Post on 28-May-2020
ASSAM, NATURENOMICSTM, CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF LEGISLATORS
Assam Legislative Assembly, Guwahati
10 January, 2017
Ranjit Barthakur
Founder Trustee, Balipara Foundation
IN THIS PRESENTATIONHISTORICAL CONTEXT OF ASSAM & NORTH EAST INDIA 3-5
GEOGRAPHIC & CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF ASSAM 6
ASSAM’S REPORT CARD 7
8
CURRENT ECONOMIC MODELS LEAD TO ECOLOGICAL DEPLETION 9
NATURENOMICSTM 10-11
BUILDING ASSAM & NORTH EAST INDIA’S NATURE CAPITAL 12-14
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY UNLOCKING NATURE CAPITAL 15
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ASSAM’S NATURAL ASSETS
TOURISM TRENDS 16
TYPES OF ECOTOURISM 17-18
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING TOURISM EXPERIENCE 19
CONNECTIVITY TO PROMOTE TOURISM 20-21
22-23
ROADMAP TO SUCCESS 24
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OPPORTUNITIES
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
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• Inhabitation dates backs to about 2,000 BC
• The first fleet of Country Boats for carrying goods between Assam and Bengal was started in 1839, by Assam Company Limited• The first steamboat “THE ASSAM” was introduced in 1841• The River Steam Navigation Company started regular steamer services between Kolkata and Assam in 1863
• Partition in 1947 resulted in a major set back for IWT connectivity• The Earthquake of 1950 resulted in change of course of the river and made the river shallower – A major set back for Navigation• The out Break of war with Pakistan in 1965 Brought River Navigation through East Pakistan to a complete halt
• In 1972 the first protocol on inland water transit and trade was signed between India and Bangladesh.
THE TRAUMA OF PARTITION
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Before 1947After 1947
• River navigation came to a complete halt
• Rail Link with East Bengal & Chitagong Port was lost
• Rail link with Kolkata was lost for 3 years
• Stillwell road connecting Kunming in China fell into disuse
• Large scale migration from across the border
• Increase in price of Goods and Services
• Profitability of Tea Industry declined due to increased cost of transportation and other inputs
• Increasing income disparity with Mainland India
• Traditional Markets in East Bengal were lost
• Worsening economic conditions and demographic changes led to unrest
British Indian Empire
HISTORICAL SHAPING OF ASSAM & NORTH EAST INDIA
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Economically Self Sufficient• Surplus Trade• Self Sufficient Village Economy• Per capita Income higher than national avg.
Geopolitically Important• Borders China & Bhutan • Bengal, Burma & NE India contiguous
territories of British India
Well Connected• First fleet of country boats carrying goods
between Assam & Bengal in 1839• Rail connectivity to Ports• Road connectivity to Bengal, Burma & China• Large number of airports and airstrips
Demographic Advantage• 10million population. Low population
ensured absence of poverty
Economically Dependent• Most items imported• Little industrial development• Per capita income 30% below ntnl avg
Geopolitical Backwaters• 22km corridor connecting mainland.
