Description of the CDT initiative:
A community owned and managed wildlife conservation venture. ‘The Bird’s Paradise’ hosts more than 3,00,000 birds in its marshy waters, especially in winters. Mangalajodi also represents one of its kind ecosystems, whose protection is epitomised by a sustainable lifestyle that is at a brink of extinction in urban settings.
Geographic location:
Mangalajodi is a village located on the northern banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha 752021
What problem they are trying to solve? What have they accomplished?
Frequent poaching activities are a common activity since some years ago which causes an imbalance in the ecosystem. But a decade ago the initiative taken by the bird protection committee the local resident of the Mangalajodi village, and it has led to greater local community involvement in efforts to protect birds from vigorous poaching. Some-time after its establishment, the Mangalajodi Eco-Tourism Society has taken care of the sustainability and eco-tourism activities of this place. Gradually the community participation benefits not only the protection of birds but also its aquatic biodiversity.
For their stupendous achievements, the committee was bestowed with the sustainability prestigious ‘Bijju Patnaik Pakhee Mitra’s (Friends of Birds) award for conservation and of the wetland. At the present time, Mangalajodi is a full-fledged community which owns and manages ecotourism activities and it has a clear vision of protecting the wetland as well as creating a livelihood for the local community. They are inspired by this sustainable source of livelihood through well managed tourism activities. The community has three significant visions including a capacity-building programme through training, infrastructural development, and a strong marketing strategy to popularize it among the current and future desired tourists.
More info: http://www.mangalajodiecotourism.com/