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Water abuse

The right to water constitutes one of the most fundamental human rights. Yet for local communities in many countries, this right is being undermined in the name of tourism.

The presence of tourists naturally means a much higher demand for water. This places an extra burden on arid destinations facing water shortages. Showers, swimming pools and watering of lawns can destroy water reserves, and often tourists are ignorant of the fact that the local populations lack water for their personal use and for irrigation. Local communities normally do not benefit, and in most cases, are not allowed access to infrastructure built to ensure safe drinking water. The development of golf courses and hotel swimming pools are responsible for depleting and contaminating water sources for surrounding communities; this is especially true in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. An average 18 hole golf course soaks up at least 525,000 gallons of water a day - enough to supply the irrigation needs of 100 Malaysian farmers.

Click here to watch a short film by news channel Al Jazeera, which highlights the challenges facing local people in Bali whose water resources are being drastically depleted while tourism is allowed to flourish.

Other countries and regions facing water degradation from tourism include the Carribean, Cyprus, Honduras, Malta, the Middle East, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania and India.

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