Virtually landlocked• Unexploited market of 2.8 billion ppl
Poor Connectivity• River navigation virtually stopped• Only 29% surfaced roads compared to
62% nationally• Operational airports down from 17 to
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Demographic Issues• Population over 40 million• Very high population density in valleys
PRE PARTITION
TRAUMA OF PARTITION
• River navigation came to a complete halt
• Large scale cross border migration
• Profitability of Tea industry declined
• Worsening economic conditions led to unrest
In 2016
GEOGRAPHY:• 98% of the region’s borders form India’s international boundaries• Known for Rice Tea, Silk and rich Biodiversity Natural Gas • Home to the endangered great Indian One horned Rhinos• Confluence of India and the Orient
CULTURE:• Population comprises of migrants from Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh,
Myanmar & China• Conglomeration of various ethnic tribes with distinct language, culture,
festivals, songs & dances
GEOGRAPHICAL & CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF ASSAM
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Avg Annual Growth Rate Per Capita SGDP Population Growth Rates Unemployment
ECONOMIC
% Households with Elect Road L per 100 sq km Area Rail L per 100 sq km Area Teledensity
INFRASTRUCTURE
Public Exp on Health Public Exp on Education Sanitation Access to Drinking Water
SOCIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
IMR LEB Literacy rate BPL
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Forest Area Ground Water Table Mineral Wealth Pollution
NATURAL RESOURCES
Growth Rate – PriSector Growth Rate – SecSector Growth Rate – TerSector GSDP Break Up
SECTOR
Excellent Above Average Satisfactory Below Average Poor
ASSAM’S REPORT CARD
Assam already has a Natural Wealth. Legislation should encourage protecting it and enriching it
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OPPORTUNITIES
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ICT Infrastructure
Political Stability & Outlook
Economic Outlook
Regulatory Environment Inflation
Education
Population
Literacy
Geographic Location
Energy
Security
Media
Infrastructure
Natural Resources
Healthcare
Economic Development
Orange – Investment promoting factors
Yellow – Investment limiting factors, but opens up opportunities for investors for Development of these
sectors
Economy vs. Ecology
Exclusive Growth
Consumption Driven
Economic growth at the cost of ecology
Large divide between rich and poor, urban and rural
Natural resource exploitation
ECOLOGICAL DEPLETION
Economic Valuation
Valuations based on economic value-add
CURRENT ECONOMIC MODELS LEAD TO ECOLOGICAL DEPLETION
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UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC GROWTH HAS PUSHED DEMAND ON LOCAL ECO-SYSTEMS BEYOND SUSTAINABLE YIELD
Definition of Victory:
High economic growth driven by optimizing utilisation of land, labour, capital and natural resources
Definition of Victory:
Satisfy our current needs in a sustainable
manner without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to
satisfy their needs
Unprecedented global economic
growth
• Global economy from US$ 7 trillion in 1950, to US$ 125 trillion by 2017, in PPP valuation terms
• Enhanced standards of living to levels not even imaginable
• Increasingly rapid land and soil degradation
• Increasing Human-animal conflict
• Intensified rate of species extinction
• Climate Changes & rising sea levels
Substantial Ecological Losses
UNBALANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS CREATED A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP
NATURENOMICSTM
Adapted from Naturenomics™ – Globally Managed Services
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Economy + Ecology
Inclusive Growth
Driven By Eco-Parameters
Low resource economic growth
Integration of the poor and rural masses in the growth approach
Natural resource conservation
Ecological Neutrality
Land, Energy, Waste, Water, Air, Carbon (LEWWAC)
Eco-Valuation
Valuations based on economic value-add, less
ecological impact
EMERGING MODEL FOR ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY
Legislative Action should encourage growth “Additive” industries instead of “Extractive” industries
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• Over 7,500 species of plants
• 700 species of orchids
• Over 500 species of ferns
• Over 500 species of mosses
This bio-diversity of North East India lends itself to the development of Nature Capital & Nature Industries
• 183 species of animals
• 236 species of fish
• 541 types of birds
• 160 species of mammals
• 137 species of reptiles, etc.
At the heart of the bio-diversity are the region’s enormous land and water resources
• Only 8% of India’s land mass, but 70% of it is forested
• Contains about 25% of India’s forest area
• Supports 30% of India’s total growing forest stock
• Extremely rich in rivers, led by the mighty Brahmaputra
• Has several lakes and other natural water bodies
• One of the rainiest parts of the world fed by 2 monsoons
BUILDING ASSAM & NORTH EAST INDIA’S NATURE CAPITAL
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Timber & Fuel-wood Rs 45,900 $1,020
Fodder Rs 6,100 $136
Non-Timber Forest
Produce
Rs 15,700 $349
Eco-Tourism Rs 186,000 $4,133
Biodiversity TBD TBD
Carbon Storage Rs 28,900 $642
Soil Loss Prevention Rs 20,400 $453
Watershed Value TBD TBD
Flood & Drought
Prevention
TBD TBD
Total > Rs 500,000 > $11,111
Estimating the value/ ha of sustainable use of forests:• Any measure of a nation / region’s wealth should include not just a measure
of Physical Capital, but also Natural Capital.
