Understanding Wastewater Recycling in the Tourism Landscape of Kashmir: An Empirical Study on Technological Practices and Community Involvement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31079423/IJEBMR-V2I4P105Keywords:
Wastewater Recycling, Kashmir Tourism, Technological Practices (or Wastewater Treatment Technologies), Community Involvement (or Stakeholder Engagement), Empirical Study, Sustainable Tourism, Water Resource Management, Himalayan Eco-Tourism, Environmental Sustainability, Public Perception & ParticipationAbstract
The present study examines the determinants of wastewater recycling in Kashmir's tourist industry. It will focus on technology practices, community participation and government mechanisms. Data were gathered through surveying 90 individuals in Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics showed low-to-moderate levels of recycling adoption. Respondents had averages of 3.14 for technology practices and 3.01 for community participation using a 5-point Likert scale. Pearson correlation showed strong relationships between technology practices and perceived benefits (r = 0.492, p < 0.001) and between community participation and technology practices (r = 0.426, p < 0.001). ANOVA results showed differences among districts regarding perception toward technology practice (F = 4.31, p = 0.016). Regression analysis confirmed that technology practices (B = 0.362, p = 0.000) and community participation (B = 0.287, p = 0.006) are good predictors of perceived benefits. Governance and policy were not good predictors (B = 0.115, p = 0.200). The model explained 34% of the variance (R² = 0.340). The conclusion is that, in order to achieve sustainable wastewater management in tourism, there needs to be a synergy of technology and community engagement supported by context-sensitive governance
References
[1] Malik, M. I., & Bhat, M. S. (2015). Sustainability of tourism development in Kashmir—Is paradise lost? Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.05.006
[2] Bhat, R. A., Nazir, R., Ashraf, S., Ali, M., Bandh, S. A., & Kamili, A. N. (2014). Municipal solid waste generation rates and its management at Yusmarg forest ecosystem, a tourist resort in Kashmir. Waste Management & Research, 32(2), 165–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X13518089
[3] Sharma, V., & Bhat, D. A. R. (2023). The role of community involvement in sustainable tourism strategies: A social and environmental innovation perspective. Business Strategy & Development, 6(2), 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.227
[4] Makhdoomi, A., & Khaki, A. A. (2023). Journey to resilience: Sustainable tourism and community participation in Jammu and Kashmir. International Journal of Management and Development Studies, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v12n12.005
[5] Hassan, J., Singh, R., Mir, M. A., & Nazki, A. A. (2026). Beyond visitation: Community-driven sustainability through responsible tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Journal of Tropical Futures, 3(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/27538931261470056
[6] United Nations Environment Programme. (2003). A manual for water and waste management: What the tourism industry can do to improve its performance. https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/9432
[7] Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. (2022). National strategy for sustainable tourism. https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-09/National%20Strategy%20for%20Sustainable%20Tourism%202022.pdf
[8] Antecedents and consequences of community-based tourism in border district of Jammu and Kashmir. (2022). International Journal of Tourism Cities, 8(3), 569–587. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-05-2020-0108
[9] Makopondo, R. O. B., Rotich, L. K., & Kamau, C. G. (2020). Potential use and challenges of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and conservation in game lodges and resorts in Kenya. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, 2020, Article 9184192. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/9184192
[10] Jethwa, K. B., Mishra, U., Ray, M. R., Yadav, N., & Singh, A. N. (2024). A study on hybrid treatment system for domestic wastewater (sewage) through constructed wetlands for India: A review. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 60, Article 103268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2024.103268
[11] Lakho, F. H., Le, H. Q., Van Kerkhove, F., Igodt, W., Depuydt, V., Desloover, J., Rousseau, D. P. L., & Van Hulle, S. W. H. (2020). Water treatment and re-use at temporary events using a mobile constructed wetland and drinking water production system. Science of the Total Environment, 737, Article 139630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139630
[12] D. Scott and S. Gössling, "From Djerba to Glasgow: Have Declarations on Tourism and Climate Change Brought Us Any Closer to Meaningful Climate Action?," Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 199–222, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1080/09669582.2021.2009488.
[13] Gössling, S., Peeters, P., Hall, C. M., Ceron, J.-P., Dubois, G., Lehmann, L. V., & Scott, D. (2012). Tourism and water use: Supply, demand, and security. An International Review, 39(2), 1–15.
[14] Jones, E., Qadir, M., van Vliet, M. T. H., Smakhtin, V., & Kang, S. (2019). The state of desalination and brine production: A global outlook. Science of the Total Environment, 657, 1343–1356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.076
[15] Gössling, S. (2015). New performance indicators for water management in tourism. Tourism Management, 46, 233–244.
[16] Justino, S., Calheiros, C. S. C., Castro, P. M. L., & Gonçalves, D. (2023). Constructed wetlands as nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment in the hospitality industry: A review. Hydrology, 10(7), Article 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10070153
[17] Hassan, J., Singh, R., Mir, M. A., & Nazki, A. A. (2026). Beyond visitation: Community-driven sustainability through responsible tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Journal of Tropical Futures, 3(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/27538931261470056
