

Himalica Result Areas specified in project document Capacity of national and regional stakeholders in dealing with livelihood development, more sustainable and efficient use of natural resources and the protection of the environment in the HKH region is enhanced. Poverty among mountain people is reduced through increased resilience and the unlocking of livelihood opportunities, and through the promotion of more equitable approaches.

Uniqueness of tourism

Implementation Model Operating simultaneous Scoping Analysis Understanding community practices, resources, current capacity, and support required Diagnosis of promising livelihood options; readiness of the communities to receive visitors, unique offerings and packages Scoping visit PRA Consultations, analysis of the chain actors, potentials and challenges Actions on the ground Network building Communities mobilization, inculcating the idea of responsible tourism, and facilitate implementation of interventions Micro-planning for risk management, service provisioning and relationship building Work-plan and implementation arrangements Engagement with stakeholders, capacity building and exposure

Process and Steps Step 1: Selection of target HHs and destination marketing Selection of Paras for community level interventions (PRA of 26 paras) Signage highlighting unique characteristics of the para Social media FB and twitter A/C Geospatial

Assessment to have broad picture of tourism Zooming into tourism value chain from communities perspective in Ruma Identification of packages for visitors Assessment of potentials for supply chain linkages

Process and Steps Step 3 Support communities to harness benefit of tourism Community as suppliers/employees Agricultural value chains Handicrafts/ souvenirs Homestays/ accommodation Food stall/restaurants Transportation/ tour operations Handicrafts Tourists as buyers of products and Services

Developing image/brand for Bandarban Campaign on clean and green Bandarban Sensitization & engagement of communities Micro-plans

Key issues to be addressed Porter s diamond 4 factors of competitiveness 1. Resource Factors Undervalued resources - cheap Signs of environmental pressures, negative impacts and degradation Limited tourism hospitality and entrepreneurial skills and practices Complex social structure

KEY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED 2. Demand Factors Limited visitor clientele and spending per visitor - attracting mostly low spend and short stay market Security and permitting measures major market constraints Demand highly seasonal Brand quite diluted no clear market positioning Limited product diversity (facilities, activities, etc.) Majority of trips independently organized; no or limited tour operator/agent packaging Very limited promotion of area

Key issues to be addressed 3. Industry structure Poor links with tour operators in Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox Bazar and area not on the operator circuits No inclusive local tourism forum and fragmentation of guides Factional tensions in Boga Lake and possibly other places Lack of a collective vision and support for tourism development

Key issues to be addressed 4. Support services Limited accommodation diversity to cater for various price segments Catering and food services need improvement in quality and diversity Activity providers (boats, transport, etc.) limited tourism skills Vital tourism infrastructures e.g. sanitation (toilets, showers, clean water, etc.), waste management, etc. poorly supplied Risks of no proper rescue services in case of health or safety emergency

Key challenges faced in 2105 Tourism is complex sector; it is like a twoedged sword, requires time to understand communities, their interest and areas for engagement; unique offering to tourist market and messaging Initial focus on developing absorption capacity of communities (consultation, training, sensitization) rather than facilities/ infrastructure (functionality/operational aspect) Cohesion among different actors Ruma road blocked for 3-4 months due to rain/landslides, and visit restrictions due to social-political unrest High expectation for visible results on the ground

social media

Diversity of People & Nature Rich in Culture Landscapes

Elevation (m) Elevation & Distance from Ruma Bazar - Boga Lake Distance (km)

Elevation (m) Elevation & Distance from Boga Lake - Keokradong Distance (km)

Thank You