Transcript tasmun.org
Ecotourism in Southeast Asia Research Report Update Current Events Update • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration in 2015 • World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has said that eco-tourism is “an industry that could be one of the drivers for economic growth” – Estimates that around 107 million international tourists are expected to visit the Philippines in 2015 • Angela Consuelo S. Ibay, head of the climate change and energy program of WWF-Philippines, said, – “Asia Pacific is really seen as a very, very attractive inbound tourist market. ASEAN will capture 30% of that share in the global market” – “Opportunities abound because of that integration, regional cooperation and sustainable tourism” – Environmentally responsible tourism = key growth goal for a green economy – “As we prepare for ASEAN integration, we should really maximize the use of our resources and maximization should come with the least impact for our environment” • The WWF has three pillars for sustainable tourism: – Natural Asset Protection • Ex: Tubbahataha Reef Natural Park has 300 tons of fish/sq. km – has rangers from surrounding communities actively monitoring the site – Enhanced Visitor Experience • Ex: El Nido – a managed resource protected area famed for its beaches and jungles. Its visitors can engage in a number of activities including watersports and camping – “This enhanced experience can make the tourists come back for more.” – Ms. Ibay – Community Benefit • Ex: Donosol, Sorsogon – famed for its whale sharks – jobs for the local people and businesses have been created • On April 2nd, 2014, at the Travel & Leisure India’s Best Awards, Malaysia received The Best Green Destination (World) 2013 award and Langkawi received the Best Honeymoon Destination Runners-Up award • This is Malaysia’s second consecutive win in the Best Green destination category • Manoharan Periasamy, Director of Tourism in Malayisa, said, “….natural beauty and rainforests are synonymous with Malaysia and to be recognized for this motivates us to intensify our efforts to position Malaysia as a leading ecotourism destination to our guests.” Key Players • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Philippines government has already set its key road map strategies toward AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) integration in 2015 • Involving integration of different industries, small and medium enterprises, and transform manufacturing into a major source of growth and employment • Aimed at building credible institutions, equalizing development opportunities, creating growth drivers and accelerating infrastructure development • World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) • The Philippines – 7,100 islands, megadiverse, thousands of species of plants and animals – Ms. Ibay: Philippines is not investing enough in eco-tourism considering that it has so much to offer; ignorance of good eco-tourism practices often leads to uncontrolled developments such as Boracay and Puerto Galera • The problem there was how the development was made. And there are so many factors to consider – habitat modification, solid waste management and the question of water and how it’s treated • Brunei – A 161-km coastline with vast uninhabited, virgin rainforests – Ms. Ibay: The tourism industry can actually contribute to a country’s economic development and poverty alleviation” Extreme Weather Events due to Climate Change Research Report Update Current Events Update -IPCC: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -updated IPCC Report released on March 25, 2014 IPCC Report 2014 stressed the danger of climate change by linking climate change with the destabilization of nation states Climate change → increases in ill-health in many regions (esp in developing countries with low income) “Climate change can indirectly increase risks of violent conflicts in the form of civil war and inter-group violence by amplifying well-documented drivers of conflicts such as poverty and economic shocks” IPCC Report 2014 climate change impacts: -slow down economic growth -make poverty reduction more difficult -further erode food security -prolong existing and create new poverty traps Key Players The United States creating climate hubs to help farmers respond to extreme weather Congress allowed to develop stricter regulations on carbon emissions Congress passed a long-term farm bill to combat problems caused by extreme weather changes ($100 billion annually over 5 years) Directorate-General for the Environment objective: to protect, preserve, and improve the environment for present and future generations (esp EU citizens) investigates complaints from citizens/ NGOs and take legal action when EU law is thought to be infringed. ensures that member states follow the EU environmental law Australia Australia is placed first in the per capita emissions table (the amount of CO2 emitted for each person in the country) relies heavily on coal burning to power its industry + export coal to China although ratified the Kyoto Protocol Second Commitment, the new government turned its back on international efforts to combat climate change last year China promised, along with the US, to combat climate change by curbing greenhouse gas output through reducing vehicle emissions, improving energy efficiency, etc. The question of ensuring the dissemination of environmentally sound management of electronic waste. Recent Events • 50 tons of E-waste has been found dumped in Ghana every year – E-waste is often illegally dumped in developing countries • Many US states have created E-waste collection sites at schools Possible Blocks • US and Europe – Since E-waste is an environmental problem they want it solved. However, they also do not want it to be left in there countries and disposed of in other (possibly developing) countries. • African nations – These nations want E-waste out of there countries and want it solved so there is no more environmental damage in their countries. They may also look for help to become more developed to manage E-waste as an alternative. Possible Blocks (cont.) • Latin America – These countries are flexible to where the E-waste ends up but they still want it to be managed in a environmentally sound way. • Asian nations – They also want to remove E-waste however do not want EWaste to continue to be sent to there countries illegally (similar to the African nations). However much of electronics are made in Asia where they can work to reuse the E-waste if they want to.