COASTAL AREAS - WORLD'S MOST SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS - THREATENED BY TOURISM COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOLD

Press Release
ENV/DEV/503

COASTAL AREAS - WORLD'S MOST SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS - THREATENED BY TOURISM COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOLD

Limit Coastal Tourism to Carrying Capacity, Says Honolulu's Mayor; Community Stewardship, Cruise Ship Impact, Use of Pesticides Also Discussed

For coastal tourism to be sustainable, it must be controlled and limited to the capacity of the local environmental and social system, the Commission on Sustainable Development was told this morning, as it continued its discussion of tourism with non-governmental organizations, industry representatives, trade unions and local authorities.

The Mayor of Honolulu, on behalf of local authorities, said that tourism threatened coastal zones, which were the most sensitive ecosystems on the globe. The destruction of coastal regions resulted in the loss of marine fisheries and coral reefs. Therefore, the level of tourism activity on coasts should be determined by the area's carrying capacity and regulations should be established and strictly enforced to keep tourism within sustainable bounds.

Tourism is one of the Commission's substantive themes for its seventh annual session, which will last through 30 April. It was taken up as part of the Commission's overall mandate to monitor implementation of Agenda 21, the action plan adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (Rio de Janeiro, 1992).

A representative of the Dominican Conservation Association, on behalf of non-governmental organizations, told the Commission that tourism must be carefully planned and integrated within existing cultural and environmental constraints. Tourism development should be planned by municipal, industrial and agricultural interests to minimize conflicting activities. All planning should be accompanied by widespread public information dissemination, to foster community stewardship of the natural resource base, protect local culture and promote local ownership.

Of particular concern for coastal areas was the rapid increase of the cruise ship industry, said a representative of the International Transport Workers Federation, speaking on behalf of trade unions. Such ships often avoided international environmental regulations, as well as national taxes.

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In a recent case, cruise ships were found to be illegally dumping waste into the oceans, a conduct so pervasive that it was considered a regular business practice. A well-enforced international regulatory system was needed to stop such behaviour.

On behalf of industry, a member of the Australian Cooperative Research Committee for Sustainable Tourism recommended that the Commission encourage international agencies to develop indicators that could be applied to the coastal zone to measure the environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism. Increased information would allow for more effective tourism planning by government. Further, the Commission should encourage international agencies, national governments and industry to fund and support small- and medium-sized enterprises to implement practices to improve the environment.

The Commission also heard about efforts to promote sustainable tourism by the representatives of Australia and Thailand. The representative of Australia said that tourism was often important in developing the economy in areas that were isolated or had a stagnant economic base. He added that performance indicators in environmental, social and economic fields were needed to assess the effectiveness of sustainable tourism efforts. The representative of Thailand said that, to combat the environmental problems of tourism, his country now required waste water treatment plants and garbage incinerators in tourist areas.

During the dialogue portion of the meeting, speakers called for concrete action by the Commission on the use and misuse of pesticides near the coast and in parks. Industry used chemicals to maintain the environment and farming interests used them for agriculture and those chemicals threatened the species that tourists travelled to see, as well as threatened tourism workers and tourists themselves. Another speaker said that the Commission should address the challenge of reaching the investors and developers responsible for private sector funding for tourism development. Others said that industry developers should cover the costs of the additional infrastructure needed to support tourism.

The Commission will meet again at 2 p.m. today to hold its high-level dialogue on tourism and sustainable development.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission on Sustainable Development which is charged with monitoring Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) met this morning to hold its third multi-stakeholder dialogue on sustainable tourism, with participation from representatives of government, industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and trade unions.

Each dialogue follows the same format: opening statements by each of the four groups; two country presentations; and an interactive segment. This morning's dialogue will focus on the coastal impact of tourism. (For further background on the work of the Commission during its current session, see Press Release ENV/DEV/498 issued 16 April.)

