Next week, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Union of Concerned Scientist (UCS) will be issuing a new report entitled “Destinations at risk, World Heritage & Tourism in a Changing Climate.” US/ICOMOS was pleased to contribute to the efforts of UCS in the preparation of this important new piece of scholarship.
The report provides an overview of the increasing vulnerability of World Heritage sites to climate change impacts and the potential implications for and of global tourism. It stresses the importance of sound site management practices. Among other topics, the report addresses: (1) impacts of climate change on iconic tourism destinations, (2)how climate change can exacerbate tourism impacts and (3) management practices that need to be put in place.
The report was commissioned in connection with tourism sector activities that will occur at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 22) taking place between 7th and 18th of November 2016 in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was prepared as part of a collaboration between UNEP and the governments of France and the Kingdom of Morocco as parts of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP STP) to provide a series of stimulating, sector focused climate webinars. These webinars will reflect 10YFP STP ambition to promote tools and solutions among decision makers and private sector for greener and more sustainable tourism.
The recommendations of the report will be presented at a webinar, which will also highlight some of case studies that demonstrate the need for the tourism industries and stakeholders to mitigate tourism impacts on the World Heritage Sites in these times of Climate Change. The webinar, entitled World Heritage & Tourism in changing climate, will take place on 26th of May 2016, 14:00-15:00 CEST.
Supporting the Work and Mission of ICOMOS-USA, the U.S. Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites