Yasser Mahgoub Abstract The desert was always part of the Arabian culture and a way of life. After the discovery of oil during the 1940's, traditional Arab societies became urbanized and settled in newly constructed cities and towns. The desert became a place to visit for leisure and entertainment by locals and tourists. In Dubai, the desert is used as a tourist attraction for foreigners. In Kuwait, the desert is a seasonal attraction for families and groups during the winter time. This involves informal leisure activities that endanger the fragile desert environment and cause its pollution and degradation. This paper discusses the impact of informal desert tourism activities on the desert sustainability in Kuwait. It warns against the negative impact of current practices on the fragile desert environment as a result of informal local tourism activities. The paper explores successful examples from the region and the world in order to highlight aspects of successful interventions that blend in with the desert context. It suggests sustainable measures to deal with the planning and designing for desert ecotourism facilities that aim at protecting the fragile desert environment from deterioration and eventual extinction. K e y w o r d s : Ecotourism; Ecolodging; Desert; Kuwait.
INTRODUCTION The desert was always an important part of the Arab Gulf countries culture and way of life. After the discovery of oil in the 1940s, many traditional Arab societies became urbanized and settled in newly constructed cities and towns. The desert became a place to visit for leisure and entertainment for locals and tourists. It became an endangered environment because of rapid urbanization, war conflicts and informal tourist activities. In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives very little precipitation (Wikipedia, 2007). It is a fragile habitat that hosts numerous types of plants, insects and animals. It covers one-third of the Earth's land surface. The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (USGS, 2007). Kuwait lies at the northwest part of the Arabian Gulf, covering an area of approximately 18,000 km2 and a coastline stretching 500 km long. It is located at the northeast tip of the Arabian Desert. This eco-region of the Arabian Peninsula stretches
Fig 1. Map of the Gulf and Arabian Desert.
from Oman in the south to Iraq and Jordan in the north. This part of the Arabian Desert covers almost one quarter of the Arabian Peninsula and is called in Arabic "Al-Ruba' Al-Khali" - the empty quarter indicating its emptiness and wilderness. (Figure 1) The desert is a seasonal attraction for families and groups during the winter time. Yet, these informal touristic activities endanger the fragile desert environment. There is a need to develop desert resorts that are ecological and sustainable to provide dif75
open house international Vol 32, No.4, December 2007 Towards Sustainable Desert Eco-Tourism in Kuwait: Learning from the Regional Experience
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DESERT ECO-TTOURISM IN KUWAIT: Learning from the Regional Experience
Yasser Mahgoub open house international Vol 32, No.4, December 2007 Towards Sustainable Desert Eco-Tourism in Kuwait: Learning from the Regional Experience
Fig 2. Map of Kuwait showing desert and urban areas.
ferent facilities for the campers in the Kuwaiti desert.
AIM AND METHOD This paper discusses the impact of informal desert tourism activities on desert sustainability in Kuwait. It warns against the negative impact of current practices on the fragile desert environment as a result of informal local tourism activities. The paper explores successful examples from the region and the world in order to highlight aspects of successful interventions that blend in with the desert context. It suggests sustainable measures to deal with the planning and design of ecolodging for desert ecotourism facilities that aim at protecting the fragile desert environment from deterioration and eventual extinction.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Ecotourism, short for ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that aims at being ecologically and socially conscious. It aims at minimizing the negative impact of traditional tourism on the natural environment. Ecotourism is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry (Lippard, 1999: 146). The concept of "ecotourism" can be misunderstood and misused in practice by placing hotels and accommodation developments in natural landscapes that destroy the ecosystems and the fragile balance between the fauna and flora. As Salama 76
put it, "more and more tourists are increasingly abandoning traditional vacation for a new type of tourism that gives them the sense of nature. Trekking in mountains, bird watching, archaeological digs, desert and photo safaris, and scuba diving are all new types of vacation that attract tourists to travel to relatively remote and unspoiled areas. This type of travel is referred to as nature-based travel, ecotourism, or environmentally sustainable tourism" (Salama, 2001). According to The Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people. The World Conservation Union's Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas defines ecotourism as "environmentally responsive travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local populations (CeballosLascurain, 1996). Ross and Wall define ecotourism as "means of protecting natural areas through the generation of revenues, environmental education and the involvement of local people (in both decisions regarding appropriate developments and associated benefits) (Ross and Wall, 2004). According to Caroline J. Stem, ecotourism can "provide local economic benefits, while maintaining ecological resource integrity through low-impact non-consumptive resource use while contributing to conservation and community development." (Stem et al, 2003" 322-347) The preceding definitions share concern towards possible degradation of the natural environment as a result of tourism activities. In the past ten years, ecotourism has risen from relative obscurity to become one of the world's fastest growing industries. In theory, it can lead to environmental awareness and conservation, local economic benefits, and integration of developing countries into the world market. But in practice, it often leads to environmental degradation, conflicts with local communities, and increased dependence on foreign investment. Hector Ceballos indicates that "inappropriate tourism developments - based mainly on the model