Statements

TERRY DeLACY, Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism, spoke on behalf of industry. It was in the coastal systems all over the world that most of the tensions of human endeavour were played out, he said. Most human beings lived in coastal regions, most trade and commerce occurred there, and much of industry as well. But, also, coasts were the most beautiful areas. Further, they had immense environmental and ecosystem values and functions. Many of the world's fish bred there, and wetlands were habitats for migratory birds.

The issue was rarely tourism development versus no development, he said. Rather, it was often tourism development versus industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and residential development. Tourism generated more jobs, more local small business, was less polluting and less consumptive of biological resources than alternative land uses. Further, the tourism industry was in the business of selling beautiful beaches, wetlands, coral reefs, and forests without consuming them.

Tourism commodified environmental values and sent major market signals to protect the environment, he continued. That was particulary important in developing countries, where issues of human development were so important. At the same time, tourism could have tremendously negative impacts aesthetically, environmentally, socially and culturally. That was particularly the case in coastal zones where environments were so fragile.

He then suggested several possible outcomes for the Commission's seventh session. It could sponsor pilot projects to look at integrating Agenda 21 for travel and tourism with local Agenda 21 programmes in important coastal tourism destinations, in both developing and developed countries. Also, it could facilitate funding by international agencies and national governments

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for integrated environmental, social and economic research on best management practices for tourism design, development and management in coastal regions.

He said the Commission should encourage international agencies to develop indicators that could be applied to the coastal zone to measure the environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism and which would allow for more effective tourism planning by government, management by industry and behaviour by tourists. Further, it should encourage international agencies, national governments and industry organizations to fund and otherwise support small- and medium-sized enterprises to implement practices to improve the environment.

JON WHITLOW, International Transport Workers Federation, on behalf of trade unions, said the coastal zones were crucial to local economies and as a food source for local peoples. Tourism in coastal areas had a much wider impact than was readily apparent. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea should be kept in mind in that regard, because its provisions went beyond fishing efforts -- they included tourism activities. Coastal tourism had a grave impact on coastal environments. Tourism could cause social decay in some areas, as well as habitat destruction. Coastal tourist developments should first examine how the development affected the local community and its way of life, as well as its implications for resource allocation, especially water. Future development should be based on environmental, social and economic principles. There should also be a comprehensive impact study before beginning a tourist project.

Of particular concern was the rapid increase of the cruise ship industry, he said. Although the ships sailed under national flags, they often avoided national taxes and regulations. Large cruise ship companies also impeded the development of domestic cruise shipping industries. In a recent case, cruise ships were found to be illegally dumping waste into the oceans. It was found that the violations were so pervasive that the conduct was a regular business practice. That showed a serious weakness in the regulatory regime. There was a need for a well enforced international regulatory system to ensure sustainable behaviour by the cruise ship industry.

JEREMY HARRIS, Mayor of Honolulu, on behalf of local authorities, said the coastal zone housed some of the most sensitive ecosystems on the globe and some of the most biologically productive. Coastal wetlands were the nurseries of the oceans -- with their destruction came the loss of marine fisheries. Coral reefs supported the highest species diversity on the planet, and protected coastlines from erosion from storm surge. The level of tourism activity allowed in an area should be determined by the area's carrying capacity -- defined as the type and amount of tourism that could occur without degrading the local ecological or cultural systems. Regulations should be established and strictly enforced to keep tourism within sustainable bounds.

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He added that, if regulations were to be successful, they must be accompanied by educational programmes for both tourists and local residents, so that both sides understood the importance and rationale of the controls. From a cultural standpoint, coastal tourist development must be designed to enhance the traditional and cultural uses of the shoreline. In that regard, the local community must have the opportunity to benefit economically from tourism activities. Most importantly, for coastal tourism to be sustainable, there must be a shift from a growth-based economic model -- one that required a continual increase in the number of tourists -- to a model that accommodated a limit for tourism development within the carrying capacity of the local environmental and social system.

ATHERTON MARTIN, Dominican Conservation Association, speaking for NGOs, said that most problems stemming from tourism related to conflicting uses and access restrictions. Tourism generated a range of impacts, some obvious and some more subtle. Those included: pollution generation; increased prevalence of drugs, sexually-transmitted diseases and money laundering; and increased property prices and costs of living.

