Sustainable tourism: a valid remedy against climate change impact in every context. The Svalbard and Kiribati archipelagos

Abstract

Climate change, with relevant global warming, has a deep and global impact on environment but the consequences on local populations and respective economic activity may differ in a significant way depending on the dissimilar socio-economic conditions. This study compares the conspicuous effect that this change of natural conditions has on two archipelagos placed in extreme latitudes. Regardless of latitude, the impact on the environment is important, conditioning significantly the landscape and the usual natural life of animals and human being. The possibility to cope with those consequences are dramatically limited for the underdeveloped population of Kiribati. Due to its coral nature this archipelago risks to be flooded and disappear with few meters of increase in sea level together with the very basic activities that the population has adopted as a mean of subsistence (fishing and agriculture). Because of this situation, the Kiribati population is seriously facing the disappearing of his Country together with his cultural identity and is considering the mass exodus in other safer areas to survive. The wealthier population of Svalbard has the possibility to defend themselves and their archipelago with the substantial help of the international community but, at the same time, they risk having their historical landscape and culture deeply influenced by the economic interests that the warmer climate can offer. For both populations the sustainable tourism has been in the last period an alternative activity to traditional economy. This study proposes to adopt the sustainable tourism as a valid instrument to help local populations defending themselves, their culture, and their country against the disruptive effects of climate changes.

Keywords

• climate change
• environmental risk
• sustainable tourism
• protection
• development
• kiribati
• svalbard