An Integrated Framework for Promoting Eco Initiatives: Role of Educational Institutions as Execution Specialists

Abstract

The basic question before a curriculum planner intending to design an Ecotourism Course is -whether it is to be need based or demand based. A demand based Course needs to have market considerations as its primary objective. It is controlled by supply-demand chain in both the choice and treatment of the curriculum. For instance, a market survey (Nivedita Mukherjee) sequences the required 'skills' of a Tourism Management in the following order: educational qualification, soft skills, aptitude, training and experience. A demand based curriculum planner could make choice of materials to cater to these skills, although a huge variation could arise in the interpretation of each of the 'skills'. The formulation of a need based ecotourism Course is more challenging. It goes beyond the content mapping that is usually done for market oriented curriculum. Planning a need based ecotourism course requires comprehensive understanding of the components ecotourism and their interrelationships. The direct and indirect impacts on natural resources and socio-economic conditions of human settlements at the ecotourism sites point to the requirement of concerted action towards conservation. This conceptual paper addresses the role of Educational Institutions in promoting eco-initiatives.