The Environmental Effects of Tourism in the Western Indian Ocean
Islands located in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) attract tourists from all over the world. Tourism in WIO region contributes substantially to the economies of many countries and islands in this part of the world. These include Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Reunion, and Zanzibar in Tanzania. However, tourism has significant environmental effects in the Western Indian Ocean region. One might ask what these environmental effects can be. Read more about this issue in the Burning Issue about coastal tourism in the WIO-region.
1. Environmental effects of coastal tourism
The overall environmental effects involve environmental degradation which hinders sustainability. Environmental effects related to tourism are problematic and may cause irreversible impacts. These environmental effects include urbanisation, over exploitation of resources, coastal erosion, deterioration of water quality, increased pollution levels, deforestation, and the destruction of coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. Many of these factors reduce the resilience of the ecosystems, which increases the susceptibility of the WIO-region to climate change. More importantly, the tourism industry is also directly contributing to global warming by increasing the use of fuel and other non-renewable resources. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the environmental effects are further influenced by a lack of environmental evaluation and monitoring in the region.
2. Tourism as a generator of economic growth
Tourism in the Western Indian Ocean is a generator of economic growth. People tend to think that places with high biodiversity are also considered “nice”. The environment in itself is a tourist attraction that generates potential economic growth for many parts of the world. Furthermore, tourism development in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is growing rapidly.
Tourism in the WIO is valued in economic terms, and is an important contributor to local, national and international economies. Tourism diversifies the economies in the Western Indian Ocean region, particularly for the islands located in this region where other income generating activities and production might be limited. Tourism generates employment opportunities, which generates income for individual livelihood purposes. It accounts for much of the employment opportunities for both men and women. Employment opportunities in the tourism sector of the islands located in the WIO continue to grow. Tourism also increases foreign exchange in the region, which is beneficial in terms of economic development. Overall, tourism contributes substantially to the GDP. For example, in the Seychelles, tourism contributes to more than 50% of the GDP, and in Mauritius tourism contributes to around 30% of the GDP. Tourism is therefore promising and beneficial in terms of economic growth.
3. Tourism might very well result in coastal development
Tourism is undoubtedly one of the most dominant factors contributing to coastal development in the Western Indian Ocean. Accordingly, as the number of tourists increases so does the number of coastal developments in order to accommodate the number of tourists. These constructions significantly impact the economic development in the WIO region, and the tourism industry contributes largely to the economic growth of many areas. However, tourism may also result in devastating effects on the natural environment. Coastal development may lead to environmental consequences, which are accelerated by increased human activities in the coastal region.
Coastal tourism also contributes to coastal erosion. Coastal development in general is one of the central causes of increased soil erosion which causes sedimentation of rivers, streams and coastal marine areas. Furthermore, coastal development often contributes to deforestation, which is caused by the removal and cutting down of trees along the coastal areas for construction or cooking purposes related to the growing tourism industry. The coastal development ends up having adversative effects on the natural habitats and social contexts along many coastal areas of the WIO. Additionally, coastal erosion makes the WIO more vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events caused by climate change. What is being done to minimize the environmental effects of coastal development?
4. Threatened habitats in the Western Indian Ocean
The WIO has diverse coastal and marine habitats, but environmental degradation is increasingly problematic. Tourism may increasingly become a threat to the coastal and marine habitats in the WIO. The ecological importance and the contribution to the local economy of the coastal and marine habitats may be partially neglected. Human activities caused by the growth of the tourism sector in the WIO are partially contributing to this environmental change.
What are the most threatened habitats in the WIO region? The natural habitats most at risk and vulnerable are the coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves. These natural habitats are life support systems to an enormous amount of species and other habitats, but are nonetheless often give low priority compared to development issues for the important tourism industry.
Coral reefs in the WIO region are well known for their beauty and diversity. Coral reefs are natural habitats that support a high diversity of fish species and many other organisms. However, coral reefs are continuously being degraded by human activities such as unplanned and intense coastal development, in favour of tourism. Other threats to coral reefs include sea level temperature rise cause by climate change, destructive fishing methods, over fishing and increased pollution and sedimentation.
Seagrass beds form another important habitat that supports a variety of fish species, invertebrates and other organisms. Seagrass beds are very important as nutrient filters from land run-off. One of the big threats to seagrass beds is the physical removal of seagrass in front of hotels and developed areas to make the area look nicer and more attractive for tourists. Coastal pollution, increased silting and sedimentation and some destructive fishing also contributes to the degradation of seagrass areas. Consequently, these activities destroy the water quality and causes unforeseen environmental changes.
Mangrove is another important ecosystem that is very threatened by human activities in the Western Indian Ocean Region. The mangrove ecosystem supports a rich bird life and many fish species, as well as invertebrates. Mangroves are being harvested unsustainably to give wood for construction of houses, boast etc, as well as for fire wood and charcoal production. Mangroves are also being removed for scenic purposes, mainly in front of tourist establishments to give a better view of the beaches. The destruction of mangroves leads to a decline in fisheries and other locally used resources such as honey.
