CLIMATE CHANGE TO CHANGE TOURISM FOREVER
“Even if we mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to the foreseen weather alterations – tourism’s geography will shortly change forever†Said Valere Tjolle author of the VISION/TOTEM Sustainable Tourism Report 2008.
For the first time, the Climate Change section of the report combines the findings of the UNWTO Davos meetings, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Oxford University seminar on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector.
The IPCC avers that “The overwhelming majority of scientists agree that atmospheric concentrations of GreenHouse Gases in 2005 exceeded by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years…the net effect of human activities has been one of warming.â€
The UNWTO has adopted the Davos agreement calling for specific actions by governments, the tourism industry, by consumers and by researchers.
Predictions include:
• Up to 250m people will be threatened by water stress in Africa
• The Great Barrier Reef will be threatened in Australia
• Coastal areas will be subject to increased flooding in Asia
• Very, very hot drought conditions in Southern Europe
• Glacier retreat in Northern Europe
• Gradual replacement of tropical forest by savannah in Latin America
• Coastal communities will be stressed by pollution in North America
• Both polar regions threatened
Winter sports holidays will be threatened by the melting glaciers, beach holidays will be threatened by drought and heat waves.
The Davos agreement has sought to put actions in place to:
• Mitigate emissions from tourism activity
• Adapt tourism to changing climate
• Apply new technologies to improve energy efficiency
• Source mney for poorer nations to adapt and mitigate
The challenges and the course of the agreements is fully outlined in the VISION/TOTEM Sustainable Tourism Report 2008. Now published at UK£100, US$200, Euro140
For further information, and to purchase your copy contact [email protected]
Valere
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