Tourism - a major generator of solid waste

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From the course by University of Copenhagen

Sustainable Tourism – promoting environmental public health

95 ratings

University of Copenhagen

Sustainable Tourism – promoting environmental public health

95 ratings

The MOOC introduces learners to key environmental health and natural resources management challenges associated with the rapid growth in international tourist arrivals into low-income countries. Since infrastructural and regulatory capacities in such countries are often limited they are more exposed to the negative implications of such development. The MOOC will present experiences and potential avenues to develop a more sustainable form of tourism. The Course particularly focuses on the problems and potentials of tourism development in small island states in tropical and sub-tropical settings and highlights the challenges of such development on vulnerable ecosystems. It also highlights how tourism development in Zanzibar results in increased pressure on its marine environment, solid waste management, water resources and control of mosquitoes. These factors will be used as tracers of impacts and areas for future improvement towards a more sustainable form of tourism. The Course topics also relate to a number of targets under the global Sustainable Development Goals connected especially to Goals 3: “good health and well-being”, 6: “clean water and sanitation”, 14: “life below water” and 17: “partnerships”. Thus, the Course is a continuation of the efforts and discussions raised as part of the 2017 international year of sustainable tourism. A diversity of perspectives and areas of expertise will be presented by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, State University of Zanzibar, representatives from the hotel sector and international experts in specific areas of sustainable tourism.

From the lesson

PROMOTING THE ENVIRONMENT

The general challenges of managing solid waste generation by the tourist sector will be highlighted and examples provided to explain the scope of the problem. The extent and nature of the obstacles associated with poor solid waste management linked to the tourist sector on Zanzibar will be discussed focusing on the environmental health impacts of waste generation. Policies and private sector initiatives taken to improve waste management will be presented. In particular, environmental management interventions aimed at mosquito control at resorts will be highlighted as an example of how to develop a more sustainable tourist sector.

Tourism - a major generator of solid waste5:50

Meet the Instructors

Flemming Konradsen
Professor, Director
Copenhagen School of Global Health

Estimated average waste generated per capita per day in an OECD country is around 2.2 kg.

In comparison, the average is about 0.65 kg per person per day in Africa.

Unfortunately, tourists from OECD countries either holidaying or on business trips to,

for example Africa, bring with them demands and

the lifestyle that replicate the waste generation from their native country.

Not only the volume of waste follows the tourist but also its composition.

In a low income country,

typical solid waste is made up of

60 to 70 percent organic material and the rest, non-organic.

In the case of Zanzibar,

organic composition has traditionally been as high as 80 percent.

However, the composition of solid waste typical for

OECD countries will be only 25 to 30 percent organic waste,

with the rest being paper,

plastic, glass, metal, and et cetera.

This high volume of non-organic waste will follow

the tourist and show up in the waste statistics of tourist destinations,

challenging the traditional organic based waste handling system there.

This is especially true for rural tourist destinations,

including fishing and agricultural communities,

where the waste generation by the tourist with

a more urban and high income lifestyle does not match the infrastructure,

business models, and policies governing the local solid waste management practices.

The difference in volume of solid waste generated by different groups of

tourists was highlighted in a study from a rural tourist destination in Kerala in India.

The study documented the daily per capita waste

generated by foreign tourists to be 5.5 Kg,

while the daily average of a domestic Indian tourist was 3.5Kg.

This stands in contrast to the around 0.5 Kg

of solid waste generated by local residents in the same area.

Poorly managed waste impact human health as well as the local and global environment.

A study from Pahalgam,

a small tourist destination in India,

found the tourist sector to be the major generator of solid waste.

The study found a strong correlation between

poor waste management and degrading surface water quality,

with an increase in the occurrence of water related diseases at the peak tourist season.

Another study from tourist destinations in Langkawi Islands in Malaysia,

also found that inadequate management of

solid waste increase the spread of mosquito born diseases,

as well as runoff from dumpsites resulting in organic and inorganic materials

entering the waterways with

unknown effects on the health of the population and ecosystem.

Historically, public health concerns have been

the basis for establishing Solid Waste Management Systems.

Solid waste that is not properly collected and disposed of can be a habitat for insects.

Such insects may act as vectors of disease and will

increase the number of rats and other scavenging animals in a community.

Environmental health risk also include contamination of groundwater and

surface water by leakage from an unregulated dumpsites,

causing water related diseases.

The particles from incomplete burning of waste will reduce

the air quality and impact upon the health of the local population.

Surveys conducted by the UN Habitat

shows that in areas where waste is not collected frequently,

the incidence of diarrhea are twice

as high and acute respiratory infections six

times as high compared to areas where collection is frequent.

The United Nations Environmental Program, UNEP,

estimates that around 14 percent of

all global solid waste is produced each year solely by the tourist industry.

To make matters more difficult,

much of the waste is generated in a context where

the capacity to manage waste is insufficient.

A strategy of building a stronger integrated Solid Waste Management System at

tourist destinations would follow

the generally accepted hierarchy of waste management priorities as shown here.

The most preferred option is for hotels,

tour operators, and destinations to reduce the quantity of waste being generated.

The second priority is to recycle or recover material from

waste to be reused in the manufacturing of new products.

For the organic waste,

some hotels, including on Zanzibar,

have succeeded in establishing a compositing system and

small biogas facilities to generate energy

or to use organic waste as an input for horticultural processes.

As a last option,

solid waste will have to enter controlled dumpsites,

or landfills, or be incinerated under control conditions.

Obviously, an integrated and comprehensive Solid Waste Management System

will be costly to establish.

However, World Bank review found that the downstream costs were much

higher than the cost of managing waste in a proper way to begin with.

In addition, such a system will create jobs in the local waste management sector,

protect the future of the tourist industry,

and protect the environment and the health of the communities.

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