Tourism -- and all development -- must be carefully planned and integrated within existing cultural and environmental constraints and opportunities, he said. Tourism development should be planned by municipal, industrial, agriculture, aquaculture, energy and protection interests, to allow for complementary uses and minimize conflicting activities. Two pilot coastal tourism development projects should be implemented -- in northern and southern areas -- to illustrate integrated planning and be used as teaching sites for all stakeholders and major groups.

All planning should be accompanied by widespread public information dissemination, to foster community stewardship of the natural resource base, protect local culture and promote local ownership, he said. Networking should be facilitated, popular art forms enlisted, and teaching materials prepared for use in formal and informal educational settings.

To implement those recommendations, funds, personnel, information and technology would be needed, he said. Among ways to mobilize resources, the efficiency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) must be improved. Cost and profit-sharing formulas should be agreed upon by all stakeholders. A framework for human, information, technology and infrastructure support must be established. Also, United Nations agencies -- particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) -- should make available information on sustainable development technologies and ways to monitor the impact of tourism. A multi-stakeholder group should be established at the international level, to advise on the planning and implementation of a fully integrated process of coastal development related to tourism. The Commission's non- governmental organization steering committee had accepted responsibility for

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launching that coordinating mechanism, in collaboration with other major groups.

RICHARD KENCHINGTON (Australia) said that, in his country, tourism was important in developing the economy in areas that were isolated or had a stagnant economic base. Also, where fishing communities had collapsed, tourism had become a major means of revitalizing the economy. The carrying capacity of coastal areas was difficult to assess, and it required strategic planning and zoning. Coastal tourism ranged from a simple wilderness area, where visitors could only take pictures, to substantial tourism where infrastructure and resorts were built. The international community should look at existing activities and good practices before instituting new programmes and regulations. Performance indicators in environmental, social and economic fields were needed to assess the effectiveness of sustainable tourism.

SUPHAWIT PIAMPONGSAN (Thailand) said his country had many important natural resources that attracted tourists. Millions were now visiting the long beaches and that was taking a toll on the environment. The impact on coastal areas included degradation of coral reefs due to human contact, and water-quality damage from waste disposal by hotels. To combat those problems, Thailand had now required onsite plants to treat waste water at tourist sites. In coral reef areas, efforts were being made to control boat traffic. Also, modern incineration plants were operating in tourist areas to control garbage disposal. His Government had also instituted a national coral reef preservation strategy. However, a lack of monitoring capacity made it difficult to enforce regulations.

Dialogue

A representative of NGOs said that integrated planning must include the safeguarding of environment and human resources. The fact that those concerns were often left out of the planning process was a source of great concern.

From trade unions, a representative expressed concern about the use and misuse of pesticides near the coast and in parks. Those chemicals threatened the very species that tourists travelled to see, such as the 400 species of butterflies in Ghana's rainforest park. Toxic chemicals also threatened tourism workers and tourists themselves. Industry involved in managing parks used chemicals to maintain the environment and farming interests used them for agriculture. Industry must stop promoting the use of toxic pesticides on developing countries, and the Commission should take practical action on that matter.

The investors and developers responsible for private sector funding for tourism development were absent today, an industry representative said. Investors were a diverse lot; some came from wealthy families and developed

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hotels as a hobby, while others were obscure wealthy individuals. For that reason, it was a challenge to reach them. Governments must work with international hotel groups to encourage all parties to uphold sustainable development practices. The World Bank could be of use in that regard.

Regarding regulatory frameworks and resource mobilization, an NGO representative stressed the need for partnership among voluntary groups, industry, government and community-based organizations. The willingness to implement regulations that might be painful must be demonstrated.

Worldwide, most persons taking coastal holidays were workers from industrialized countries, a trade union representative said. Since coastal tourism was the most pressing issue in tourism, he challenged the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and those of the European Union, in particular, to address holiday planning in the workplace, to change tourist consumer behaviour. Workers from developed countries should be targeted and the Commission should address that directly.

