Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Although there will always be a proportion of operators who are disinterested in
contributing to, or participating in, TFCA activities, if even a minority of opera-
tors were to change their business practices, it is likely that significant additional
positive local economic impact will follow.
In conclusion, it can be seen from the survey results presented above that the
tourism industry as it currently operates already contributes to economic growth,
revenue generation, government tax revenues and job creation within the KAZA
region. However, the KAZA countries are characterized by high levels of inequal-
ity and poverty - where 25-66 per cent of the population live on less than $US1
per day, and between 55 and 90 per cent live on less than $US2 per day (World
Bank/UNDP, 2005). Within the KAZA region, much of the population is rural,
reliant on rainfed agriculture, often food insecure and with inadequate access to
infrastructure and government services. In the region covered by this survey, the
total population is in excess of 1 million people (GeoHive, 2005). In 2004,
approximately 5500 people were employed in the tourism industry - just 0.5 per
cent of the population. Assuming that each employee provides support to one
household, the indirect impact rises to around 5 per cent of the population. It
would be expected that with the anticipated continued growth in the tourism
industry, combined with a widespread adoption of sustainable tourism principles
as outlined above, the industry could make an important contribution to achiev-
ing the economic development and poverty alleviation objectives of the KAZA
TFCA - particularly as very few alternative development programmes currently
exist in the region. However, this contribution should be neither over- nor under-
emphasized; sustainable tourism development should be recognized as one
element of a suite of development strategies that are required to overcome poverty
and stagnant economies in the region. Given that the majority of residents within
the KAZA region are reliant on subsistence agriculture, consideration should also
be taken of implementing programmes to improve the efficiency and sustainabil-
ity of resource use within agriculture and pastoralism, while increasing
production and productivity levels in those sectors.
Notes
1
This research was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
through the Transfrontier Conservation Unit of Conservation International, South
Africa.
2
More detailed results are available in Suich et al, 2005.
References
Anon. (2003) 'Minutes of the Meeting of Ministers responsible for tourism in Angola,
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe on the Okavango Upper Zambezi Tourism
Initiative (OUZIT)'. Katima Mulilo, Namibia, 24 July
Search WWH ::




Custom Search