Staff Reporter
Margao
Raising an alarm over the possible impact of climate change on Goa, a report has said the phenomenon would affect the tourism sector, pointing to rising temperatures and sea levels and increased rainfall as contributing factors.
The report has also suggested adaptation strategies to deal with the impact of climate change.
The report – Goa State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023 – was released last week by the Goa State Biodiversity Board. It has been prepared through the NABARD
Consultancy Services.
The document has pointed to an increasing mean annual temperature and rainfall, and sea level rise as contributing factors to the state’s vulnerability to climate change in various sectors including tourism, transport, energy, agriculture, water
and environment.
Tourism, considered one of the key activities in the state, contributes to more than one fourth of the state’s GDP. The sector is also one of the largest employment providing industries.
The action plan report has observed that climate change will impact tourism activities, adding that infrastructural and system deficiencies will only increase the impact.
“Warmer temperatures can cause heat stress leading to the altered tourist season, tourist time at the beach etc. Increased sea temperature and acidity levels can impact the ecosystem and reduce the attractiveness of the sea for tourists engaging in certain watersports/activities like snorkeling or diving. Sea level rise will lead to the loss of beaches, coastal erosion, and impact the tourist infrastructure and increased high-intensity rainfall events could cause flooding and damage tourist spots and tourist infrastructure like hotels,” the report
has warned.
Changes in water availability, biodiversity loss, reduced landscape aesthetic, altered agricultural production, increased natural hazards, coastal erosion and inundation, damage to infrastructure, and the increasing incidence of vector-borne diseases will all impact tourism to varying degrees, it has pointed out.
The report has also listed 13 adaptation strategies to help mitigate and address climate change concerns in the tourism sector.
These include promotion of community-based agro tourism, inland tourism development in a climate-friendly manner, assessment of tourism infrastructure climate vulnerability, climate proofing and disaster management for critical
tourism infrastructure.
The report has also suggested developing design standards for new tourist infrastructure and providing guidance for modification of existing vulnerable infrastructure.
The document also has sought ban on single-use plastics, and pushed for eco-friendly, recycle/reuse in the sector by facility providers.
Enhance or modify and restructure the insurance for off-coast or water-related tourism activities and infrastructure like boats and ships which are vulnerable to climate change, the report has said.
The document has favoured setting up of extensive infrastructure and use of non-motorised transport by tourists.
A climate friendly tourist mobility plan should be developed, the report has suggested, pushing for green skill and capacity development for tourist service providers.
In the case of environmental clearance for large tourism projects and hotels in Goa, the report has proposed inclusion of climate mitigation and adaptation plan and climate disaster preparedness plan as well reconsideration of the coastal development plan or zone for new constructions based on the climate predictions on sea level rise, flooding and erosion.