A country representative stressed the importance of addressing coastal pollution caused by land-based activities. While costly, it would help protect tourists and the industry.

On the management of coastal regions, a trade union speaker said tourism in such regions was in some areas seasonal and often limited to only three months. The peak season caused enormous damage to the environment, and employment was a problem because workers could not be hired for the whole year. In Denmark, there were efforts to try to develop other products to attract visitors the whole year. Another union speaker said tourism held important possibilities for the regeneration of local economies -- especially for small port towns and fishing villages where economic activity had slowed. Tourism was also a positive alternative to more damaging industries.

An industry representative said that many tourism companies were actually very small enterprises, often having less then 10 employees. The regulatory process would not reach those businesses and those were often the free riders on the natural resources of a tourist area. To address that, trade associations could encourage small businesses to follow regulations and large companies could refuse to do businesses with those that did not comply with regulations.

Thirty per cent of world tourism was located in the Mediterranean area, said an NGO representative. It was a very important tourist area and the social cost of that was very high. Civil society was often not involved in the formation of tourism policies. There was a need to find mechanisms for participation, especially at the regional and national levels, so that tourism policy could include all actors, especially NGOs.

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There were limits to tourism growth, said a local authority speaker. The quality of culture and environment was diminished by each new tourism project. It was possible to determine the carrying capacity of an area based on the water availability and infrastructure. Unless limits were set, sites would destroy the factors that attracted visitors in the first place.

Summarizing the discussion, the CHAIRMAN said he had not heard disagreement over the idea that geographical areas had real biophysical limits. Also, he had heard agreement that there were cultural limits, beyond which places and communities changed. The judgement on qualitative issues, such as cultural limits, must be made locally. Was there some way to stress the understanding of biophysical limits and the importance of maintaining cultural integrity, while recognizing that judgements on scale must be local and ensuring that regulatory interventions were brought together at the local level? he asked. Perhaps one way to move forward on the Commission's possible recommendation would be to stress that, if one wanted to go into coastal development, there was an integrated way to do it.

From industry, a representative said local intervention must be within the framework of an overall national policy. Other than that, he could agree.

An NGO representative said the way to approach the issue was to agree on an integrated approach to planning. There was no problem with a large number of local interventions. A national mechanism would extract and distil from them. The idea was economic democracy, which meant a sustainable society operating within social and economic limits, but with local groups not feeling marginalized by a process that did not accommodate their views. The national approach was crucial.

The CHAIRMAN said he had heard many say that the ultimate decision must be local. National decisions had to apply to a large number of sites. What was the right balance between national and local? he asked.

The same NGO representative stressed the importance of public awareness and training. The national process and its limits must be complemented by the local capacity to understand biophysical limits and the process itself.

An industry representative said that was how he saw the integration of Agenda 21 for travel and tourism process -- which established global, national and regional principles -- with local level Agenda 21, where specifics could be taken into account. Regarding biophysical limits, the issue of technological development should be taken into account.

The CHAIRMAN agreed that limits were based on current knowledge, which could be changed by many factors, including technological change.

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A government representative said that carrying capacity must be set at the local level. The determination of models could differ from one community to the next, within the national context. The issue was a local one; the values were local and the carrying capacity must be established locally.

The CHAIRMAN said participants were looking for national policies that guaranteed a process for local determination. He wanted the language to be specific and relate to coastal zones, which were the most complex areas.

From trade unions, a speaker said that the importance of the coastal zone sometimes meant that decisions affecting it should be determined nationally. There was need to look at the issue from the international, regional and local levels. At the national level, a framework was needed to empower and build the capacity of local authorities, but that must not detract from international and national standards.

A country representative cautioned that there had been occasions where local government became a primary driving force for tourism development, impelled by the land tax effect. The more an area was developed, the more land prices rose. Caution was needed. Often, people who lived near a natural asset were divided into those who wanted to exploit the area to the greatest extent possible, and those that did not.

