Khushi Kimothi, Student of Chinese Honours at Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand & Surabhi Singh, PGDM LL.B (Hons.), Founder & Managing director, Dhirenuma Social Welfare Foundation
ABSTRACT
Tourism plays a vital role in the economic development of a country and has an eclectic mix of positive outcomes on culture, economy, environment, and society. However, looking at simply one side of the narrative would be biased. Scenic beauty, hill stations, facilities for health/yoga, and religious and pilgrim sites are the major things that attract tourists to visit Uttarakhand. The number of tourists visiting Uttarakhand, however, has significantly decreased over the last two years as a result of the restrictions that have been imposed by the coronavirus. In order to ensure responsible and safe tourism, the Uttarakhand state government has been encouraging eco-tourism. Even though it is a growing sector that contributes to the global economy, it can have negative consequences on the environment if not planned carefully. The upsetting fact is that tourism generates millions of tonnes of solid waste in the state each year. Climate change vulnerabilities too are notably aggravated by tourism. It can put pressure on the environment, leading to higher temperatures, a higher chance of floods and landslides, and more water stress. This will pay a huge price to the already sensitive ecosystem if such things go unchecked. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of tourism on the environment of Uttarakhand in detail. Along with examining how littering on mountains and plains can be avoided, I will also examine the methods and measure that the government undertook to mitigate the negative environmental effects of the same and to which extent it has succeeded.
Keywords: Environment, Impact of Tourism, Garbage, Climate Change, Pollution, Eco-tourism.
