A call for reducing tourism risk to environmental hazards in the Himalaya

As mountain tourism rapidly expands in remote landscapes, there is a critical need for improved disaster risk management to ensure the safety of tourists and industry workers, safeguard infrastructure designed to support tourism and service industries (e.g., transportation), as well as protect the local economies that have come to depend on tourism revenue. Drawing from recent disasters in the Himalaya, we present evidence that the promotion of safe and sustainable tourism is out of sync with the proliferation of inbound tourists who are prone to many types of environmental hazards. The key driver of this situation is commercialisation. Other factors include increased mobilities/access of tourists who are often unaware of or ill-prepared to cope with hazards; lack of regulations with respect to overcrowding, safety and building codes increased exposure to climate change phenomena; and limited disaster response capabilities, including responsibility at the local level. In this perspective we argue that this particularly complex situation is best addressed through the lens of a dynamic system, whereby strong leadership, increased regulation of access and participation, and enhanced professionalism via training are key leverage points in countering uncontrolled commercialisation that drives increased risk to known hazards. The inclusion of tourism into disaster risk management systems is also needed where hazard risks and tourist traffic are high, as tourists are part of the transient population who are often unfamiliar with local conditions and ill-prepared to cope with extreme adversity

Concentration change of pyridoxamine with respect to UV fluence for oxygen-saturated (O2) and nitrogen-saturated (N2) media.

<p>Concentration change of pyridoxamine with respect to UV fluence for oxygen-saturated (O2) and nitrogen-saturated (N2) media.</p

Comparison of the cell culture performance.

<p>A) Time-course of viable cell density for cells grown in different fluence UV-treated nitrogen-saturated (N2) or oxygen-saturated media (O2) media. B) Total cell densities reached on Day 5 (end of exponential phase for most cultures). C) Viability of cells on Day 5. D) Total viable cell density. E) Growth rate during exponential growth phase (Days 1 through 5). The error bars represent the standard deviation for N = 6. *—Significant difference when compared to control for the same gas treatment group. #—Significant difference between N₂- and O₂-saturated groups at an individual fluence level.</p

Fluence rates estimated based on the single reactor pass clearance of MS2 at 50 mL/min.

<p>Fluence rates estimated based on the single reactor pass clearance of MS2 at 50 mL/min.</p

Concentration change of tryptophan, kynurenine, riboflavin, and lumichrome with respect to UV fluence for oxygen-saturated (O2) and nitrogen-saturated (N2) media.

<p>*—Significant difference between N₂ and O₂ saturated groups at an individual fluence level.</p

Concentration change with respect to UV fluence for oxygen-saturated (light gray triangles) and nitrogen-saturated (dark gray circles) media for compounds with statistically significant regression trends.

<p>The error bars represent the standard deviation where N = 10.</p

Reduction equivalent fluence (REF) based on MS2 bioassay of irradiated CD-CHO media with one UV reactor at two flow rates (50 mL/min and 100 mL/min) for both oxygen- and nitrogen-saturated media.

<p>Reduction equivalent fluence (REF) based on MS2 bioassay of irradiated CD-CHO media with one UV reactor at two flow rates (50 mL/min and 100 mL/min) for both oxygen- and nitrogen-saturated media.</p

Experimental apparatus.

<p>Experimental apparatus.</p