An industry speaker said that private land ownership meant restricting land from public access. The Commission should address the problem of restricting areas to public access and increase ways of promoting tourism year-round.

An NGO representative said a European initiative called the Blue Flag Campaign tried to promote sustainable practices in coastal areas by awarding efforts in water quality management, building environmental management infrastructure, and providing educational information. She encouraged other groups to participate in the initiative.

An industry speaker said international financial organizations could play a key role in monitoring developments that they finance, to ensure they were environmentally-friendly. A country representative stressed the need for regulatory frameworks to keep pace with tourism development. Such development must be accompanied by appropriate environmental policies.

Concerning the use of flags of convenience by cruise ships to avoid internationally agreed standards of pollution on the high seas, an industry speaker said there were no cruise line representatives present, but the use of flags of convenience was a standard operation in international shipping. Focusing on eliminating flags of convenience was a different issue than encouraging cruise ships to adopt sustainable practices, he said.

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Speakers from the NGOs and from local authorities endorsed the views expressed by trade unions.

A representative of the World Tourism Organization said sustainable tourism indicators were a priority for his organization. If the goal was ever to be achieved, a method to measure progress in moving towards sustainability was needed. Several years back the World Trade Organization had published a guide, which included core indicators applicable to all areas, and site- specific indicators, relating to economic, social and other aspects. Also, a series of regional workshops were being held.

An industry representative stressed that, unless industry was involved in formulating indicators, there would be no progress. Indicators must incorporate enterprise indicators for sustainability. Developing indicators must be a multi-stakeholder initiative.

The World Trade Organization representative responded that private sector actors were invited to attend the regional workshops, as were local authorities. That was in recognition of the fact that indicators must be applied not only at the destination level, but also at the company level.

Another industry representative said the European Environment Agency had invited stakeholders to examine possible indicators for specific areas. In the course of looking at such issues as clean water, it had become evident that determining the percentage of effects due to tourism alone was not possible. That multi-stakeholder group had recommended that indicators focus on processes and efforts -- on who was doing what.

Sustainable tourism depended upon the extent to which the energy source powering the tourism plant was sustainable, an NGO representative said. Waste management, energy and transportation systems must all be taken into account. Indicator systems had to be as holistic as the overall goal of sustainable development.

A country representative said NGOs seemed to think that governments should establish indicators. Based on national experience, it seemed inevitable that sustainable development should form part of an overall process involving the State, local authorities, civil society and NGOs. Sustainable tourism must take into account environmental quality, the social factor, the economy and ethics -- or the philosophical dimension.

Ghana was developing its tourism industry to alleviate rural poverty, that country's representative said. The Commission should not worry, as the comments made by the representative of trade unions regarding use of pesticides in Ghana were not valid. The country would be making its tourism industry sustainable.

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A number of statements were made on the topic of infrastructure construction and subsidies. A representative of local authorities said that cities often found their roads were gridlocked and infrastructure was overwhelmed by tourist developments. Industry developers should carry the full capital costs necessary to sustain their development, both on the site and in the broader area. Without such financial control, local authorities found themselves in an untenable situation.

An industry speaker, however, said the issue was very complicated and many cities had an incentive to pay for infrastructure themselves, to encourage development. Industry did not believe it should be completely responsible for infrastructure. But, it was not suggesting that industry should not pay its fair share.

In response, a local authority speaker said government should not be relieved of its responsibility for infrastructure, but the costs should be shared. What should be avoided was the deterioration of public areas. Industry should help pay for the upkeep of those public areas, because they were involved in the deterioration.

An NGO representative said the discussions should keep in mind that government subsidies for industry often meant a huge public debt that local people had to pay.

The CHAIRMAN said that one possible conclusion of the discussion was that, if there was any public subsidy for tourism, that subsidy should be understood by the community. The local community needed to know what they were sponsoring.

A trade union representative said that tax systems could ensure that undue hardships were not placed on the people for infrastructure development.

