Water makes up the largest part of the earth and is responsible for life. Energy whether renewable or non renewable is essential to our way of life, and the flora and fauna that surround us provide us with food, other important natural resources such as timber, drugs, other raw materials, and tourism opportunities. The environment needs to be respected and protected and making this happen is a key part towards sustainability in the tourism sector.
Resources need to be used with care, conserving water and energy. Wasteful practices need to be changed, and alternatives researched and invented. The old style resource guzzling is no longer ‘in vogue’, and tourists expect and appreciate some kind of responsibility.
One of the best ways of protecting earth’s reserves is simply to reduce the amounts we are using, and in order to achieve this we need to make sure that we are aware of what we are consuming in the first place. We need to assess where we are through measurements, set goals to achieve, and continually monitor, reassess and make improvements.
To keep the resources we have in their original condition is also fundamental to their conservation and avoiding pollution is a must. Greenhouse gases should be controlled, waste water should be treated and reused, solid waste should be recycled where possible and kept to a minimum, and the use of harmful substances should be avoided and substituted for innocuous ones.
In addition to conserving water and energy other natural resources, and reducing pollution, the whole biodiversity needs to be protected. Wildlife and its surrounding ecosystem is a key part of tourism in Tanzania and it is essential to maintain a high regard for it, to look after it, to protect it and to safeguard the environment as a whole.
See the standards and toolkit for the environmental guidelines and toolkit click here>