• Among others, ‘Natural Capital’ includes:• Freshwater resources• Crop land• Pastures• Fisheries• Minerals• Biodiversity & Forests• Natural Gas, etc.
• Pursuit of short term development agendas at the expense of natural heritage ends up ruining under valued public assets
• This effectively worsens the well being of the average citizen, in particular of non-urban populations – in whose name many of the development projects are built
Adapted from GAISP (www.gistindia.org), Pawan Sukhdev
A NATURE CAPITAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
Smart Legislative Action should be taken to promote Long Term sustainability over Short Term gains
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Food
Water
Energy & Transportation
Environment
SUNRISE INITIATIVES SUNSET AREAS
Natural Organic cultivation
Fresh water fisheries
Vermiculture & Bio-pesticide production
Dairy Production
Public private partnerships in municipal water management
Rain water harvesting
Water refineries – water treatment and recycling
Clean and safe drinking water projects
Renewable Clean Energy – wind, solar, hydel,
Wind turbines, Wind Farm Construction, & Fuel Cell Manufacturing,
Waterway transportation for cargo and tourism
Eco-townships
Afforestation
Carbon sequestration
Nature tourism
Wildlife preservation
A NATURE CAPITAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
Highly chemical based cultivation
Aquaculture
Ground water exploitation
Oil pumping
Coal mining
Thermal power generation
Traditional automobile manufacturing
Clearcut logging
Large tourism infrastructure
Adapted from Eco-Economy, Building an Economy for the Earth – Lester R. Brown14
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY UNLOCKING NATURE CAPITAL
SECURITIZATION OF CORE ASSETS
UNLOCKING NATURE CAPITAL
AGRICULTURE FISHERIES FORESTRY WATER CLEAN ENERGY TOURISM
Next green
revolution by land
value optimisation
and agro-based
intellectual capital
Centre of
excellence for
fresh water inland
fish
Planned utilisation
of forest resources
Creating a the
next blue
revolution
Harvest and
reduce wastage of
the abundant
resources in the
region for energy
Creating
destinations for
discerning
travellers through
a 3-pronged
approach
DEVELOPMENT OF ‘ECO TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE’
Religious Tourism
Adventure Tourism
Culture Tourism
Botany Tourism
Historical Tourism
Wildlife Tourism
Fairs & Festivals Tourism Tea Tourism Heritage Tourism
Climate Change Legislation to protect Natural Assets can lead to benefits through Eco Tourism also
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• Globally Eco Tourism and Responsible Tourism is a growth trend
• The Ecotourism growing 20%-34% per year since the early 90’s
• Domestic Tourism in India is phenomenon that is particularly remarkable and its immense magnitude, dimensions and characteristics. Per the official statistics of the Department of Tourism, GoI, the total number of domestic tourists in 2010 was 740 million
• There has been an increase in tourist arrivals in the North East region and the rate of growth has been consistent. A CAGR of 11.84% has been witnessed for the North Eastern region over the period of 2005-2010.
• The average stay of the tourists in the North East region in a single trip is 4.39 days as per the analysis from a primary survey by TCS
IMPORTANT TOURISM TRENDS
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NATURE ADVENTURE
BOTANYCULTURE
• Assam has many National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and is house to many unique fauna and flora
• The 2 National Parks of Kaziranga and Manasare World Heritage Sites
• One of the World’s largest rivers, the Brahmaputra and its tributaries offer a wide range of Water sports such as Angling, River Cruise, River Rafting etc.
