Focus on biodiversity and eco-tourism at Sri City symposium

Sri City: Sri City, one of the five main venues of Flamingo Festival that began on Saturday, hosted a national symposium on Wetlands Conservation and Sustainable Tourism. The event focused on biodiversity, sustainability and eco-tourism, with special attention on Pulicat Lake.

District Collector Dr S Venkateswar inaugurated the symposium. Sri City Managing Director Dr Ravindra Sannareddy, Conservator of Forests C Selvam, Tourism Regional Director Dr R Ramana Prasad, Dr Satya Selvam from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), along with officials from various organisations, faculty and students of Krea University, and government officials attended the programme. The symposium was organised by Krea University in collaboration with Sri City and the State government with technical support from BNHS. Scientists, conservationists, policy experts, NGOs and community representatives came together to discuss the ecological and socio-economic importance of Pulicat Lake.

The day-long programme had thematic sessions on wetlands conservation and sustainable ecotourism, and on avian diversity, wetland management and global recognition. Speaking on the occasion, Collector Dr Venkateswar said a special technical symposium was included in this year’s Flamingo Festival to promote conservation of wetlands such as Pulicat Lake and nearby bird habitats from the local to international level. He said Pulicat is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the country and has rich ecological value. He stressed the need to protect wetland ecosystem while maintaining ecological balance. Several experts shared their views during the discussions, which focused on sustainable tourism practices, community participation and policy measures. The speakers said such efforts could help position Pulicat Lake as a Wetland of International Importance.