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of mainstream or mass tourism - are producing severe negative impacts on the natural and cultural environment, including biodiversity. Consequently, the appropriate interaction between biodiversity conservation planning and tourism planning and development has become a key concern for many institutions at the local, national and international levels. Even tourism developments in urban settings, far away from natural areas, may have unanticipated effects on surrounding lands and waters and the atmosphere, thus affecting biodiversity in many ways" (Ceballos, 2001:3) Salama indicated that until the mid 1990s, the word ecotourism did not exist. It has emerged as a feasible option for conserving natural and cultural heritage of regions and nations and contributing to sustainable development realm (Salama, 2000). On the other hand, Eleishe describes how tourism like any activity has both positive and negative impacts (Eleishe, 1998). Some of the tourism positive impacts include income generation, jobs, construction of new community facilities, international understanding, and conservation of significant features both environmental and cultural. On the other hand, the negative impacts can be grouped under different headings: pollution from the increased economic activity and wastes produced by tourists , loss of useful community land from residential,
commercial and agricultural use to tourist purposes can have significant social and economic impact, especially if tourism is ultimately not a successful enterprise, destruction of flora, fauna or historical sites by the act of making a unique environment or site accessible and the resultant increase in human traffic damaging the environment and reducing its value, changing social values since the influx of tourists from different cultures and the provisions of services for them will bring about social changes in the local community, although benefiting international understanding, this impact may be unacceptable to all people and cause some social strain.
THE CASE OF KUWAIT In Kuwait the camping season starts at the beginning of the winter season. The camping season, called Albar, is a happy season for all Kuwaitis. It provides them with a rare opportunity to come in direct contact with the desert environment and experience how their grandfathers have lived. Camp grounds are constructed using fabric tents and temporary structures are also erected to shelter other services and facilities such as toilets and kitchens. 77
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Fig 2. Desert campground activities.
Yasser Mahgoub open house international Vol 32, No.4, December 2007 Towards Sustainable Desert Eco-Tourism in Kuwait: Learning from the Regional Experience
Entertainment and recreation is an important part of albar experience. Tents are equipped with the latest modern life luxuries: air conditioned tents, TV's with satellite dishes, etc. Driving beach-buggies and 4-wheel cars to wonder through the desert is practiced by teenagers and children (Figure 3). Even fast food delivery motorcycles and vehicles are commonly seen delivering fast orders to desert camps. These recreation activities were identified by many researchers as one of the sources of environmental problems in Kuwait (Caulton and Keddie, 1989). Abandoned materials such as cars, tyres, water tanks, corrugated metal sheeting, wooden boards, and rubble litter the desert landscape, not to mention the impacts of campers on the desert (Al-Houty, 1998). The excessive use of vehicles such as 4-wheel drive cars and beach buggies, destroys the fragile topsoil and kills all forms of living creatures and insects. As warned by many researchers, desert plants are vanishing due to excessive topsoil grading to clear areas for desert camp grounds and excessive use of 4-wheel vehicles (4-wheel cars and beach buggies). As indicated by Omar and Zaman (1998), one of the causes of the degradation of the rangeland of Kuwait is off-road vehicle use. Many campers collect desert plants as souvenirs in their way back from the desert. Desert plants are major source of food for camels and desert animals. They are slow growers and depend on the scarce rain water. In the past, people were more sensitive to the desert; they used to protect the desert habitat. After the end of the camping season, the desert campers leave their garbage and waste everywhere (Figure 4). The responsibility lies on the campers
Fig 4. Desert pollution after camping season. 78
and the authorities who do not enforce laws and regulations. These remains endanger the fragile desert creature and environment. The large amounts of garbage and human remains pollute the land and negatively impact the delicate balance between plants and animals. The movable toilets and excessive amount of filthy water drainage affects the topsoil and the underground water sources.