• Create experiences for tourists to experience the rich biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayas
• Promote Botanic Gardens as tourism spots
• Various temples and monuments spread all over Assam
• Major regional festivals like Ali Ai, Bihu, Dehing Patkai Majuli
ASSAM’S OPPORTUNITY
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING TOURISM EXPERIENCE
• Lack of fast and seamless mode of travelling
• Travel cost acts as a major deterrent
• Lack of proper infrastructure support in many parts of the region
• Security concerns in certain pockets and security perception of region
• Lack of consistency in North East branding has lead to confusion, unaware of attractions
• Lack of proper alignment between tour operators in North East and other states
• Development issues (Accesssibility, Infrastructure, Destination/ circuit development, tourist amenities, information systems etc)
• Safety issues and safety perception
• Non/ late Implementation of Packages,
• Multiple Destination Focussed Approach of States resulting in thinned development, StatewisePromotion without strong Regional Branding, lack of Tourism Service Providers, Institutional & Policy Framework for Regional tourism, Absence of Visitor Management Plan etc.
• Environmental issues
GOVERNEMENTS/AGENCIESTOURISTS
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Roads
Waterways
Railways
Airports
CONNECTIVITY: A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR TOURISM
Intra Regional
Connectivity
Connectivity with Mainland India
Connectivity with SAARC & ASEANConnecting with
Tourism Hubs
Connecting Destinations
Connecting Source Markets
Strong Legislations to encourage connectivity especially through the Riverine systems in Assam can boost tourism & growth
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CONNECTIVITY TO IMPROVE TOURISM
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ROADS
• The Proposed North East Ring Road can connect domestic tourists and markets
• The Asian Highway will provide connectivity to critical international tourism hubs
• Develop Port Townships with industrial / commercial Areas, logistics and associated urban facilities
• Develop adequate cargo terminals
WATERWAYS
• Rail Connectivity to all state capitals should be expedited
• Plan a border railway running parallel to international borders
RAILWAYS
• Air taxis between Assam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal & Bhutan
• Redevelopment of smaller airfields to improve connectivity with hinterland
AIRPORTSWATERWAYS
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• Risk of Extinction of Endemic Plant Species
• Reduction in Agrobiodiversity
• Soil Fertility Degradation
• Land Fragmentation & Degradation
• Degradation of Natural Beauty
• Reduction in Eco Tourism
• Melting Glaciers = Increased Risk of Flooding
• Damaged hydropower plants
• Droughts by 2050
• Risk of Extinction of threatened species like Asian Elephants, Rhinoceros, Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopards, etc.
• Decrease in Fish species
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ASSAM’S NATURAL ASSETS
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CLIMATE CHANGE HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSAM
Source: MacArthur Foundation Report
Collective Vulnerability
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ASSAM EMBRACES NORTH EAST INDIA FOR SUCCESSUse Smart legislation to encourage inclusive growth in North East India
SMART LEGISLATIONFor inclusive growth
Flourishing Natural Assets & Growing Nature Capital
Reorganize the Tea Sector Transform Worker Colonies into
Centres for Excellence
Grow Natural CapitalCreate Climate Friendly Legislations
Audit Natural Assets
Eco-Friendly InfrastructureFocus on Riverine Systems
Increase Digital Connectivity
Become the Food Bowl of IndiaFocus on Agriculture & Food Security
Encourage Skill Building
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ASSAM IN NUMBERS
2.5% of India’s Population
1.5% of India’s GDP 5.6% growth in 2000-01 v/s 1.9% in 90’s
Per Capita Income Rs. 14,423 v/s Median India at Rs 26,299
40% State Income from Agriculture
711 MW power generated 2003-04 = 24% Deficit
32km of rail network per 1,000 km
1,141 km of roads per 1,000 sq. km
Legislation should be passed to build robust infrastructure to encourage state growth
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BIODIVERSITY IN THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS
10,000+ Plant Species
176+ Reptile Species
977+ Reptile Species
300+ Mammals Species
269+ Fish Species
• Home to 300 plant species consumed by Indians
• 175 Key Biodiversity Areas of High Significance
• Home to Asian Elephants, Bengal Tigers, One-
horned Rhinos, Red Pandas & Snow Leopards
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