The study highlights the increasing risks of climate change in the tourism sector, including higher temperatures, severe droughts and floods, sea level rise, snow melting, coral bleaching, and more frequent tropical cyclones. Africa’s tourist potential is almost untapped, with only 3 of worldwide tourism receipts and 5 of global arrivals. This report presents an analysis and review of the implementation and results of the SWITCH Africa Green programme in the sustainable tourism sector.
The link between anthropogenic activities related to tourism and climate change is well established. South Africa’s National Tourism and Climate Change Action Plan highlights the importance of sustainable tourism in the face of the pandemic. However, the sector has been negatively impacted by climate change, with challenges such as species extinction, disruption of tourism aviation, and several tourism activities.
Green tourism in Africa positively impacts biodiversity conservation, ecosystem protection, employment, environmental awareness, cultural preservation, and economic growth. However, the industry heavily relies on foreign goods and services, leading to significant leakages of revenue that could benefit local economies. For instance, a 1 increase in tourism activities worsens the quality of the environment by 1.09. Renewable energy shows promise in addressing these challenges. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the state of tourism in Southern Africa due to the pandemic and the need for sustainable tourism practices.
📹 Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany • FRANCE 24 English
The president of Botswana has threatened to send 20000 elephants to Germany. His comments, appearing in German media, …
Why is tourism a threat to the environment?
The tourism industry has been identified as a significant contributor to environmental degradation, with a range of negative impacts including the depletion of local natural resources, pollution, and waste management issues. These are often the result of excessive consumption in areas where resources are already scarce.
What are the problems with tourism in Africa?
The third edition of “All of My Travel Thoughts” explores the challenges hindering African tourism, including infrastructure deficiencies, security concerns, lack of private-public partnerships, visa policies, limited marketing and promotion, inadequate tourism education and training, and environmental and sustainability issues. Infrastructure deficiencies, such as poor roads, insufficient public transportation, and limited access to reliable utilities, make travel challenging for both domestic and international tourists.
The African Development Bank estimates that Africa needs $170 billion annually to meet its infrastructure demands, with a current funding gap of $68-$108 billion. This lack of investment directly impacts the tourism sector, deterring potential visitors seeking comfort and convenience.
In Nigeria, many attractions and sites with great potential lack basic infrastructure. For example, the Owu Falls in Ilorin, with zero road network, required visitors to use bikes and walk due to the hilly terrain. The government takes up to 70% of the revenue but has nothing to show for. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the growth and success of African tourism.
What is the environmental impact of Africa?
Africa, which is home to 15 percent of the world’s population and a multitude of iconic species, is confronted with a plethora of significant environmental challenges, including land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and heightened vulnerability to climate change. Nevertheless, the region possesses considerable potential for sustainable growth and environmental conservation, and partners are endeavoring to address these pressing concerns.
What are the negative effects of tourism in South Africa?
The tourism industry has been identified as a significant contributor to environmental degradation, with a range of negative impacts including soil erosion, littering, disturbance to wildlife, water pollution, ground trampling, and the overuse of water and energy resources. These issues highlight the need for sustainable management strategies to ensure the conservation of the natural environment and prevent further harm.
What are the 10 negative impacts of tourism in the environment?
Tourism has three main impact areas: overuse, depletion, and competition for resources. Uncontrolled tourism can lead to negative effects such as soil erosion, pollution, habitat loss, endangered species pressure, and forest fire vulnerability. It also strains water resources and forces local populations to compete for critical resources.
Depletion of natural resources is another issue, as tourism development increases consumption in areas already scarce. Water resources, particularly fresh water, are critical for tourism, and overuse can result in water shortages, degradation of supplies, and increased waste water volume. The tourism industry’s overuse of these resources can lead to water shortages and degradation of water supplies, posing a significant threat to the environment.
What is a negative effect of tourism in North Africa?
The tourism industry in North Africa is responsible for a number of environmental concerns, including pollution, the depletion of water resources, and the disruption of habitats.
What is the impact of tourism on the African environment?
Wildlife tourism in Africa has led to an increase in conservation efforts, protection of wildlife from poachers, and education in various African countries. To continue generating income from this industry, it is essential to operate with sustainability and longevity in mind. Tourists are also being educated on the importance of respecting wildlife and their habitats for future generations. To minimize the impact on wildlife tourism, tourists can choose tour operators who value wildlife preservation, adhere to rules and restrictions when interacting with animals, avoid walking safaris in certain regions, do not litter or remove animal material from national parks, and avoid feeding wild animals, as their food is not part of their natural diet. By doing so, they can enjoy their safari while respecting the environment and the livelihoods of locals.
