Climate change threats to two low-lying South African coastal towns: Risks and perceptions.

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dc.citation.doi10.17159/sajs.2016/20150262en_ZA
dc.citation.epage94en_ZA
dc.citation.issue5/6en_ZA
dc.citation.spage86en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorFitchett, J.M.
dc.contributor.authorGrant, B.
dc.contributor.authorHoogendoom, G.
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-09T13:14:06Z
dc.date.available2017-01-09T13:14:06Z
dc.date.issued2016-05
dc.description.abstractClimate change poses a considerable threat to low-lying coastal towns. Possible risks include flooding induced by sea-level rise, increased discomfort from changes in temperature and precipitation, more frequent extreme events, biodiversity shifts, and water shortages. For coastal towns that attract many tourists, these threats can have far-reaching economic effects and may compromise the continued viability of the tourism sector. A growing number of studies are being published on the inter-relationship between climate change and tourism in the global North. As yet, little equivalent research has been conducted in developing countries with economically significant tourism sectors. This paper presents a mixed-method pilot study on two adjacent coastal towns, St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. We explored the climate change threats in this region, and perceptions of these threats within the tourism sector. The tourism climate index results showed that the towns are climatically well suited to tourism, but a decrease in these index scores between 1978 and 2014 suggests that climate change experienced in recent decades has detrimentally affected tourist comfort. A digital elevation model sea-level projection for the towns indicated a high risk of sea-level induced flooding by 2050, particularly for properties along the coastline. Interviews with tourism establishment respondents showed that people are aware of climate change threats, yet little adaptation is forthcoming. Rather the government is deemed responsible for adaptation, despite its limited capacity. A disjuncture therefore exists between the perceived severity of risk and the risk that is evident from scientific analyses. This gap results in poor planning for the costs associated with adaptation.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianNCS2016en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationFitchett, J.M, Grant, B and Hoogendoom, G. 2016. Climate change threats to two low-lyiAfrican coastal towns: Risks and perceptions. South African Journal of Science 112 (5/6), pp. 86-94.en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21603
dc.journal.titleSouth African Journal of Science.en_ZA
dc.journal.volume112en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAcademy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)en_ZA
dc.rights© 2016. The Author(s). Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.en_ZA
dc.subjectdigital elevation modelen_ZA
dc.subjectperceptionsen_ZA
dc.subjecttourismen_ZA
dc.subjecttourism climate indexen_ZA
dc.titleClimate change threats to two low-lying South African coastal towns: Risks and perceptions.en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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