Climate change is redrawing the map of global tourist destinations and threatening the existence of some places.
Rising sea levels and storms, melting glaciers and the degradation of ecosystems put people at risk. areas that, due to their natural beauty, attract millions of visitors annually.
This phenomenon is not only an environmental concern, but also has economic and cultural implications for communities who depend on tourism for their livelihood.
While places like the Maldives, Kilimanjaro, the Pacific Islands, Venice and other destinations face the prospect of disappearing or suffering irreversible damage, it is crucial to understand the connection between climate events and these natural disasters.
An emblematic example of this threat can be seen in the recent floods that devastated the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
This extreme phenomenon, widely attributed to climate changecaused significant loss of lives and property.
The place will also be seen affected by the decrease in tourists, who frequently seek out the Sierra Gaúcha region at this time of year.
In addition to being a warning sign about the vulnerability of coastal and river zonesthe tragedy reinforces the importance of coordinated actions to reduce the effects of global warming.
The relationship between these disasters and climate catastrophes is evidentaccording to experts interviewed by BBC News Brazil.
“We live in a world that is undergoing a very intense transformation process, whether in urban expansion or the use of natural resources. This expansion has greatly altered the environment in the last 100 years,” explains Jean Ometto, researcher at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) of Brazil.
According to Ometto, these changes have a direct impact on ecosystems and human communitiesespecially in regions that depend on environmental balance to maintain their biodiversity and tourism activity.
The bad news is that if public policies are not implemented urgently, the Prognosis for the next few years is not good.
According to a study carried out in 2022 by UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Some glaciers considered world heritage sites will disappear by 2050.
The effects not only apply to glaciers, but also to beaches, islands and mountains from several continents.
We explain below which places will suffer the most.
The Maldives and Pacific islands could disappear
One of the most coveted destinations for tourists who want to enjoy turquoise waters and white sand could disappear in the year 2100.
This is what the projections made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate in relation to the Maldives and other Pacific islands.
According to the report “Ocean, Cryosphere and Sea Level Change”, sea level will rise in 2050 between 0.18 meters – a scenario with low greenhouse gas emissions – and 0.23 meters for a high emissions scenario.
For 2100, the forecast is even more worrying: It could rise between 0.38 meters and 0.77 meters, respectively.
Another study, published in the journal Science Advances and conducted by scientists from the United States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Hawaii, showed that the region could become uninhabitable as early as 2060.
The scientific work also revealed that the Caroline Islands, the Cook Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, the Society Islands, the Spratly Islands, the Seychelles and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands They also run the risk of being submerged in the next forty years.
“What happens is that these islands are very low and susceptible to sea level rise. This elevation is not uniform and There is a height difference between the [océano] Atlantic and Pacific“says Pedro Côrtes, professor at the Institute of Energy and Environment at USP.
The teacher also remembers that the same will happen with French Polynesia, Tuvalu and other Pacific islands.
“Hotter water expands, which facilitates sea level rise. With the pace of climate change, these islands will disappear,” says Ometto.
Venice canals
Another destination that attracts several tourists annually and is susceptible to climate change and a possible disappearance is Venice, in Italy. The city is already suffering from mass tourism, floods and even drought.
In 2023, UNESCO recommended that the Italian region be added to the list of heritage sites in danger. Even with the agency’s warning, the city was left off the list.
The decision was made during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September last year.
“Italy is carrying out work to contain sea level rise, but attempts to implement them have actually been very limited. They may work in the future, but Venice is particularly vulnerable to climate change,” says Paulo Artaxo, member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Winter destinations in danger of extinction
In addition to paradisiacal beaches and islands, in the coming years mountainous regions and winter tourist regions could be affected.
Some ski destinations are already producing artificial snow and they could even close early due to lack of white powder, according to experts.
“Winter tourism could be seriously harmed. It is possible that In a few decades there will no longer be a significant number of glaciers in the extreme south of the American continent,” highlights Côrtes.
“The reduction in snow cover is already affecting ski areas in the United States and the Alps. Melting glaciers mean there is less snow in the seasons. The entire ski industry could disappear“Warns Artaxo.
The UNESCO study, cited at the beginning of the report, also showed that Glaciers at 50 World Heritage sites are retreating at an alarming rate since the 2000s due to CO2 emissions.
These glaciers, among which are some of the most famous on the planet, such as those closest to the Mount Everest and the last one left in Africaare losing 58 billion tons of ice annually.
This loss is equivalent to the annual water consumption of France and Spain combined and contributes almost 5% to global sea level rise.
The report also warns of winter tourist attractions on each continent that could disappear in the coming decades.