An NGO representative said that multi-stakeholder involvement should not be only at the planning stage. Rather, profit-sharing formulas must be devised.

A trade union representative said that, for every dollar a fisherman earned, another dollar was earned by processing. Pre-existing fishing rights must be maintained.

Climate change, a local authority said, might seem to have less direct cause and effect on tourism, but it was perhaps the most serious threat to sustainable development, and particularly to coastal areas. There was today conclusive evidence of the human fingerprint on the world's climate chaos. Local governments had been in the forefront of the battle to address that fact. Insurance companies were now recognizing the trend, and promoting solar energy. The issue of climate change must be concretely addressed in the Commission's outcome.

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From the NGOs, a speaker described the impact of tourism in the Mediterranean area, which was based on a massive sun-and-beach model. Various sectors in the region had seen the importance of moving towards a different model and launched a campaign to create awareness among stakeholders on the need to integrate environmental concerns into planning. Recognizing the active role played by tourists, she stressed the need for multi-stakeholder participation.

Another NGO speaker emphasized the need to document best practices and partnerships, and the use of education in coastal areas in creating greater professionalism. The Australian Government's efforts to document best practices on Internet sites and publications was an excellent model to follow.

Workers in the hotel industry relied on seasonal work and tips to survive, a trade union speaker said. He called on industry and local authorities to ensure that local people stayed employed. Governments should provide industry with models of conduct.

Even at the expense of their livelihood, workers would blow the whistle on unsustainable practices, an NGO representative said. When they could not rely on regulations or voluntary guidelines, they would not hesitate to speak up. Regrettably, Canada had declined to pass protective measures for whistle- blowers, but she hoped the issue would be reconsidered.

There was no lack of regulations in the Caribbean, a speaker from industry said. Rather, the problems had to do with enforcement and lack of funding to implement environmental improvements, such as sewage plants. The Commission should encourage international agencies and others to make funds available.

Concluding Statements

An industry representative stressed that tourism's economic, social and ecological aspects should be part of development planning. The process should ultimately devolve to local governments within a multi-stakeholder process, and ideally within the framework of a national policy. Agenda 21 for travel and tourism should be integrated with the local Agenda 21. The Commission should encourage funding from national and regional development bodies and agencies, to sponsor pilot projects undertaken by partners in Agenda 21 for tourism in coastal destinations. Those projects would seek to develop models in the sustainable development of tourism.

The representative of trade unions expressed pleasure with the level of agreement in certain areas, such as the multi-stakeholder approach as a key to sustainable development, the role of local authorities in the framework of national and international law, and that voluntary initiatives must fit into the context of an agreement. The proposal for artists and musicians had been

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taken up, there would be attention to cruise ships, and the movement was pleased to participate in the Dodo educational campaign. Some challenges had not been addressed, such as that of focusing efforts on shaping holiday planning, and the request for worker participation at all stages. The trade unions had met with a mix of success and lack of success during the dialogue, which was a pattern to which it was accustomed.

On behalf of local government, a speaker supported industry's proposal for the international community's support for the pilot project programme. Governments should be invited to classify their coastal areas, detailing those that were particularly sensitive and setting aside for perpetuity those that were unique. Further, tourism industry should minimize the impact of projects, by using sustainable techniques. Further, tourism developers should be responsible for the costs resulting from their projects, and there should be regulations to reinforce carrying capacity determinations made at the local level. The Commission should invite industry to design programmes in a way that enhanced traditional uses of shoreline, regenerated coastal areas and allowed the local community to benefit. Those efforts must be undertaken by multiple stakeholders, and led by local authorities.

An NGO representative said his group had put forward some proposals that had received support, such as pilot projects, which could be a demonstration and training opportunity for policy makers and other actors. Regarding financing and resources, he expressed concern that there had not been full recognition of the "hidden cost phenomenon". The finance mobilization costs must be considered. For any of the proposals put forth today to work, people must know what was happening. A broad-based coordinating mechanism was needed. The NGOs had proposed to take the lead in establishing such a framework.

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