BLUe growth connects European Seas BLUES 2017-1-EL01-KA202-036307 IO2- Training Course on Costal and Cruise Tourism M3: Coastal and marine tourism, and the environment
Coastal and marine tourism, and the environment
Norway
In 1976, Budowski identified three different relationships between tourism and the environment: conflict, coexistence and ‌conflict. (Kenchington, R., 1993)
Criteria for the selection of coastal tourism destinations are mainly environmental.
Caribbean region • Warm weather • Proximity to the beach
Why do tourists prefer the coast?
Poland: • Fresh air • Recreation activities • Scenic beauty
Cancun, Mexico UK, USA, Malta, Turkey, Spain: • Water quality • Safety • Facilities • Absence of litter • Scenic beauty
International tourists were concerned about environmental quality and were willing to pay for environmentally friendly actions
A worldwide study, identified two groups of tourists based on their preferences: 1. 2.
Foreigners with an interest in cultural activities and natural environments National tourists whose preferences were related to the beach and its attributes such as width
(Mendoza-González, G., Martínez, M.L., Guevara, R., Pérez-Maqueo, O., Garza-Lagler, M.C. and Howard, A., 2018)
Criteria for the selection of coastal tourism destinations are mainly environmental.
Why do tourists prefer the coast?
Although the preferences of coastal tourists are very diverse and change between locations and over time, two demands of tourists stand out: 1) Demand for recreation activities 2) Demand for scenic beauty of the coastal landscape.
Montenegro
(Mendoza-González, G., Martínez, M.L., Guevara, R., Pérez-Maqueo, O., Garza-Lagler, M.C. and Howard, A., 2018)
“The environment is not only a productive factor for tourism firms but is also a part of the final tourism product being sold�
(Batle ET AL., 2018)
“The coastal zone is a complex space where the atmosphere, the ocean and the continents interact; giving rise to unique and dynamic ecosystems with great ecological importance.
The coastal zone provides valuable resources and services to our society
In this area are carried out different
economic
activities, and it provides the space and resources indispensable for the development of human activities. They are strategic spaces for the economic development,
food security and subsistence of coastal countries and populations; “Nevertheless its management has been made in a sectorial and fragmented approach…”
(Mulazzani, L. and Malorgio, G., 2017 )
Examples of ecosystem services provided by the sea and the coastal ecosystems
Link
Examples of ecosystem services provided by the sea and the marine ecosystems
Activities like tourism, sectoral approaches to urban planning, or the unplanned expansion and management of urban settlements can have an impact in coastal environments, and lead (among others) to:
Human activities can have a negative impact on coasts and compromise the coastal ecosystems
- cultural heritage loss - coastal landscape homogenization - inequality in income distribution Furthermore, they can affect the quality of life and well-being of coastal populations. If coastal countries want to increase their touristderived economic profits, it is critical that coastal development takes place in optimal and sustainable conditions: that tourists receive what they seek, and that the environment and coastal ecosystems are preserved. (Mendoza-Gonzรกlez et al., 2018)
Impacts of human activities on coastal areas and ecosystems
An example: list of environmental and ecological impacts of tourism on Pacific islands
•Environmental and ecological impacts of tourism on Pacific islands •Environmental degradation and pollution •Degradation and pollution of the environment due to golf courses •Pollution by littering •Destruction of habitats and damage to ecosystems •Poorly managed tourism may result in destruction of high quality natural environments •Unmanaged human interference of specific species of fauna and flora •Dynamite blasting and over-fishing •Loss of coastal and marine resources •Interference with inland and coastal natural processes •Excessive ground water extraction by large resorts induces salt water intrusion and deterioration of water quality and recharge of the aquifer •Coastal ecosystem damage and destruction through tourism development •Terrestrial runoff and dredging on coastal areas •Damage to coral reef and marine resources caused by the construction of tourist infrastructure such as runways, marinas, harbours, parking areas and roads, and use of coral limestone in hotels and resort developments •Destruction by tourist activities •Destruction of coral reefs, lagoons, mangroves, saltwater marshes, and wetlands due to excessive •Visitation and/or unmanaged exploitation of those resources
(Hall, C.M., 2001) Link
An example: list of environmental and ecological impacts of tourism on Pacific islands
•Disturbance to near shore aquatic life due to thrill crafts and boat tours •Introduced exotic species •increased sea and air inter-island traffic creates the danger of accidental importation of exotic species, which can be very destructive to indigenous flora and fauna •Tourism enterprises alter the integrity of the environment and encroach on local lifestyles with imported exotic species for safari hunting •Damage to sand-cay ecosystems •Damage to mangrove ecosystems •Damage to coastal rainforest ecosystems •Loss of sandy beaches and shoreline erosion •loss of sandy beaches due to onshore development and construction of seawalls •Coastal pollution •Wastewater discharge and sewage pollution •Coastal water pollution and siltation due to near shore resort construction and runoff from resort areas results in the destruction of natural habitat, coral and feeding grounds for fish •Marine and harbour pollution •Coastal oil pollution due to motorised vehicles and ships •Surface water and groundwater diversion •Diversion of streams and water sources from local use to resort use, with resulting decline in water availability for domestic and other productive uses and farming, particularly taro cultivation (Hall, C.M., 2001) Link
Can you identify the possible environmental and ecological impacts of tourism on the area in the picture?
