develop sustainable tourism

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

  The evaluation of the environmental impacts likely to raise from a major project significantly affecting the environment
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

  • It is a process which ensures that all environmental matters are taken into account quite early in the project at the planning process itself
  • It takes into consideration not only technical and economic considerations but also, traditional aspects like impact on local people, biodiversity etc.
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

  • A tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making
  • It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and design, find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the local environment and present the predictions and options to decision-makers
  • By using EIA both environmental and economic benefits can be achieved, such as reduced cost and time of project implementation and design, avoided treatment/clean-up costs and impacts of laws and regulations
• Baseline situation


  The existing environmental situation or condition in the absence of the activity
• EIA - Three core values

  • Integrity: The EIA process should be fair, objective, unbiased and balanced
  • Utility: The EIA process should provide balanced, credible information for decision making
  • Sustainability: The EIA process should result in environmental safeguards
• Process of EIA


  1. Screening

  2. Scoping

  3. Impact Analysis

  4. Mitigation

  5. Reporting

  6. Review

  7. Decision-making

  8. Monitoring
• Economic impact appraisal


  • Evaluate economic benefits relating to travel activity, expenditures, employment, business earnings, profits, and tax revenue
  • Evaluate economic costs based on measuring the current situation and the additional costs that will occur as a result of the planned tourism development, or alternatively, the cost of not making any change
• Examples of economic impact appraisal criteria

  • Foreign exchange earnings
  • Income level changes
  • Changes in employment opportunities
  • Investment changes and multipliers
  • Stimulation of other industries
  • Changes in balance of payments
  • Broadening of taxes
  • Changes to property values
  • Support of conservation activities
  • Stimulation of local entrepreneurship
• Environmental impact appraisal


  • Analyse predicted effects on the environment as a result of a planned tourism project
  • Analyse the degree of impact and change
  • Identify the significance of the changes and impacts
  • Identify ways in which the impacts could be mitigated, ameliorated, or controlled
• Examples of environmental impact appraisal criteria

  • Flora
  • Fauna
  • Water
  • Air
  • Physical damage
  • Carbon monoxide emission from vehicles, boats etc.
  • Loss of fragile species
  • Disturbance to ecological balance
  • Disturbance to habitat
  • Disturbance of regeneration and growth rates
  • Behaviour patterns
  • Reduction in vegetation cover and species diversity
  • Killing / removal of animals
  • Disruption of the predator-prey relationship
  • Reduction in quality of water
  • Contamination of fish and reef life
  • Eutrophication leading to weed growth
• Social impact appraisal


  • Examine the impact on social, cultural and political systems that may be attributed to the impact of tourism
  • Conduct a baseline profile to understand the current impacts of the activity being examined and identify the groups and communities associated with the activity
  • Assess direct impacts of change felt by individuals, groups and firms, the level and nature of potential impacts of the activity, and the range of potential impacts of the proposed changes
  • Assess indirect impacts of a change at the broader level as a result of the impacts felt by those individuals, groups and firms directly associated with the change by using regional profiling, surveys and /or modelling
• Examples of social impact appraisal criteria


  • Changes to economic independence of population groups
  • Displacement of local communities
  • Changes to access to traditional economic domain
  • Changes from traditional occupational structures
  • Changes in land value patterns
  • Changes in living standards
  • Growth of undesirable activities
  • Adoption of foreign values, ideologies and behaviours
  • Changes to value placed on traditional art, music, rituals and ceremonies
  • Changes in attitudes to tourists
• Example: Acceptable thresholds of change for a national sustainable tourism programme in Samoa


  • % of new hotels undertaking environmental impact assessments
  • % of hotels using secondary or tertiary sewage treatment
  • % of tourists participating in nature tourism
  • % of tourist sites passing water quality tests
  • % of hotels composting their biodegradable waste
  • Water usage per guest night in hotels (in litres)
  • Contribution of direct tourism businesses to GDP
  • Proportion of new businesses focused on tourism
  • Proportion of hotel jobs in rural areas
  • Hotel staff participating in training courses
  • Villages included in tourism awareness programmes
  • Proportion of traditional events in Tourism Festivals
  • Proportion of handicraft stalls out of all stalls in markets
  • Tourism operators informing visitors of village protocol
• Conducting an Assessment


  1. Compile Information

  2. Supplement with any additional information

  3. Draw conclusions (impacts/opportunities)

  4. Make decisions but consider: Controllability of impacts, Likelihood of occurrence, Likely duration and magnitude, Breadth, depth and diffusion
• Managing Impacts of Tourism

