Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria on environmental sustainability and water management

      Water is a natural resource that is essential for both survival and economic development. It is a natural product that cannot be produced as needed; we cannot change the amount that already exists in nature. Water management is therefore an issue that must be prioritized.

     Water management refers to the processes and procedures that involve the acquisition and development, allocation, and use of water resources for a variety of purposes, including the conservation and restoration of water resources for their continued existence and longevity, as well as solving problems involving water resources in terms of quantity and quality.

      Water management is also one of the GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Environmental Sustainability in the tourism industry. Attractions must encourage businesses to measure, monitor, and manage water use and report it to the public, according to the criteria. The attraction must conduct a water risk assessment and document it. In the event of a high water risk, water management goals must be defined and communicated to the business sector so that water use in the tourism sector does not conflict with local community and ecosystem water needs.

The indicators are defined as follows:

• Business water use advice, support, monitoring, and regulation:
• Water risk assessments are conducted regularly:
• Water management targets are set, enforced, and reported publicly in areas where water risk is high;
• Monitor and control the use of water resources for tourism purposes, as well as checking the impact on local communities and ecosystems, and promoting and monitoring the tourism sector to ensure compliance with water use targets;
• Tourists are informed about the limitations and risks related to water use and are encouraged to use it sparingly.

Source : Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Information as of 28 February 2023