ECOTOURISM: REGIONAL BEST PRACTICES An important example of ecotourism in the Gulf region is Al Maha reseort in Dubai (Figure 5). Eleishe (1998) studied Al Maha resort and commented that "for the first time in the UAE, a complex has been created that will present Arabian culture and heritage in their natural surroundings so that guests may enjoy the age-old traditions, while relaxing amid the unique flora and fauna of the Arabian Desert. It will provide visitors with a unique and memorable way to experience Dubai" (Eleishe, 1998). The resort enables visitors to stay in luxury accommodation in the middle of a nature reserve featuring a wide variety of indigenous Arabian flora and fauna. It is located deep within Dubai's interior desert close to the Hajar Mountain range, on a 16 sq. km. site about 40 minutes drive from the Dubai International Airport - off the highway to the UAE oasis city of Al Ain. Access from the highway to the resort is by four-wheel drive vehicles. In order to reduce the effect of vehicles on dunes and vegeta-
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tion, a fixed road network in the reserve is used for guest activities. The site, an oasis deep amid the desert dunes of Dubai, covers an area of 3,500 acres, providing panoramic views of the desert. Only 2% of the total land area forming the resort is developed, while the remaining 98% will form a wildlife and nature reserve. A complete study and report on the designs was conducted by Energy Management Services on the systems to be used for the use, generation and reuse of power sources for the resort. Eco-friendly measures ensure that the desert environment is preserved wherever possible and that its eco systems are disturbed as little as possible. For example, the resort is situated on top of a large fresh water reservoir and all water used is recycled back into the system so that the reservoir is continuously replenished. Natural power sources, such as solar power are used in areas of high-energy consumption. Water used in the resort is recycled and used for irrigation of the resort's landscaping, as well as the ecological rehabilitation. Al Maha is working with the local authorities to improve the utilization of natural resources. Hotel services, which require a large amount of water - laundry, etc. - is subcon-
tracted to companies who show responsibility to the environment by using only biodegradable products and who have a desalinated water supply, and nonplastic substances in their processing will be considered. This applies to suppliers of any foodstuffs, drinks and other goods to the resort. The energy systems to be used are calculated as the most efficient for their type in their areas of use. Solar power will be used for electrified fencing, staff accommodation's hot water systems and all remote pumps. Gas will be used for cooking and kitchen requirements. There is central electricity (DEWA) production for the guest units. Special glass is used in all windows to maintain the energy efficiency of the buildings, cutting down on the energy loss. This is even further backed up by the materials used in the building structures. Water re-cycling: all water used on the property is purified, re-cycled, re-filtered and used for ecological rehabilitation purposes. This includes its use for re-establishing desert vegetation that has been removed or destroyed by overgrazing. In keeping with the resort's concept, which focuses on Arabian culture and heritage, the accommodation is designed as a traditional 79
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Fig 5. Al-Maha Desert Resort, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Designed by Schuster Pechtold & Partners.
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Fig 6. The Subiyah Resort, Kuwait. Designed by SSHI.