What are the 3 main environmental issues facing Africa?
Africa, the second-largest and second-most populous continent in the world, is facing several pressing environmental issues in 2024. Deforestation is a major contributor to climate change, causing soil erosion, climate change, decreased rainfall, and other unfavorable conditions. The clearing of forest cover for timber and agricultural land, particularly for cocoa production, has led to soil structure changes and disturbed soil particles. The loss of forests also increases the vulnerability of villages, cities, and agricultural fields to floods, particularly during the rainy season.
The African Development Bank’s African Economic Outlook 2022 highlights the continent’s vulnerability to climate change and poor adaptation to climatic shocks. Four African nations, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon, use vast amounts of land to produce about three-quarters of the world’s cocoa. Local communities lose the system that protected them from floods, as forests absorb rainfall, stabilize soils, and release water. The rapid pace of deforestation in Africa leads to flash floods and increased vulnerability to floods, particularly during the rainy season.
What is the main problem facing tourism in East Africa?
Tourism in East Africa faces challenges due to poor infrastructure, inadequate legal frameworks, environmental risks, and limited diversification of tourism products. Infrastructure issues hinder the growth of digital financial economies and sustainable tourism, while weak legal frameworks contribute to increased digital online crime and frauds. Environmental risks, such as climate change and coastal development, threaten dive tourism’s future. Political stability issues and governance challenges limit the industry’s growth and sustainability.
Addressing these factors through improved infrastructure, legal reforms, environmental conservation efforts, and diversification of tourism offerings is crucial for the sustainable development of East Africa’s tourism industry.
What are two negative effects of tourism in Ghana?
Tourism can have negative environmental impacts, such as soil erosion, pollution, habitat loss, and pressure on endangered species. It also affects local land use, social and cultural aspects, and the quality of life for locals. The construction of infrastructures like roads, airports, and tourism facilities can lead to adverse effects, such as soil erosion, pollution, and habitat loss. These effects can gradually destroy the environmental resources that tourism relies on. Therefore, tourism should be approached with caution and sensitivity to the potential negative impacts on local communities.
What is the biggest problem in Africa?
Africa is facing a severe food crisis, with millions at risk of worsening hunger due to conflicts, climate variability, economic slowdowns, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 report, Africa, Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the World Food Programme, states that the continent is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger for 2030.
The report aims to trigger momentum for agrifood systems transformation in Africa, creating more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for people and the planet. In 2022, nearly 282 million people in Africa were undernourished, an increase of 57 million since the pandemic began.
📹 Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany | BBC News
The president of Botswana has threatened to send 20000 elephants to Germany in a dispute over conservation. Earlier this year …
Germany should at first consider growing its forests back to the state of prehistoric times and reintroducing bears and wolves. A German saying is “don’t throw around stones, when you are living in a glass palace”. But the German Government had no problem in shooting Bruno the Bear in 2005 when it was the first bear to remigrate to Germany after more than a century of bearless German forests.
Conservation entities can assist Botswana give some of the elephants to other African countries where elephant populations have been severly reduced. These countries can then repay Botswana over time for those elephants. I believe that would be a better approach to the overpopulation problem rather than trophy hunting.
I have seen a lot of people saying “just spread them around Africa.” Guys, you know Africa is a continent, right? One with massively different climates and local environments. Even in places where there are elephants already, it should be noted these have often already adapted to their specific environments. With that in mind, Botswana’s elephants are adapted to their local environment, and it can’t be taken as a given they’d perform well or mesh with other environments even a few hundred miles from where they live now. Even if they could, that’s another competitor for resources and possibly a danger to local humans and animals. And before someone says “well, it’s the animal’s territory anyway” or something, first of all, I invite you to find a wild animal that’s native to your region, preferably a large one that can get aggressive from time to to time, and invite it into your house, or even let it take over while you can locate. Then you can talk about why others can’t develop areas for their benefit because it would hurt or inconvenience local animals. Second, consider the size of the elephants, their capacity to clear entire acres of foliage (sometimes including farmland people need to live). Consider their ability to total vehicles and destroy buildings out of rage, hunger, curiosity, or sport. Consider the sheer nightmare male elephants turn into during musth. Maybe then, you can understand why local governments would be concerned about importing them, let alone governments where the nations are still industrializing and dealing with large poor populations as well as unrest among local groups for reasons ranging from politics and religion to ethnic tensions and more.
