Geoscience Reference
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Trail creation is highly destructive to the fragile afro-alpine fl ora which
takes very long to recover. Trail creation occurs because of some tourists
avoiding well established trails on the mountain. On Mt. Kenya, littering
causes pollution which is endangering wild animals and the surrounding
natural forest, one of the few natural forests left in the world. Within four
days only, a group of four mountain climbers can on average generate 20
kilogrammes of rubbish most of which is scattered on the mountainside
(Wilson 2011).
Human encroachment activities in Mt. Kenya National Park have also
adversely affected tourist resources of the mountain. In the Lower Forest
Reserve, human interference has been very serious in the past. Human
pressure from poor but rapidly growing population has been increasing.
Poaching, illegal fi rewood collection, destructive honey harvesting and
illegal hunting for bush meat are major threats to the mountain ecosystem
and its rich biodiversity (Bussmann 1996). The effect of this wanton
destruction of the mountain's natural resources has been the disruption
of wildlife habitats, diminishing of biodiversity, and impairment of
water catchment and retarded vegetation growth which has slowed the
development of mountain tourism (Bussmann 1996, Mburu 2010).
Sustainable mountain tourism in Kenya
In order for the development of mountain or alpine tourism to succeed, the
idea of sustainable development in mountain areas must be considered. The
concept of sustainable development grew out of the limits to growth debate
of the early 1970s. This debate was anchored on the issue of whether or not
continuing economic growth would ultimately lead to severe degradation
and societal collapse on a global scale. By the late 70s, it was obvious that
economic development could not be sustained without the conservation of
the environment. As Hunter and Green (1995) have observed, sustainable
development constitutes a key element for the management of tourism that
integrates concern for natural, built and cultural environment. Sustainable
development is a multidimensional concept embracing essentially three
dimensions or pillars: economic, social, and environmental sustainability
(Ngunyi 2009).
The offi cial use of the term sustainable development can be traced to
1987 when it received international recognition. In that year, the Brundtland
Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable
development as “development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs'' (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).
Sustainable tourism is defi ned as '' tourism developed and maintained in
an area in such a manner and such a scale that it remains viable over an
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