Climate Change and Tourism in Small Coastal Communities: A Case Study Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience (66197)

Session Information: Cyberspace & Technology
Session Chair: Brian Sinclair

Saturday, January 7, 2023 (09:50)
Session: Session 1
Room: 318B
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation

All presentation times are UTC-10 (Pacific/Honolulu)

Climate change has been studied almost exclusively from a scientific perspective. However, the socioeconomic perspective is also needed to fully understand the vulnerability and resilience of coastal communities. We survey businesses located in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada, a small coastal community (an UNESCO world heritage site) that depends heavily on tourism as an important part of their economy. The survey reveals the extent to which businesses are affected by climate change, and more specifically sea-level rise brought on by climate change. Surprisingly, while over 80% of business owners reported that their business is affected by weather and that the weather is becoming more unpredictable, only half of those surveyed believe climate change brings risks to their business. The majority of businesses (74%) have not taken any steps to develop resilience or adapt to climate change. These results are especially alarming given that the majority of business owners (79%) do not have a second location and are undiversified. Businesses appear to accept climate change as a given, and are either constrained to act or can’t find ways to mitigate risks brought on by climate change. The majority of these businesses are small businesses that create local jobs, and in the event of either a one-time catastrophic weather event or a more gradual change would end up either not surviving or seeking external assistance. The findings highlight the important role of governments to both educate and enhance the resilience of local businesses and communities regarding climate change.

Authors:
Shannon Lin, Dalhousie University, Canada
Lorn Sheehan, Dalhousie University, Canada
Andrew Medeiros, Dalhousie University, Canada
Georgia Klein, Dalhousie University, Canada


About the Presenter(s)
Dr Shannon Lin is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Dalhousie University in Canada

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00