Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Oceans are essential to all three pillars of sustainable development – economic development, social development, and environmental protection. They cover 71 percent of our planet’s surface and make up 95 percent of all the space available to life. They support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

While the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stresses that tourism “has the potential to contribute, directly or indirectly” to all of the SDGs, they only cherry pick a few of them, including oceans: “Tourism development must be a part of integrated Coastal Zone Management in order to help conserve and preserve fragile ecosystems and serve as a vehicle to promote the blue economy, in line with target 14.7: “By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.”

However, UNWTO’s “trickle down” approach is not adequate to deal with the range of impacts tourism has on coastal areas and the oceans, through climate change, pollution and man-made destruction. Oceans and coasts are at the heart of tourism, eighty percent of all tourism takes place in coastal areas. The sector therefore has a special responsibility to safeguard both high seas and coastal areas.

The High Seas
The high seas are the 64 percent of the oceans lying beyond coastal waters. They are international waters, for which regulations exist, which are hardly enforced. Tourism plays a role in a number of threats the high seas face.

The atmosphere affects oceans, and vice versa. Air temperature rises, oceans absorb the heat and warm up. This higher temperature makes water expand and ice caps melt, with higher sea levels and more tropical storms as a result. Oceans also regulate the climate by absorbing CO2, which, by lowering the pH, causes acidification and de-oxygenation. Thus the oceans slowly suffocate, which is a threat to marine wildlife and all other life on the planet, since the oceans generate half of the oxygen on earth.

Tourism contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions produced by aviation (>> Goal 13) and cruise ships. These huge cruise ships, with up to 4,000 passengers plus crew (and sometimes even more), are also a major source of marine pollution.

Coastal Areas
183 countries have coastlines, 37 per cent of the world’s population live in coastal communities and most of the commodities extracted from the ocean come from coastal regions. The coasts are not only where the sea meets the land, but also where water from the land enters the ocean. The beaches, estuaries, dune systems, mangroves, marshes, lagoons, swamps, reefs, etc. are two-way streets, all with their own value – ecologically, socially and economically. Tourism impacts coastal areas in several ways.

Rising sea levels and stronger storms have irreversible effects on the sensitive coastal ecosystems and major implications for their social and economic fabric. Climate change causes loss of protective ecosystems like coastal wetlands that protect shores from flooding. Thus touristic coasts becoming dangerous areas, as the 2004 Tsunami showed.

Higher sea levels will also mean less space for tourists at the beach. This however is only the least of the problems. Stronger storms and higher sea levels increase the rate of coastal erosion and threaten all lower lying land. Not only touristic beaches and marine ecosystems are being destroyed, but entire cities come under threat (Barcelona, New York City, Venice), which will also lead to a loss of tourist attractions.

Special attention needs to be paid to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which often depend on both their coasts and tourism. The number of international tourists visiting SIDS destinations has increased significantly and reached more than 43 million in 2015. Tourism accounts for over 40 percent of the export value in half the SIDS.

Eighty percent of marine pollution comes from land through sewage drains and rivers, dumping of toxic chemicals like fertilizers (causing eutrophication and algal bloom that destroy marine life) and dumping of garbage like plastic bags, glass bottles, or packaging material. Tourists and tourism businesses generate a lot of this waste which not only comes back to shore, polluting beaches, but also finds its way into our food chain.

Destruction of coastal areas by development of tourism infrastructure
The development of coastal tourism infrastructure threatens vulnerable marine ecosystems. There are numerous examples of mangroves, corals, marshes and sea grass meadows having been removed for the construction of hotels or to create open beaches, piers, and other structures.

After tourism facilities have been built as close as possible to the water, they then need artificial coastal protection like dykes and dams which disrupt the natural coastal dynamics and threaten ecosystems like mangroves and marshes.

Effects of activities and behaviour of tourists
After the construction of tourism infrastructure the tourists arrive, who bathe, dive, snorkel, fish, boat and collect marine souvenirs, with an impact on coastal areas, especially when these activities lead to overconsumption and overfishing.

The scarcity of clean drinking water, the lack of water purification systems and the relatively high consumption of water at tourism facilities (not only hotels, but also golf courses etc.) are especially problematic in delicate, fragile coastal ecosystems.

Impacts on coastal communities
Tourism development and the resulting influx of tourists affect the coasts not only ecologically, but also have effects on the social, cultural and economic fabric of coastal communities.

Through conversion of land use and destruction of ecosystems, habitats are lost for people, flora and fauna. Traditional activities of harvesting food and other resources from the shoreline and the sea become impossible. Local communities are often denied access to their (communal) lands, to their beaches, or in the worst case they are evicted.

Tourism resorts and hotels put a tremendous strain on land, local resources and infrastructure. Land grabbing (in this case of coastal lands also known as ocean grabbing) is a serious human rights violation as it excludes communities from the coast near their fishing grounds and therefore puts in jeopardy their livelihoods and survival. Concentrated in rather confined areas, the impact of a massive influx of tourists badly affects the lives of local people, not only in small coastal villages, but also in big coastal cities like Venice and Barcelona (>> Goal 11). Although the authenticity of these communities often is their core capital, tourism can leave them impoverished and their culture, environment and livelihoods endangered. One particular concern is the rise of prostitution (and invariably, sexual exploitation of children >> Goal 16 Violence Against Children) around cruise ports.

These effects combined can lead to serious violations of human rights, such as the right to territory, education, health services, and food security, and also undermine the respective SDGs.

The World Bank and the United Nations have urged for action to be taken to reverse the negative trends regarding the oceans and coasts for more than 25 years, for example at the Earth Summit in Rio and its Agenda 21. Implementation is long overdue. Global strategies on emissions reductions are urgently needed, especially related to bunker fuels in international aviation and cruises.

When developing tourism, marine and coastal areas should be protected, left intact and managed as ecosystems. Construction close to the shore should be prohibited and no construction should happen without proper management of water, sewage and waste. Educating tourists and especially people doing water sports may contribute to reducing impacts on ecosystems.

Safeguarding the livelihood of coastal communities needs to be given priority over the interests of tourists and tourism businesses, with strategies for the sustainable use of marine resources, including for small-scale artisanal fisheries. Tourism should support food security and social equity. Meaningful linkages with coastal economic sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and services can significantly increase local value added.

Any tourism development must start with codetermination and the participation of local communities. Research and capacity building help to build on local knowledge and develop innovative solutions.

Subsidies for bunker fuels and the most damaging modes of transport and sources of energy must be abolished. Prices must reflect the real costs, including social and ecological costs.

Appropriate coordinating mechanisms for integrated policies and international cooperation and coordination need to be established or strengthened. Effective governance structures need to set goals with realistic and applicable criteria and monitoring. International cooperation can help guarantee sustainable development of the areas beyond national jurisdiction, including international waters, and needs to be enhanced.

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