Maintaining the beauty of mother earth

Controlling the number of visitors to national parks is just one way of protecting the country's natural resources. People should also be educated about what they will be missing when it's all gone

Published on July 4, 2008

The National Park Committee's decision to maintain visitors according to each park's capacity, which went into effect this week, has been a long time coming.

The idea is to achieve a balance between giving access to as many people as possible so they can appreciate flora and fauna in their natural habitat and protecting the delicate ecosystem as well.

While it is important to protect animals and plants in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which are well shielded against illegal loggers, wildlife poachers and land grabbers, it is also crucial to open them to the public and instil a love of nature as well as promote conservation.

Effective management of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries requires detailed guidelines based on thorough analyses of ecological conditions, types of flora and fauna in specific areas, availability of lodging for overnight visitors as well as adequate amenities, such as toilets and other necessary facilities, including waste treatment and disposal.

Respect the environment

Controlling the number of visitors is only one of the factors in protecting nature. Park officials should also understand the importance of educating visitors on how to behave in the environment and observe rules so as not to disturb or cause damage to wildlife.

The level of visitor intake may also vary at different times of the year, because some wild animals and plants may be particularly vulnerable during certain seasons.

These measures are necessary to let nature repair itself.

Some of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries should be closed to the public for a few months each year if that's what it takes to keep them in a good condition.

Let's hope that administrators of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries stick with these guidelines so that ecotourism can be run in a sustainable fashion.

If restricting the number of visitors affects the revenue, perhaps the entrance fees could be raised substantially to make up for the shortfall. Or maybe the government should spend more on the upkeep of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

The whole idea of conservation is to let people see for themselves how wonderful Mother Earth can be and that we all should play a constructive role in preserving her unique biodiversity. When it comes to wildlife conservation, seeing is believing.