The pathway from ecosystems’ structure to human wellbeing and the economic valuation of ecosystem services
The services of nature
(Sukhdev et al. 2010)
Classification of Ecosystem Services
In order to be able to express the value of ecosystems, or the cost of their destruction, the concept of “ecosystem services” was introduced.
The value of Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services can be simply defined as “the components of nature, directly enjoyed, consumed, or used to yield human well-being” Marine and coastal ecosystems are identified as subgroups that provide distinct ecosystem services related to the sea or other marine resources, and the coastal zones.
Several frameworks have been developed by researchers in order to quantify and measure ecosystem services. A popular way for their quantification is to assign a monetary value to ecosystems, through methods that identify their value expressed in monetary terms, e.g. USD.
Quantifying Ecosystem Services
However, although this approach may prove useful in many cases, other forms of non-monetary quantification such as indices may be able to describe the value of ecosystems better, as many ecosystem services are intangible concepts. The field of environmental economics provides a wide variety of research and applications on this topic.
Researchers in a study of “Participatory mapping of ecosystem services for spatial planning� assigned relative non-monetary values to benefits that derive from ecosystem services:
Relative value of coastal Ecosystem Services
Fig. 5. Relative value assigned to non-monetary benefits. Light gray denotes tangible non-monetary benefits and dark gray denotes intangible non-monetary benefits.
(Klain, S.C. and Chan, K.M., 2012)
How can we “measure” Blue Growth to see if it is indeed sustainable? The study of Mulazzani and Malorgio “Blue growth and ecosystem services” attempts to bridge the two concepts, through the key of “Sustainability”
Linking Blue Growth and Ecosystem Services
“For every economic activity, it is important to understand their indirect impacts (i.e. externalities) on ecosystem assets. When the adjusted value added for a specific activity (e.g. fisheries or mining) is calculated, the associated cost of ecosystem degradation linked to land conversion, pollution, or biodiversity loss has to be calculated.”
(Mulazzani and Malorgio, 2017)
Intoducing marine ecosystem services (8:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgtkM7wim9Q This video provides an overview of the ecosystem services approach to understanding the marine environment and its application in VECTORS, an EU-funded marine research project. An Introduction to Marine Ecosystem Services Valuation (6:13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJGHwNU257g
Videos
Measuring ecosystem services (3:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jw9dPYVT_Y "Measuring Ecosystem Services" is a short video describing what ecosystem services are, why they're important to society and how Silvacom is teaming up to build big data sets to advance Alberta's Green Economy. Ecosystem services (9:02) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0 How is biodiversity essential to humans? We couldn't survive without it! Biodiversity supplies food, shelter, medicine and so much more to humans.
?
Brainstorming: can you guess the ecosystem services that the images illustrate?
Discussion in the forum: In which category does each service belong to?
1.Provisioning 2.Regulating 3.Cultural
Source
Discussion: Which marine and coastal Ecosystem Services can you identify in the photo?
Phi Phi, Thailand
(you can use the URLs at the end of the presentation for inspiration) Thailand
Discussion: Which marine and coastal Ecosystem Services can you identify in the photo?
(you can use the URLs at the end of the presentation for inspiration) France
Discussion: Which marine and coastal Ecosystem Services can you identify in the photo?
Phi Phi, Thailand
(you can use the URLs at the end of the presentation for inspiration) Greece
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). An ecosystem-based framework for planning.