Arabian Bedouin desert encampment, where guests' suites set amid extensive landscaping on a rise overlooking the reserve. The architectural concept is traditional Arabian Bedouin desert encampment, of individual units that "open" to the desert landscape. In an effort to maintain an authentic, ethnic ambience, Al Maha has employed traditional expert craftsmanship for most of the interior furnishings and ethnic arts and crafts. Many of these items will be available for order by guests and will be detailed in a comprehensive catalogue. Some items will also be available for purchase in the souvenir/craft shop. Al Maha periodically runs education programs for the general public, on methods of conservation. All craft-works, furniture and goods sold in the resort will be sourced from local craftsmen, and whenever possible goods supplied to the resort will support local communities and businesses. AN ECOTOURISM EXAMPLE FROM KUWAIT Serious attempts were made by Kuwait government to protect areas in Kuwait, "some of them were 80
fenced and designated as nature reserves, and one as a National Park" (Al-Obeidan and Al-Sager 1998:667-676). Yet, no serious attempts were made to develop ecolodging in the desert in Kuwait. Regional conflicts and wars during the eighties and nineties did not permit the development of projects in the desert. Most tourist projects are located within the urban area and the southern costal strip called Al-Kheran. The Subiyah Resort is designed by the Kuwaiti firm SSHI. The project is located at the northern part of Kuwait on Khour Al Subiyah overlooking the Bubiyan Island. The beach front extends to about 500 meters and is regarded as a shallow water area with a high percentage of deposits due to its proximity to the Shatt Al-Arab Delta. The resort components are a hotel with 100 double-rooms, a resort with 63 chalets, various cafes and restaurants, a Spa health club and marina complex for servicing private and rental boats of sea-bound visitors (SSHI, 2007).
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR
Site Considerations 1. The site selection should provide a variety of camping levels and supporting facilities, including free camping, fixed camping, recreation and sports, and different gathering places to accommodate the different needs of the visitors. 2. Environmental controls and passive techniques should be used to provide maximum comfort for the users. 3. Any existing natural elements in the site, such as trees, water resources, facilities or utilities, should be preserved and maintained. 4. Site development, building orientation, shading elements and other environmental design tech-
Economic Strategies: 1. Environmental techniques are to be used to reduce the energy cost of the resort. 2. Appropriate thermal insulation to exterior surfaces should be utilized. 3. Massive walls should be used to increase the time lag effect. 4. Small windows should be used to avoid undesired hot outdoor air, and to reduce the effect of the intense sunlight while adequately lighting the interiors during the daytime. 5. Light interior surfaces, especially for the ceiling, should be used to diffuse the sunlight that enters through the small windows. 6. Light exterior surface colors to minimize the absorption of the interior radiation. Community Planning: 1. Buildings are to be as closely clustered as possible for the shade they offer one another and the public spaces between them. 2. Orientation of principal facades of buildings should face south. 3. Shading elements should be used according to specific strategies. 4. Time related strategies such as the time shifting concept should be adapted in some parts of the project. 81
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Ross and Wall argue that there is a "gap between ecotourism theory as revealed in the literature and ecotourism practice as indicated by its on-site application" (Ross and Wall, 2004). They suggest a framework to help achieve a balance between conservation and development through the promotion of synergistic relationships between natural areas, local populations and tourism. The framework can also be used to assess the status of ecotourism in particular site or locality. Salama (2000) suggests that any ecolodge project requires the adoption of a different approach to architecture. This approach should be based on four principles that should be taken into account while designing ecolodges. These are 1) design solutions grow from the physical surroundings of a place and its interaction with cultural setting around it, 2) design should be based on environmental criteria and environmental constraints, 3) local communities should be involved in the design and implementation processes since they have acquired knowledge and expertise in design and building over the years, and 4) design should be integrated harmoniously with nature and architectural forms should not compete with, but should complement within natural landscape. Utilizing this approach, a set of sustainable design guidelines for Kuwait desert ecolodging can be outlined. They can be categorized in terms of site considerations, economic strategies, and community planning.
niques should be used according to a comprehensive environmental study. 5. All building materials, colors, faรงades, roof treatment, entrances and parking areas should reflect the character of the project that calls upon desert traditions while accommodating modern lifestyle. 6. Materials and colors used in an ecolodge project should be of good quality and high durability to sustain weather conditions. It is also preferred to use local materials as much as possible. 7. Landscape design should give special attention to unifying the entire project. It is to attempt to highlight building entries, soften building masses, provide image to site development, and define site edges. 8. Landscape design should mimic the natural desert environment surrounding the site. It should sustain all weather conditions and preserve natural water resources.
