Sustainable Eco Tourism action plan for Sonadia
Sonadia is one of the iconic and natural beauty enriched islands, located at Cox’s Bazar, world longest sea beach. Local people called it Sonadia char. It’s approximately 7-9 square kilometers in area.Sonadia Island is surrounded by the sea beach on the three sides. On the other hand, the natural small trees, canals and different types of birds and sea-animals have made the place unique and attractive. In addition, the island is called the heaven of birds. Some of the birds are Petrels, Snipe, Greenshank, Teether and various kinds of duck.Just a decade ago, Sonadia had 13 varieties of aerial root trees and 158 varieties of other trees. The air around the island is still filled with the calls of seagulls and a host of migratory birds. The green turtle on the verge of extinction is still visible here. Sonadia Parabon is the only saltwater parabon in the south-east coast of Bangladesh. Actually there are about thirty species of plants including Keora, White Bain, Black Bain, Hargoza, Nonia in this region. Due to our coastal paragon or mangroves, many species of shrimp are found in the Bay of Bengal.
Sonadia Dwip is home to 334 families. We must pay attention to these residents. Because their livelihood depends entirely on it. They mainly make a living by fishing. Some families are involved in shrimp and salt production. It is also used for drying and storing fish extracted from the sea during the winter season.
According to official documents, the government has given the Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) a long-term lease of the Sonadia island for a token payment of Tk 1001. BEZA acquired the entire island last year on the condition of building up a concrete-based luxury tourism spot here.BEZA initially plans to set up an ecotourism park on 30 percent of this island which is under Kutubjom union of Maheskhali. The remaining part of the land will be protected and kept green.Environmentalists and local people raised concern about the ecology unfriendly infrastructure building and movement of excess of abundant tourists that will be harmful to the environment and animal life. According to a study of CEGIS, once the economic zone, that is the tourism project, comes into effect, salt production will fall by about 8000 metric tons. Fish production will fall too.
According to oceanographers, to do something about Sonadia Dwip, it is important to seek the opinion of the relevant departments or departments of the Ministry of Fisheries, Department of Environment, Forest Department and Oceanography Department on the overall issues of the Dwip. Sonadia is a Dwip of many possibilities. There is ample opportunity for community based ecotourism through inclusion of the common people of the Dwip.
However, it must be decided in advance how many people will be able to visit Sonadia Dwip every day. The area of Sonadia can be visited by one to two hundred people every day. Too much will ruin the beauty of the Dwip.
The government has already declared Sonadia as an Environmentally Critical Area because the environment and biodiversity are very important to us.
We have seen before that the Dwip of St. Martin, rich in natural resources, has been destroyed only by the pressure of tourists. Almost all its ecosystems are ruined.
Free tourism is inequitable with this ECA. Because the first blow will fall on animals and plants for free tourism. If there is no fixed place for tourism in this small area, the tortoises and red crabs will be threatened where people travel freely all over the area. Because a large part of the tourists dump their waste in Baliari. The place where the tortoise lays its eggs is being destroyed by fire..
To protect the environment of Sonadia Island a long-term feasibility-study based protection plan is required. However, the following actions are proposed-
Current Tourism Activity Scenario at Sonadia:
The local residents of Sonadia provide basic level Tourist support to visitors like Accommodation (at their own home or at Beach in temporary Tent). Food cooked at ther household. Toilet facilities also at their home. Transportation is provided by other locals of Sonadia. The usual roadmap At Sonadia tour is as follows-
- CoxsBazar to Sonadia by Speed boat or Traller
- Spending the day and night at Sonadia Beach
- Food and accommodation provided by the local tour operator
- Back to Coxs Bazar at Morning
The aproch is completely self-evolving. No Guidence or supervision towards Environment conservation or better tourism experience is not present.
Our Proposal:
- Find out the places at beach that are suitable for camping that are not harmful to environment
- Fixing some spots for visitors.
- Train and engage some local youths as Tour Guides.
- Educate them to convey the awareness issues about environment conservation and their duty’s.
- Provide Mobile Toilet Solution Near Beach area for Vistors.
- Provide Tents for Visitors if they want to spend nights at beech.
- Design a waste collection and disposal system to keep the beach as natural as possible.
- Contacts all the existing tour operators and discuss all related issues so they agree upon these proposals and follow them in their business practice.
Additional Tools:
- Develop a small booklet for visitors describing their role as a nature friendly tourist. What are the Dos and Donts.
- Creating a registration system to control the total number of visitor that could be helpful for keeping the environment intact and also for the security.
- If Police force cannot establish a police station we can introduce community policing system to give the visitors a sense of security.
Detail Action plan:
- Provide training (both online and in-physical) to selected local volunteers.
- Trained Guides wil perform as “Eco-Tourist Guide” to conserve local environment, ensure cleanand eco-friendly tourism activities.
- Formation of activity specific groups (e.g. plastic removal, crab conservation, wildlife protection, accompanying the tourists and monitoring).
- Each tour operator must have prior written commitment to comply with the “Dos and Don’ts’ for eco-tourism, strictly implement environment-friendly waste management.
- Awareness programs for both the tourists and local people about the requirement for conservations of ecology and wild life, tourist waste management,maintain silence and avoid all anti-ecological equipment and transports.
Encourage and incentivize to all fossil-fuel driven vehicle owner to introduce electric or solar power or electric battery-based vehicles.
- Tour operators will be responsible for eco-friendly waste management
- Encourage all tour operators/guide to instruct not to use any plastic products
- Engaging only trained local youth guide and community.
- The arrangement of certain costumes for guides is the direction of the tourists
Promote accommodation with:
- To create a database portal or information hub that will provide information on the
- All sorts of steps need to for online and/or digital awareness to ensure eco-tourism.
- Special instructions for tourists to protect Sonadia's marine animals, especially red crabs and turtles.
- A written plaque highlighting the history especially for the foreigner
- Installation of signboards/signposting to demonstrate local heritage that will highlight natural and historical ideograph bearing the names of various sculptures.
- Registration of each tourist through NID/Passport for safety and security as well as monitoring their actions
- Facilities for tourists who are interested in camping
- Tent, drinking water supply in mud-made
- Eco-friendly toilet facilities
- Ensuring safety and security for the campaigner
- Creating aneco-friendly infrastructure-based market that will allow only local products e.g.dried fishes.
- Train local people to be entrepreneurs for economic growth.
