American
International
University-
Bangladesh

Students & Supervisors

Abstract

Background: Tanguar Haor is a Ramsar Wetland located in North East Bangladesh, it is ecologically significant as it provides habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds (biodiversity) and has become an increasingly popular destination for nature-based tourism. Increasingly, community-based conservation has been promoted as a method of providing livelihoods to local communities while simultaneously protecting Tanguar Haor's wetlands through tourism-related revenue. Objective: This study will examine how community-based conservation projects in Tanguar Haor have created synergy between local communities' economic gains through tourism and the environmental benefits of wetland preservation, by examining trends associated with visitor growth, tourism revenues, local employment, biodiversity indicators, and overall wetland health. Methodology: This study is based on a longitudinal quantitative analysis of secondary data collected between 1995 and 2024 that include annual visitor counts, tourism revenue (measured in Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) millions), the number of local jobs produced from tourism, bird species counts, and composite indices of wetland health. The trend analysis method was used to examine the temporal relationship between tourism growth, community involvement, and ecological outcomes. Results: The analysis reveals significant growth in both visitor numbers and revenue generated from tourism over the duration of the study, as well as continued growth in the provision of local employment. The number of bird species recorded has shown a continuous upwards trend, indicating relative success in terms of conserving biodiversity. Although the Wetland Health Index (WHI) declined during the earlier years of the rapid growth of tourism, it returned to a stable status after the establishment of community-based management and conservation systems that receive financial support through tourism. Conclusion: The findings from this study provide evidence that community-based conservation at Tanguar Haor is responsible for aligning the economic benefits of tourism with goals related to wetland conservation. By providing local communities with the direct financial benefits of tourism, the potential for compliance with conservation efforts and improvements to ecological conditions rises. Participatory governance and the reinvestment of tourism revenue into wetlands are required if both wetland health and livelihoods are to be sustained. The results of this study provide valuable insight into wetland management in other regions with similar socio-ecological challenges.

Keywords

Publication Details

• Type of Publication:
• Conference Name: RMSTU National Tourism Conference 2026 - "Tourism Tomorrow: Nature's Next fleck to explore"
• Date of Conference: 16/01/2026 - 16/01/2026
• Venue: Rangamati Science and Technology University, Rangamati Sadar, Rangamati-4500, Bangladesh
• Organizer: Rangamati Science and Technology University