Elephants are not pets. They are wild animals. There’s hunting also in the West. How’s hunting wild pigs in Europe to control its population different from hunting African elephants that are becoming a pest. Environmentalists who care more about animals than humans are not really environmentalists. They are ideologues. Remember, human beings are also part of the environment.
I am not eager to see elephants being shot…but just what does Plan B look like for Botswana otherwise? 130,000 elephants? In a country of only 2.3 million? That is a lot of elephants. How much are YOU willing to pay to keep them around and hunter free? I don’t imagine anybody here would be willing to bet their lives as the Batswana people do…
In Kenya on honeymoon our guide complained constantly about the overpopulation of elephants and the damage they caused. He wanted to lead hunters. I don’t understand the mentality of trophy hunting though. It’s literally like walking into a safari park enclosure and shooting an animal. There’s no skill required. I understand the skills required to track, find and kill something like deer or antelope which can then be eaten but driving up to a heard of giraffe and elephants seems like something fat millionaires would do to make them feel big and powerful.
Morals are difficult once you have to execute population control. Most people don’t understand that culling animals can and must also be a tool if preditors have gone extinct in an area. Elephants are mostly prey as calves. For a country with little Hyena or lions population keeping the elephant numbers in check is only by droughts and tourism does not like sad and dying animals by dehydration so they keep ponds with water all year round, which encourages elephants to mate. Culling might be necessary or allowing droughts to take its course. It should not be done out of cruelty or the fun of it however. Educating tourists and policy makers of the necessity and nature of things is sometimes impossible. We are not used to the harshness of nature anymore.
The EU should ban de import of any kind of hunt trophies or wild animal skins andbones for that matter. There are many countries in Africa where elephants have bern exterminated by poaching and hunting, and as a fundamental piece in the life chain they should be reintroduced, so Botswana could do business with those countrues and export their excess elephants.
Tourism accounts for 20% of Botswana’s economy. Much of that tourism is safari tourism–people want to visit wild areas to see wildlife, particularly elephants. Rather than encouraging more tourism to Botswana by highlighting it has the largest elephant population in the world, the President of Botswana appears to be giving the finger to international efforts to increase ethical tourism. Sustainable practices happen on the ground, ensuring safe corridors for both elephants and humans. Sustainable practices include reforestation efforts, and localized intensified farming to reduce human/elephant conflict. Rather than viewing elephants as a ‘problem’, they are a precious resource that could help ensure economic security for Botswana.
This will upset people but I can sorta see his point. If there is a thriving population in that country how is hunnting them any different than hunnting deer. Both are said to be done for population control. That being said I don’t really like the idea of elephant’s being hunted but like I said I sorta see his point. Please don’t hate me to much for my comment thank you.
What the hell is that guy thinking? Of course they have so much elephants because of conservation efforts. That’s the idea since the population has been decreasing over the past 50 years, if not more. 20,000 animals to send them in a country where they have absolutely no need for them is absurd. The most logical approach would be to translocate some herds in their neighboring countries because of how little they have left. Whatever the issue is, most people will not stand for this and therefore, he’ll risk facing an uproar of the citizens who dislikes the idea of something that is impossible to begin with.
I find it hard to believe that his country would make more money from folks who want to see elephants dead than those who want to see them alive. I know there are a lot of sick people who want to shoot every living animal on the planet, but far more just want a chance to experience seeing them alive in the wild before they’re all gone.
The only shots necessary of an elephant are photographic. Capturing elephants for hunting practice is a cruel idea. isn’t there a place in Africa, outside of Botswana, where they can live? Aren’t humans some of the most troublesome inhabitants? Both elephants and humans are sentient beings. May we learn to live peacefully together.
One thing I am trying to undedstand: • My understanding is that Botswana is relatively underpopulated (humans, which are concentrated around major cities, towns mainly) so should have plenty of land for elephants to roam (even for 130k)? • Or are the habitable areas near human dwellings (not all land is suitable for elephants to live)? • Or are 130k really a huge number (maybe this is the main reason/issue) even for “spacious” Botswana?
Basically he is saying he can’t handle one of the most majestic creatures on earth! Failure at its finest! He admitted he is a failure to his people and to the animals and wants to unload his issues on others countries! Being with so much tech and availability on trade he’s telling u he is not fit to lead a country especially when the animal is more intelligent then a leader! He shamed himself and his country
Botswana government response seems so childish, German had nothing to do with your issue of elephant overpopulation. its like saying China threatening America by sending unemployed immigrant workers because America are banning Chinese imports so now many chinese workers are unemployed causing employment rate issues in China