More importantly all these coastal ecosystems are linked and as one system or habitat becomes disturbed another system or subsystem also gets affected. Unplanned or too fast development of the tourism industry may not only threaten the natural habitats in the Western Indian Ocean, but may also threaten the livelihoods of the local people living within the Western Indian Ocean by degrading the resource base they depend upon.
5. How are the livelihoods of people affected by tourism?
Local people depend on coastal and marine resources. People living within the WIO region have close ties to the marine environment, which provides them with both food and income. The more the environment becomes affected by increased coastal development, the more the livelihoods of people living on the coastal areas within the WIO will be affected. Many of the people living along the coastal areas are heavily reliant on the fisheries sector and therefore play an important role in the WIO region. Essentially the livelihoods of local people within the WIO are secured by the fisheries sector. The fisheries sector has an impact on both the economic and the social sectors in society.
Firstly, the fisheries sector creates employment opportunities for the local people and contributes significantly to the economies in the WIO region. Secondly, the fisheries sector is very important for social development. It should also be noted that many households within the WIO are dependent on fish and seafood as a source for protein and hence the fisheries sector contributes greatly to food security on a local level. Overall, fisheries contribute to the well-being and health of the population and it enhance the quality of life of the local people and contributes to poverty alleviation in the WIO region.
Tourism on the other hand, sometimes contributes to destruction of the marine environment and threatens the livelihoods of the local people. Local fishers loose their rights to pass to the beaches in some areas where there are tourism developments constructed along the coast. This may even occur in areas that have high quality and quantity of fish which makes people lose access to rich resources. Local fishers will then need to find new areas to fish. The coastal development and unplanned tourism activities will also in some situations cause degradation of the natural environment, which will affect the fish stocks negatively. Both these issues caused by unsustainable tourism developments in the WIO region contribute to reduced livelihoods opportunities for the people.
6. Managing the environments in the Western Indian Ocean more effectively
The development of the tourism industry in the WIO-region has caused environmental consequences and may also threat the livelihoods of coastal communities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to integrate environmental considerations alongside social and economic issues when planning further coastal development, in order to move towards sustainability.
How can the tourism sector in the WIO-region be managed and developed more appropriately? One way to address the sustainability of the tourism industry is to put limitations to the number of tourists allowed to visit a specific area per year. A limitation in the number of visitors per year will reduce the environmental impacts on the natural ecosystem. Secondly, there should be more waste water treatment plants and improved techniques implemented for treatment and storage of liquid and solid waste within the WIO region. Thirdly, the marine environments and its natural resources should be managed more efficiently in order to minimize the environmental effects on coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds, and all other threatened habitats. This can, for example, be done through the creation of conservation areas and implementation of stricter laws related to the exploitation of these resources. Fourthly, it is recommended that mechanisms should be implemented to deal with pollution. Also, the unregulated cutting and harvesting of wood and other activities contributing to increased land run-off causing sedimentation and coastal erosion must be controlled and prevented where possible. Another important aspect to address is the issue of rehabilitation of destructed habitats such as coral reefs and mangrove forests.
Above all, there is a need for better management practices. Measures must be put in place to reduce the impact of tourism on the environments in the WIO. Negative impacts can be reduced and avoided by effective use and implementation of, for example, the tool of Environmental Assessments (EAs). In addition, environmental evaluations and adequate and regular monitoring are equally important when taking the environmental issues in account. Furthermore, the support from local governments and NGOs is necessary for more efficient management of the environment in the WIO region. To contribute to this, there is a need for better capacity building to ensure sustainable outcomes. Higher capacity to manage the resources will ensure that the three principles of sustainability (which are social, economic, and ecological considerations), are all underpinned and controlled within a broader framework of governance.
The tourism industry is very much linked to the state of the environment in the WIO region. Many of the tourist attractions in the region are directly linked to the natural environment and if they deteriorate, the tourist will not be interested in coming any more. So, conservation of the natural environment is very much in the interest also of the tourism industry. It is also important to note that marine based tourist activities, if not controlled, may have environmental effects and should therefore be avoided. By managing the environments in the WIO more effectively, there may be improved outcomes of sustainable tourism both in terms of financial and social benefits.
7. Implementing sustainable tourism and ecotourism
Tourism in the WIO effects marine and coastal environments, but still the industry is prospering and developing rapidly. Marine and coastal ecosystems in the WIO are well-known for high biodiversity and great beauty. Conservation efforts are thus very important as there is a great diversity of fauna and flora in the WIO that needs to be considered alongside an increased tourism development. The environment itself serves as a tourist attraction and should therefore be conserved at all times, together with the socio-economic benefits and livelihoods of the people in the WIO region. Tourism and tourist attractions in the WIO should not just be available to present generations but to future generations as well.
Implementation of sustainable tourism and ecotourism should therefore be encouraged at all times. The key factors in favour of sustainable tourism and ecotourism in the WIO are likely to be limited coastal development, conservation of the natural biodiversity, socio-economic benefits, and overall relief of environmental pressure caused by tourism. This can be achieved by stricter legislation and more enforcement of existing laws for coastal developments. Additionally, the existing environmental impacts need to be addressed in an efficient way, in order to ensure sustainability for further development of the tourism industry in the WIO.
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