Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations - DTIE

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations Responding To Climate Change A Practical Guide For Decision Makers Future success, however, demands that the sector adapts to climate change, and, equally as important, reduces its contribution to climate change through emissions of greenhouse gasses. Both aspects require substantial changes in the tourism product development system. 2.3 Tourism Destinations at Risk Tourism businesses and coastal tourism destinations are increasingly challenged by environmental disasters brought on by the rapid onset of climate-induced natural typhoons, in the short and long term. Recent conclusions of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment (AR4) synthesis highlight some impacts on coastal areas including, inter alia: Warmer (expanding) oceans resulting in faster rates of sea level rise and increased sea surface temperatures. Marine and terrestrial ecosystem alterations and species loss, particularly coral reefs which have undergone major bleaching. Increase in tropical cyclone intensity, particularly for hurricanes in the North Atlantic, which appears to correlate well with observed increases in sea surface temperatures. At higher latitudes, reduced polar ice coverage (i.e. polar caps and ice and Southern Americas and Western Europe; decreased rainfall (drought) in the Mediterranean, the African Sahel and Southern Asia; Recent shocks to the global and regional tourism industry caused by extreme events including climate induced disasters have affected popular tourism destinations directly in terms of loss of life, livelihoods, property, and reduced arrivals immediately following the events. These concerns can escalate further, when source countries issue travel advisories against offending countries. Following these experiences and in the image-driven business of tourism, tour operators and visitors are now likely to scrutinize more carefully, any destination with visible or perceived threats to health, safety and security. Even though the 2004 Asian Tsunami is not a consequence of global warming, the rapidity with which the ocean surge (or tsunami-generated) waves devastated coastal tourism destinations in its path, bore many lessons. Recovery of the affected coastal tourism destinations in Thailand in particular, was undertaken through very focused, committed and strategic partnerships between the local public and private sectors and regional and international agencies, and at great cost. 22 | Climate Change, Disasters And Tourism
Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations Responding To Climate Change A Practical Guide For Decision Makers BOX 2.1: The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami The 2004 tsunami caused the death of over 270,000 people and injured also great devastation of physical infrastructure mainly in Indonesia. Coastal resorts in India and Malaysia were hit but the most severely damaged tourism this resulted in a great exodus of tourists and cancellation of bookings. January 2005 recorded an 85% decline in international tourists. Hotel occupancy rates 2005 and approximately 500 tourism enterprises (employing over 3000 people) collapsed in 2005 (Henderson, 2007). 2 This highlights the need for improving the resilience of coastal destinations to natural disasters. Coastal and marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, beaches, dunes and mangroves, which have been altered, weakened or removed altogether by chronic pollution, cleared for land development or through unsustainable uses, will consequently be more susceptible to climate-induced disaster events. Rises in sealevel due to climate change makes these areas even more vulnerable. Integrated coastal zone planning should also not be neglected; coasts are very fragile and have always been subject to strong population pressures causing urbanization and pollution. The traditional marketing and development approaches to selling a “sand, sea and sun” product have resulted in the concentration of tourist facilities in coastal areas. This has contributed to the degradation of the coastal and marine environments and to disruptions in the social fabric of many traditional communities. Box 2.2: Coastal Development Issues in the Media In its March 2007 edition, National Geographic Traveler magazine’s Geotourism Editor, J.B. Tourtellot authored an article on Belize entitled, “A Reef Takes a Dive”. The article described impacts on the country’s Mesoamerican reef ecosystem from an overabundance of cruise visitors and lack of controls. Here is an excerpt (reprinted with permission): ”Global warming is threatening the reef waters that are literally too hot for coral to handle, causing bleaching and seas that could rise faster than the alreadystressed reefs can grow taller. Piling on, Hurricane Mitch in 1998 delivered a devastating blow, destroying much of the southern reef. Local activities add Belizeans) thrive in a country too disorganized to enforce its own rules.” Climate risks therefore can and should be mitigated for their short and long term effects. The IPCC risk scenarios provide an opportunity for destinations to engage in proactive planning against anticipated disaster risks rather than repeatedly being caught reacting to events as they occur. However, few tourism destinations have a track record of integration and collaboration between tourism agencies and local disaster management agencies to address disaster vulnerability and risk. For many countries, this remains a challenge yet an imperative for maintaining a resilient industry. 23
Page 1 and 2: DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT FOR COASTA
Page 3 and 4: Disaster Risk Management For Coasta
Page 17 and 18: 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of the
Page 21 and 22: 2 Climate Change, Disasters And Tou
Page 23: Disaster Risk Management For Coasta
Page 47 and 48: 4 Managing Disaster Risks At Coasta
Page 74 and 75:
Disaster Risk Management For Coasta
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120:
The sustainability of coastal touri
show all

Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations - DTIE

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?