Wetland Tourism at A Crossroads: Waste, Compliance, And Ecological Tensions in Alappuzha's Ramsar Site

Dr. Pratheesh P
Assistant Professor, Department of History, St. Michael's College, Cherthala (Alappuzha), Affiliated to the University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram

Journal: IJGHMI · Volume 2, Issue 1
DOI: 10.63665/ijghmi-y2f1a001
Keywords: Ramsar Compliance, Socio-Ecological Paradox, Habitat Fragmentation, Waste Mismanagement, Sustainable Tourism
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Abstract

Kerala's Ramsar-designated Vembanad Lake and Pathiramanal Island, is facing a crisis due to human interference, unregulated tourism, and plastic waste. The lake's water-holding capacity has been reduced by 75%, and microplastics have infiltrated the food chain, endangering communities reliant on fish and clams. The lake's water laced with sulphides, mercury, and fluorides. The study explores the impact of backwater tourism on waste management, Ramsar Convention compliance, and habitat fragmentation in Kerala's biodiverse hotspot. Using mixed-methods analysis, the study reveals that rapid tourism infrastructure expansion has led to habitat fragmentation, biodiversity collapse, and severe pollution. Waste mismanagement and governance gaps exacerbate these issues. The study proposes actionable solutions, such as tourism carrying capacity limits, IoT-enabled compliance monitoring, and community-led waste-to-energy plants, to elevate compliance to 7.0/10 while preserving 30% of tourism revenue. This work emphasizes the need to reconcile economic growth with wetland conservation and advocates for policy reforms prioritizing adaptive governance, stakeholder synergies, and data-driven restoration to avert ecological tipping points.

Keywords: Ramsar Compliance, Socio-Ecological Paradox, Habitat Fragmentation, Waste Mismanagement, Sustainable Tourism

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