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Read this essay to learn about the eco-development of local people.
Eco-development refers to development based on the sustainable use of local renewable resources mainly for the benefit of local people. In rural India, this means satisfying basic needs and providing employment, but not at the expense of the environment and not without participation by the local people.
Adapting to natural conditions, eco-development does not seek short term productivity increase through the intensive use of external inputs and high risk technology. Eco-development respects the ecological and economical benefits derived from protected-areas (national parks and sanctuaries) which are inadequately accounted for in traditional cost/benefit analysis.
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Hence, eco-development means where conservation oriented community development programmes are undertaken. It is an urgent need in order to ensure the support and involvement of local people in the overall management of wildlife areas. It deals principles and practices of appropriate natural-resource-management with people’s participation.
The objective is to reorder rural development so as to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people and do this in a sustainable manner vis-a-vis resource productivity and optimal utilization. It also aims to promote the people’s traditional bonds with their land and resources so as to ultimately support the conservation of the protected-areas.
Eco-development and people’s participation in land-use decisions are inspiring concepts in protected-area management. Adopting these concepts implies a fundamental shift away from the traditional approaches to protection.
Numerous beginnings have been made in this field. For a sustained effort, we need the continuous and systematic search for opportunities which, once found, can be tied into a coherent approach to eco- development. The problems like encroachment, firewood collection, rural poverty, corruption etc. are the analysing problems which should be uncovered for realistic opportunities for constructive action.
The simple step of defining problems as to urgency, place, and causes will often render some aspects of the problem tractable with the means at hand and increase confidence in eco-development as a workable concept.
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Participation leads to cooperation only if it gives people a say at every stage and for this to happen protected-area personnel must bridge the social distance between them and the local people. Before voicing their own concerns, they should attempt to understand the inner workings of a community.
It is during this process that opportunities for cooperation emerge. Eco-development, as any other development for the matter, requires organization and participation by those who are to be benefited from them because development cannot progress without responsibility or power.
It can be real only when the community understands its problems, realises its responsibilities, exercises the necessary powers through its chosen representatives and maintains a constant and intelligent vigilance on local administration.