Resort water shortages causing pollution, degradation, disease and death

Not a lot for locals to drink because tourists are washing in it

New report reveals massive water inequity between tourism and locals

A report launched last night at the UK House of Parliament by Tourism Concern revealed the stark inequities of water access and consumption between tourist resorts and local people in developing countries.

Water Equity in Tourism – A Human Right, A Global Responsibility, demands concerted action by governments and the tourism sector to protect community water rights over tourist luxury.

Featuring research from Bali, The Gambia, Zanzibar, and Goa and Kerala, south India, the report finds that the unsustainable appropriation, depletion and pollution of water by poorly regulated tourism are threatening the environment, while undermining living standards, livelihoods and development opportunities of impoverished local communities.

These communities often remain excluded from the benefits of tourism, but also include small businesses trying to earn a living from the sector in a context where government policies tend to favour international hotels and tour operators over local entrepreneurs. This scenario is leading to social conflict and resentment, while threatening the sustainability of the tourism sector itself.

In Zanzibar: Luxury hotels consume up to 3,195 litres of water per room per day; average household consumption – 93.2 litres of water per day. Guards patrol hotel pipelines to prevent vandalism by angry locals. A power cut led to a cholera outbreak in which at least four villagers died after consuming well water thought to have become contaminated with sewage from nearby hotels.

In Goa, India: One five-star resort consumes some 1785 litres of water per guest per day; a neighbouring resident consumes just 14 litres of water per day. Community wells are being abandoned due to contamination and declining water tables.

In Kerala, India: Sewage and fuel from mushrooming numbers of tourist houseboats are polluting Kerala’s intricate system of backwaters, affecting fish catches and livelihoods, and forcing communities to increasingly depend upon limited and erratic piped supplies.

In Bali, Indonesia: Bali’s iconic rice paddies are being lost at a rate of 1000 hectares a year due to spiralling land prices and the diversion of water to coastal resorts, threatening a water and food crisis. Despite being a ‘tourist paradise’, diarrhoea prevalence remains above the national average.

In The Gambia: Women rise at 4am to queue for hours at water standpipes. Most hotels have private boreholes and pumps to ensure a constant water supply, but fail to pay for what they consume, despite the desperate need to finance improvements to public water infrastructure.

The benefits of tourism-related jobs and economic growth are grossly undermined where governments fail to protect water rights and the environment from the impacts of poorly planned tourism development", said Rachel Noble, Head of Policy and Research at Tourism Concern.

"Hotels and tour operators also have a clear responsibility to respect human rights in their operations and supply chains. It’s time for the sector to take responsibility for its water use and address the wider impacts of its consumption beyond the hotel walls", says Noble. "The UK Government needs to provide clear guidance to UK-based tourism businesses in this regard".

The report offers nine Principles of Water Equity in Tourism for governments, the tourism sector and civil society, as well as detailed recommendations for each set of stakeholders.
Download the full report here
See the WET Principles here:
See the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights here
See water saving tips for tourists here

Valere Tjolle

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