Delegates: Senjin Chen and Jing Zheng
School: Access Manhattan
Country: Botswana
Committee: World Tourism Organization
Topic: The Role of Tourism in Global Climate Change
Due to the relationship between tourism and environmental issues like global climate
change, tourism is considered to be a highly climate-sensitive sector as it relates to
agriculture, insurance, energy, and transportation. Currently, climate change is the most
sensitive issue facing the global tourism industry. To open up a dialogue on this issue,
in 2003, the United Nations World Tourism Organization convened the First
International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Djerba, Tunisia. This
conference led to the Djerba Declaration on Tourism and Climate Change, which was
important because it both raised awareness of the interrelationship between tourism and
climate change, and it set up a framework for future action. The conference also
stressed the need for further study of the part tourism plays in contributing to climate
change. The recent political developments around climate change have greatly
increased the activity and complexity of operations in the sustainable development
arena. The finalization of the Kyoto Protocol, along with the future enabling of
emissions trading via the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint
Implementation (JI), present numerous opportunities for developed nations to reduce
emissions and for developing nations both to control emission increases and to level the
development playing field in the process.
Botswana is a small, mostly underdeveloped country, 1.7 million in population, with
little industry, so it creates a very small ecological footprint and does not contribute
significantly to global warming and climate change. However, the possible impacts of
global warming and climate change on Botswana, and subsequently on the various
sectors of the economy, are not difficult to visualize. Already there are signs of
increased temperatures, which could lead to interruption of our water supply, which is
very scarce to begin with due to Botswana’s arid climate and the fact that most of our
landlocked country lies within the Kalahari Desert. Loss of water resources threatens
our important beef industry, and even the tourism industry could be severely impacted
with drying up of the Okavango Delta, our largest tourism region. The water flows into
the Okavango ecosystem are climate-bound, and are therefore likely to be influenced by
global warming and climate change. In addition, the presence of tourists in sensitive
natural areas can have a significant detrimental effect on local wildlife and ecology; for
example, the use of natural resources by the tourism industry may interfere with local
people’s existing livelihood strategies. Also, the use of fossil fuels by airplanes and
other modes of transportation can be damaging to the environment through
environmental contamination and carbon emissions, which contribute to pollution and
global climate change. If these go unchecked, their cumulative effect can lead to
permanent environmental degradation, thereby undermining the viability of the site in
question as a tourist destination.
In this era of climate change, Botswana has established a valuable adaptation strategy
to increase cultural awareness and understanding of tourism through skills training and
by encouraging communities to shift from non-traditional livelihood strategies that are
susceptible to climate change, such as farming and ranching, to taking advantage of
their natural and cultural heritage through ecotourism. We also highlight the importance
of land management by establishing community-based tourism (sustainable rural or
village tourism) in various localities. Since wildlife and nature are key attractions for
tourists, Botswana has consequently moved to help promote and develop 'ecotourism' in
order to protect and preserve its environment. In order to encourage tourism activities
focusing on natural areas to contribute directly to their conservation, fees in Botswana
are multi-tiered so that foreign visitors pay more than do our own citizens, to whom the
resources concerned belong, and who in any case already subsidize the cost of
conservation management through taxes paid to the government. What’s more, we
facilitate the development of tourism infrastructure that minimizes negative impacts
and maximizes the benefits of ecotourism. Fewer foreign tourist visits, generating
higher fees, allow us to realize the revenue we need while protecting the environment
through lower impact on our land and natural resources.
African nations, especially those of Southern Africa, are extremely vulnerable to the
potential negative impacts of climate change, like increased drought and floods and
changing pest and disease patterns. These negative impacts are going to impact us long
before developed nations’ emission reductions can show results. Indications from
reviews of most climate change scenarios show that Botswana is more likely to
experience a warmer and drier climate in the future, which will have a negative impact
on our wildlife and wilderness-based tourism. Botswana has contributed affirmatively
to this issue and ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 8 August 2003. We have also signed on
to the following agreements, demonstrating our country's sense of responsibility with
respect to international environmental concerns:
 Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR Convention 1971)
 The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Flora and Fauna (CITES 1973)
 The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985)
 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987)
 Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
 Convention to Combat Desertification (1994)
 Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage
(1998)
Botswana asserts that African nations should not focus on how to reduce emissions or
concern themselves with the threat of pressures to reduce emissions, concerns which
apply more to conditions in and the responsibilities of the developed world. More
immediate climate change threats to our region, such as deforestation, need greater
attention, and likewise far greater climate change opportunities await us. Even though
developing countries are not really the culprits in destruction of the climate and
environment, the efforts that Botswana has made are nevertheless significant. Still,
many developed countries do not cooperate, and if there is to be a follow up to Kyoto,
those developed countries should be pressured to adhere to the provisions of the Kyoto
treaty. In partnership with other developing countries, we must continue to apply
pressure on the big industrial countries that produce greenhouse gases to obey the
regulations outlined in the Kyoto protocol, while promoting sustainable development at
the same time. Vision 2016, our framework for a long-term vision for Botswana, states
that “By the year 2016, Botswana will be a prosperous, productive and innovative
nation, and its development will be sustainable and will take account of the
preservation of the environment and renewable resources.” We are determined that our
country will continue to be successful in that pursuit and be a vital model for the rest of
Africa and the nations of the developing world. Cooperation at the United Nations on
this crucial matter can be a critical first step in that direction.