These are:
Africa
- Kilimanjaro National Park, in Tanzania and Mount Kenya, in Kenya. These could disappear by 2050.
Asia
- Glaciers in the Three Parallel Rivers Protected Areas of Yunnan, China, show the greatest mass loss compared to the year 2000 (57.2%) and are also the fastest melting glaciers on the list.
- The glaciers of the western Tien-Shan, in the border region between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. They have dropped 27% since the 2000s.
Europe
- The glaciers of the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain.
- The glaciers of the Dolomites in Italy are also at risk of disappearing in the next 25 years.
And in Latin America?
- The glaciers of Los Alerces National Park, in the Patagonia region of Argentina. They have the second largest mass loss compared to the year 2000, corresponding to 45.6%.
- The glaciers in Huascarán National Park, in Peru, have shrunk by 15% since 2000.
North America
- The small glacial areas of Yellowstone National Park, in the United States.
- The glaciers of the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, located on the border between Canada and the United States. These lost 26.5% of their volume in 20 years.
Oceania
- The Te Wahipounamu glaciers in southwestern New Zealand. These glaciers have already lost almost 20% of their volume since the 2000s.
Rising global temperatures and the resulting melting of glaciers not only threaten tourist destinations, but They also directly affect the livelihoods of local communities.
In many mountainous areas, for example, populations depend on meltwater for their daily needs, agriculture and hydroelectric power generation.
“Santiago de Chile, for example, depends on storage in the Andes Mountains to have water available during the summer period. It depends entirely on the snow that has been stored in the mountain range. If this snow stops existing, the city will have problems with water security,” says Artaxo.
Impacts on tourism and population
In the tourism sector, climate change not only affects activities directly related to the ice and snow, such as mountaineering and skiing, but also to the ecosystems and landscapes that attract visitors.
In addition, the lack of water derived from melting ice can cause a shortage of water resources, affecting hotels, resorts and other infrastructure that require drinking water to function.
Other climatic phenomena such as floods, hurricanes and droughts They also generate severe impacts on tourist sites.
The problem also influences the generation of employment in each location, which tends to disappear. In cities and regions that live exclusively on tourism, The entire chain is impacted.
“It certainly affects all sectors, especially if they live solely off of it. This includes tourism agencies, hotels and stores that sell the most diverse products,” says Vitor de Pieri, professor at the Department of Tourism at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. Janeiro (UERJ).
“At the beginning of the year, Chile suffered the largest fire in history and this impacted the native peoples,” adds Pieri.
In the case of Rio Grande do Sul, known for being a winter destination highly sought after by tourists in the months of June and July, the losses were immense.
According to the state’s Secretary of Tourism, Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Júnior, 53% of the state’s public attractions were damaged by the rains. In the private sector the impact was 77%.
“Several destinations such as Vale dos Vinhedos, Garibaldi, Gramado and other tourist regions were affected. All these cities have not been able to receive tourists for a long time,” says Côrtes.
What is the solution?
One of the main measures to stop climate change is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasesmainly responsible for global warming.
This can be achieved by adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, as well as promoting sustainable practices in sectors such as transportation and agriculture.
Furthermore, the adaptation of cities and tourist regions to new climate realities is essential.
“This includes identifying vulnerable areas and developing specific strategies for each type of climate threat,” says the INPE specialist.
Cities that rely heavily on tourism must evaluate their territorial characteristics and identify which areas are most exposed to climatic events.
“A coastal city with coral reefs will face different challenges than an Amazonian city like Manaus, for example,” says the researcher.
The expert also points out that it is essential that local authorities understand the specific threats they facewhether it be rising sea levels, more intense storms or prolonged droughts.
“These climate threats are not homogeneous but heterogeneous,” says Ometto.
From this analysis, nature-based solutions could be implemented, such as reestablishing salt marshes and mangroves, rainwater harvesting, and reforestation.
sponge cities
According to the UERJ professor, Another effective measure is the so-called “sponge cities.”an innovative example of how urban infrastructure can be adapted to address flooding problems.
These cities are reinventing themselves to absorb, store and reuse rainwater, thereby reducing the risk of flooding and improving water resources management.
Implementing similar solutions in tourist areas can help protect both residents and visitors, as well as preserve the natural resources that are the basis of tourism in these regions.
“The authorities, in their different instances, must look for ways to mitigate socio-environmental impacts, protecting citizens from possible risks and preparing tourist destinations for the current climate change, with a lot of planning, understanding the dynamics of nature and investments, especially in places more vulnerable to catastrophes,” concludes Pieri.
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