  • Policy/ Planning (Zones, Regulations, Economic Mechanisms)
  • Development/Construction of Facilities (Project)
  • Management of Resources (Audits, Green Technologies)
  • Management of Visitors (Controlling Visitor Flows)
  • Adapting the Environment (Hardening Sites)
  • Marketing & Promotion (Capacity Controls)
  • Education (Codes of Conduct, Interpretation, Educating Staff)
  • Research & Monitoring (Environmental Quality)
• Protected Area


  • An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means
  • Main objective - limit human interaction and action; neutralise threats to species
• Protected Area


  • They maintain key habitats
  • Provide refuge
  • Allow for species migration and movement
  • Ensure the maintenance of natural processes
  • Provide drinking water for over 1/3 of the world's cities
• Main issues identified in the region for Protected Areas

  • Pressure from other developmental activities
  • Lack of funds for protected area management
  • Managing invasive species
  • Inadequate level of stakeholder involvement (awareness, interest)
• The 2 most common ways of establishing protected areas

  • Government action
  • Private conservation organisations purchasing land
• • 756102 km2 - Total Earth protected
  • 12.9% - land area protected
  • 6.3% - total marine area protected
  • Over 285 Marine Protected Areas in Caribbean (Reef at Risk, 2004)
• Protected Area - Caribbean

  • Terrestrial data vary
  • Area under protection vary from 63.6% (Martinique) to 0.06% (Aruba)
  • T&T has 65 recognised for protected areas (8.5%) e.g. ASA Wright, Caroni Swamp Reserve, Buccoo Reef)
  • Grenada has 31 e.g. Grand Etang National Park, Canoe Bay
  • Jamaica 7 official – 86 recognised for protection e.g. Ocho Rios, MoBay and Negril Marine Parks, Blues and John Crow Mtn
• The six IUCN categories of protected areas

  • Strict Nature Reserve (a) & Wilderness Area (b)
  • National Park
  • Natural Monument or Feature
  • Habitat / Species Management Area
  • Protected Landscape / Seascape
  • Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
• The benefits of protected areas
• The Jamaica Protected Areas Trust Limited (JPAT)

  • A public-private initiative that seeks to protect and enhance Jamaica's natural resources and biodiversity
  • Facilitating engagement, dialogue and partnerships among non-government organizations, the Government of Jamaica, private sector entities, and other stakeholders
  • Monitoring the administration and distribution of conservation funds
  • Assisting in the implementation of Jamaica's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
  • Facilitating technical, managerial and other support to enhance resource management and fulfill obligations under international treaties
  • Helping to produce, market, and distribute information about protected areas
• Protected Areas in Jamaica

  • Negril Marine Park
  • Montego Bay Marine Park
  • Ocho Rios Marine Park
  • Port Antonio Marine Park
  • Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area
  • Mason River Protected Area
  • Black River Morass
  • Royal Palm Reserve
  • Dolphin Head Reserve
  • Cockpit Country Reserve
  • Portland Bight Protected Area
  • Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park
• Jamaica is home to two endemic parrots, the Yellow and Black-billed Parrots. They live mainly in undisturbed forest areas, such as the Cockpit Country in Trelawny and John Crow Mountains in Port
• Endangered Species


  • The Jamaican Iguana - Jamaica's largest native land animal
  • Jamaican Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - the largest butterfly in the Americas
  • The Yellow-billed Parrot
  • The Black-billed Parrot
• Helping to produce, market, and distribute information about protected areas
• Protected Areas in Jamaica

  • Negril Marine Park
  • Montego Bay Marine Park
  • Ocho Rios Marine Park
  • Port Antonio Marine Park
  • Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area
  • Mason River Protected Area
  • Black River Morass
  • Royal Palm Reserve
  • Dolphin Head Reserve
  • Cockpit Country Reserve
  • Portland Bight Protected Area
  • Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park
• Prepared by: Bennie Watson, 2020
• What do you know about Jamaica's wildlife?
• Endemic


  Species native to a particular geographic location
• Identify these Endangered Species
• The Jamaican Iguana


  • Jamaica's largest native land animal
• Jamaican Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

  • The largest butterfly in the Americas
• • THE YELLOW-BILLED PARROT
  • THE BLACK-BILLED PARROT
• Jamaica is home to two endemic parrots, the Yellow and Black-billed Parrots. They live mainly in undisturbed forest areas, such as the Cockpit Country in Trelawny and John Crow Mountains in Portland.
• Identify this Endangered Species
• The Jamaican Boa or Yellow Snake


  • Black and yellow in coloration
  • Up to 3 metres in length
  • Found in forests, wetlands and dry scrubland forests in many parts of The Blue Mountains, Southern St. Thomas, Hellshire Hills, Portland Ridge, Cockpit Country, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon
• The snakes are becoming extinct due to deforestation and development AND individuals who kill them out of fear