Red Sea - Sustainable Tourism or Environmental Disaster
Tourism has grown steadily since the 1970s and has reached the point of becoming an essential part of the region's economy. However, looking beyond the fantastic coral reefs, awesome wrecks, luxurious resorts and sandy beaches, there is a downside to the paradise. The reef-lined coasts all along the Red Sea, but especially in Egypt, depend on high numbers of tourist divers, thus resulting in degradation of reefs by mechanical damage, waste and water pollution. Often, this is accepted due to the short-term gain from the tourism business. Hotel complexes are springing up almost unchallanged all along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Along the coastline of Egypt, from the Suez canal to the Sudanese border, huge armadas of dive vessels are bringing hordes of divers to the coral reefs.
Tourism - highway to wealth
It's almost stunning to see the enormous armada of dive charter boats at the ports of Dahab, Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Safaga and Marsa Alam in the morning. The rumbling of marine diesel engines laying a carpet of fumes over the crisp sea air. Loud calls in Arabic whiz through the place, sometimes Russian or English pierce through the hustle and bustle, as the crews prepare to take out thousands of divers. Everywhere, there are pyramids of air tanks and equipment bags. Convoys of trolleys shuttle between the mini-buses and pickups at the parking lot and the dive boats. Can we really criticise the Egyptians for taking advantage of dive hungry tourists? The mighty Nile is the life line, which feeds most of the country's 73 million inhabitants. The coral reefs of the Red Sea gives thousands of Egyptians jobs and supplies the country's economy with much needed hard currency. Many of those who make a living in the tourist and dive industry come from Cairo or other large cities along the Nile. They work every day for three weeks, and then spend a week together with their families in their home cities and towns. From their point of view, dive tourism is feeding their families.
Increased awareness
The coral reefs of the the Red Sea are generally in good shape with rich, biodiverse reefs the rule. However, coastal development continues to destroy mangroves, and damage from coral reef tourism is on the rise, especially in the Red Sea's northern Gulf of Aqaba. The picture is not as pale as it may seem. Awareness about the environmental damage has risen in the last few years. The local government, dive and tourism industries are seeing the effect of years of rapidly growing numbers of tourists and have started to take measures to protect their natural assets. Several organizations have sprung up, and efforts to protect the marine environment are being put into effect. Everything from reef rehabilitation, mooring-buoys, waste control and non-contact diving practices are reducing the impact on the environment. Still, many of the reefs show clearly visible signs of wear and tear. And it's not uncommon to encounter plastic bottles and other non-biodegradeable waste. Many of these problems can be eliminated by simply changing the indifferent attitudes of locals and tourists. Nature can recuperate, if you just give it time!
To read more of Arnold Weisz's articles about travel, scuba diving, environment and food, see Water Ventures
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