Geo-Eye
Department of Geography & GIS
Department of Geography & GIS
Geo-Eye
DOI: 10.53989/bu.ge.v14.i2.25.2 9
Year: 2025, Volume: 14, Issue: 2, Pages: 20-27
Original Article
M Sarita1*, C S Manjunatha2
1Research Scholar, Department of Geography, KSOU, Mysuru-06, Karnataka, India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, KSOU, Mysuru-06, Karnataka, India.
* Corresponding author
Email: [email protected]
Received Date:04 December 2025, Accepted Date:22 December 2025
Geosites represent locations of significant geomorphological, geological, ecological, and cultural value, forming essential components of geoheritage resources. Mandya District in southern Karnataka hosts an array of distinctive landforms-residual hills, river confluences, waterfalls, wetlands, and lacustrine systems that hold considerable potential for geotourism development. This study presents a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of twenty-seven geosites based exclusively on intensive field visits, direct observation, photographic documentation, and community-level interactions. The analysis reveals strong scenic and geomorphic attributes across all sites, balanced against widespread weaknesses such as inadequate infrastructure, absence of interpretation, lack of institutional coordination, and limited community involvement. Opportunities include eco-rural tourism integration, geo-heritage trails, educational applications, and community-based conservation, while threats arise from unregulated tourism, land encroachment, climate impacts, quarrying, and environmental degradation. The study demonstrates that SWOT analysis is an effective stand-alone tool for evaluating the practical geotourism readiness of geosites and provides a foundation for district-level geotourism planning in Mandya. Findings support developing thematic circuits, strengthening awareness, and promoting sustainable conservation strategies.
Keywords: Geosites, Geoheritage, Geotourism, SWOT Analysis, Field Assessment, Landscape Conservation
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© 2026 Sarita & Manjunatha. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Published By Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka
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