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ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TOURIST FACILITIES IN THE DESERT OF KUWAIT
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5. The swimming pool area should be well developed to be the center of attraction in the project in the summer season. 6. The camp area should be closed and well maintained during the summer season.
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This paper recommended the establishment of regulations and guidelines to guide the development of camp grounds and camping activities in the desert in the light of ecotourism and ecolodging needs and requirements. These guidelines should be enforced by laws to protect the sensitive desert environment from pollution by fines and cancellation of license to camp in the desert. Continuous inspection of camp grounds is required in order to ensure their compliance with sustainability measures. REFERENCES AL-HOUTY, W. 1998, Desert Biodiversity with Special Emphasis on Kuwait, In Omar, S. Raafat Misak, Dhari AlAjmi and Nader Al-Awadhi (eds.) 1998, Sustainable Development in Arid Zones, Proceedings of the International Conference on Desert Development in the Arab Gulf Countries. Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research,. Rotterdam: Balkema, PP. 657-665. AL-OBEIDAN, K. & AL-SAGER, N. 1998, The Role of Protected Areas in the Desert Development, In Omar, S. Raafat Misak, Dhari Al-Ajmi and Nader Al-Awadhi (eds.) 1998, Sustainable Development in Arid Zones, Proceedings of the International Conference on Desert Development in the Arab Gulf Countries. Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research,. Rotterdam: Balkema, PP. 667-676. CAULTON, E. AND KEDDIE, D. 1989, Environmental Conservation Problems in Kuwait. The Environmentalist, Vol (9), No. (3), PP. 219-228.
LIPPARD, L. 1999, On the Beaten Track: Tourism, Art and Place, The New Press, New York, USA. OMAR, S. and ZAMAN, S. 1998, Kuwait Rangelands Status, Development and Research Priorities, In Omar, S. Raafat Misak, Dhari Al-Ajmi and Nader Al-Awadhi (eds.) 1998, Sustainable Development in Arid Zones, Proceedings of the International Conference on Desert Development in the Arab Gulf Countries. Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research,. Rotterdam: Balkema, PP. 403-420. SALAMA, A. 2000, The Ecolodge: An Alternative Futuristic Eco-Friendly Tourist Facility. Medina Magazine, Issue 11, January-February 2000, PP. 54-59. SALAMA, A. 2001, Ecolodges: A Tool for Sustainable Tourism Development in Egypt, A White Paper for the Tourism Development Authority in Egypt, Ministry of Tourism, Cairo, Egypt. ROSS, S. and WALL, G. 2004, Ecotourism: Towards Congruence between Theory and Practice. In S. Williams (ed.), Tourism: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences, Routledge, PP. 240-258. SSHI, 2007, Al- Subiyah Resort, http://www.sshic.com/leisure_and_hospitality_subiyaresort.htm. accessed in May 2007 STEM, C., JAMES P. LASSOIE, DAVID R. LEE, and DAVID J. DESHLER 2003, How ‘Eco’ is Ecotourism? A Comparative Case Study of Ecotourism in Costa Rica, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. (11), No. (4), PP. 322-47. USGC, 2007, United States Geological Society: Online Document http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/what/ accessed in April 2007 WIKIPEDIA, 2007, Online Document http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert#_note-0
CEBALLOS-LASCURAIN, H. 1996, Tourism, Ecotourism and Protected Areas, IUCN-International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland CEBALLOS-LASCURAIN, H. 2001, Integrating Biodiversity into the Tourism Sector: Best Practice Guidelines, Report submitted to UNEP/UNDP/GEF/BPSP. ELEISHE, A. 1998, Eco- Tourism Resorts And Hotels: Al Maha Resort in the Dubai Desert – A Case Study, IASTE98, Proceedings of the Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments, working paper series, Vol. 108.
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Author's Address Yasser Mahgoub Department of Architecture Kuwait University State of Kuwait ymahgoub@kuc01.kuniv.edu.kw