Eco-tourism resort, Bikaner

Abstract

Architecture is the reflection of the society. In other words it reflects needs, desires, aspirations, customs and attitude of the society. Yet, in our field of architecture, we could be contributing to the environmental problems facing the planet more than others. Does it mean the society lets itself gets away with paying no heed to the environment or architects should be paying greater attention to the way we design and construct, thus leaving the resultant impact on the environment minimal. Having known for a fact that building is an irreversible activity, leaving a permanent mark on Earth, both directly and indirectly, yet we find ourselves choosing the simpler solution to bigger and complex problems letting the economic imperative overrule our conscience of the negative impacts our design may generate. With the rising awareness of the world that we are gaining through rigorous scientific studies, we have a duty to understand the implications of what we are doing. There are then a number of reasons for which eco-tourism resorts should display an environment friendly attitude. Today there are tourists who want to get closer to the nature and culture of the region whilst at the same time being conscious of the need to preserve what is left of it. And it was this desire that gave rise to the Eco-Tourism movement which makes it the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. It is an expression of the trend where our environmental concerns are more often reflected in choices that we make about the way we wish to spend our holidays. In turn, this has also shifted the focus of tourism development on previously untouched or undeveloped areas. It must also be agreed upon that in all sensitive environments, tourist development would be stopped or prevented, which would be followed by unavoidable impacts on the environment. The challenge is to find a balance between the aesthetic and environmental needs of a project, as well as between tangible and intangible threats and opportunities, to secure increasingly scarce resources for future generations.