UNESCO, through its “Marine Spatial Planning Programme� defines Marine Spatial Planning is a public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that usually have been specified through a political process. Characteristics of marine spatial planning include ecosystem-based, area-based, integrated, adaptive, strategic and participatory. Marine spatial planning is not an end in itself, but a practical way to create and establish a more rational use of marine space and the interactions among its uses, to balance demands for development with the need to protect the environment, and to deliver social and economic outcomes in an open and planned way.
Link
In 2014, the EU produced a directive establishing a framework for Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP)
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). An ecosystem-based framework for planning.
In MSP the application of an ecosystem-based approach is considered essential to promote ‘the sustainable development and growth of the maritime and coastal economies and the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources’. It is also stressed that human activity can lead to a degradation of ecosystem services, such as food production, recreation and tourism, climate change mitigation and adaptation, shoreline dynamics control, and disaster prevention.
(Mulazzani, L. and Malorgio, G., 2017)
The European Parliament and the Council have adopted legislation to create a common framework for maritime spatial planning in Europe Timeline: 2014: Adoption of the directive 2016: Deadline for transposition and designation of competent authorities 2021: Deadline for the establishment of maritime spatial plans
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the EU
What are the benefits of maritime spatial planning according to the EU? • Reduce conflicts between sectors and create synergies between different activities. • Encourage investment – by creating predictability, transparency and clearer rules. • Increase cross-border cooperation – between EU countries to develop energy grids, shipping lanes, pipelines, submarine cables and other activities, but also to develop coherent networks of protected areas. • Protect the environment – through early identification of impact and opportunities for multiple use of space.
Link 1 Link 2
Aspects to consider for sustainable tourism
(Pan, S.Y., Gao, M., Kim, H., Shah, K.J., Pei, S.L. and Chiang, P.C., 2018)
Aspects to consider for sustainable tourism management, and their timeframe
(Agyeiwaah, 2017)
A fundamental rethinking of our approach to sustainable tourism at an enterprise level is needed
(Agyeiwaah, E., McKercher, B. and Suntikul, W., 2017)
How can tourism in your city (or a city that you know, or you have been on holidays in), be sustainable?
Individual activity: sustainable tourism in my city
Read the article on the next slide, and then have a look at the diagram of “the tourism chain and its relationship to sustainable development� Based on this input, describe a sustainable tourism chain in the city of your choice.
Individual activity: Sustainable tourism in my city
Travel and tourism have a tremendous contribution to our modern economical system. According to the statistics reported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global travel and tourism industry, including tourism-related business such as catering and cleaning, represents 9.8% of total global gross domestic product (UNWTO, 2017a) and 7% of global trade (UNWTO, 2017b) in 2016. They also create approximately 11% of the world's existing employment (direct& indirect) in 2016 (UNWTO, 2017a). However, this great contribution to economic development also has a significant impact on the environment and ecosystem. For instance, CO2 emissions for global tourist trips including same-day visitors' amount to about 1302 million tonnes (Mt) CO2 (Peeters and Dubois, 2010), corresponding to 5% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions in 2005, i.e., 26,400Mt CO2 (IPCC, 2007). In fact, considering the amount of CO2 emissions from tourism including transportation, as well as the great growth rates of tourists, its contribution to the climate change is not small comparing to that of all other sectors (Bows et al., 2009). Peeters and Dubois (2010) first developed a 30-year projection model based on an emission inventorymade for 2005. They found that improvements in technology alone cannot reach the targets of CO2 emission reduction for sustainability. Without a radical shift, the future tourist travel system will not meet the significant CO2 emission reduction required for avoiding dangerous climate change (Peeters and Dubois, 2010). In other words, immense transformations in not only transport modes but also destination choice are necessary (Peeters and Dubois, 2010). (Pan, S.Y., Gao, M., Kim, H., Shah, K.J., Pei, S.L. and Chiang, P.C., 2018)
Individual activity: Sustainable tourism in my city
(Pan, S.Y., Gao, M., Kim, H., Shah, K.J., Pei, S.L. and Chiang, P.C., 2018)
Useful links
http://www.coastalwiki.org/ http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Ecosystem_services https://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.html http://www.teebweb.org/ http://msp.ioc-unesco.org/ https://www.msp-platform.eu/ https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/maritime_spatial_planning_en
Quiz
Now you can go ahead and answer the questions at the quiz for Module 3, that you can find on the BLUES portal at www.bluesgrowth.eu In case you fail the first time, don’t worry. You have a second chance to pass the test.
Good luck!
Thank you for your attention! www.facebook.com/BluesGrowth blueseuproject@gmail.com