ASSAM, NATURENOMICS TM , CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF LEGISLATORS - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ASSAM, NATURENOMICSTM, CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF LEGISLATORS

Assam Legislative Assembly, Guwahati 10 January, 2017

Ranjit Barthakur Founder Trustee, Balipara Foundation

IN THIS PRESENTATION

HISTORICAL 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

2

OPPORTUNITIES

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

3

• 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

4

Before 1947 After 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

5

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

12 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

6

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

7

OPPORTUNITIES

8

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

• pportunities 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

9

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

• f 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

10

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

11

• 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

12

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
• f 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

13

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. Brown

14

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

• f 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

15

• 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

16

NATURE ADVENTURE BOTANY CULTURE

TYPES OF ECOTOURISM

17

17

NATURE ADVENTURE BOTANY CULTURE

• Assam has many National Parks and Wildlife

Sanctuaries and is house to many unique fauna and flora

• The 2 National Parks of Kaziranga and Manas

are 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
• ver Assam
• Major regional festivals like Ali Ai, Bihu,

Dehing Patkai Majuli

ASSAM’S OPPORTUNITY

18

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
• perators 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, Statewise Promotion without strong Regional Branding, lack of Tourism Service Providers, Institutional & Policy Framework for Regional tourism, Absence of Visitor Management Plan etc.

• Environmental issues

GOVERNEMENTS/AGENCIES TOURISTS

19

Roads Waterways Railways Airports

CONNECTIVITY: A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR TOURISM

Intra Regional Connectivity Connectivity with Mainland India Connectivity with SAARC & ASEAN Connecting with Tourism Hubs Connecting Destinations Connecting Source Markets

Strong Legislations to encourage connectivity especially through the Riverine systems in Assam can boost tourism & growth

20

CONNECTIVITY TO IMPROVE TOURISM

21

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

AIRPORTS WATERWAYS

21

• 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

22

CLIMATE CHANGE HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSAM

Source: MacArthur Foundation Report

Collective Vulnerability

23

ASSAM EMBRACES NORTH EAST INDIA FOR SUCCESS

Use Smart legislation to encourage inclusive growth in North East India

SMART LEGISLATION For inclusive growth

Flourishing Natural Assets & Growing Nature Capital

Reorganize the Tea Sector

Transform Worker Colonies into Centres for Excellence

Grow Natural Capital

Create Climate Friendly Legislations Audit Natural Assets

Eco-Friendly Infrastructure

Focus on Riverine Systems

Increase Digital Connectivity Become the Food Bowl of India

Focus on Agriculture & Food Security

Encourage Skill Building

24

THANK YOU!

25

25

ANNEXURES

26

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

27

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

28

CLIMATE CHANGE HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSAM

Source: MacArthur Foundation Report

29