Discovery of a Potential Site for Community-Based Sustainable Ecotourism in the Sundarbans Reserve Forests, Bangladesh

Abstract

Conservation of biological diversity is a pressing need and protected areas are the cornerstones for conserving remaining flora and fauna. However, forest dependent livelihood in countries like Bangladesh making this task very critical. In the case of the poor and forest-dependent livelihood in the Sundarbans area of Bangladesh, an eco-friendly ecotourism may provide an alternative livelihood, which mayreduce the overexploitation from the valuable Sundarbans forest ecosystems. Furthermore, this initiative may also serve to aware people on the value of this unique ecosystems. Therefore, this study discusses the scope, benefits and challenges for developing sustainable ecotourism within the protected area. It focuses on the development of a potential site for sustainable ecotourism inside the Sundarbans Reserve Forest. Developing sustainable tourism spots inside the wildlife hub has a high demand among tourists and it is also necessary for the socio-economic development of the local community, moreover, the approach of community-based ecotourism (CBEM) is a suitable strategy for conservation of protected areas