Improving the Environment: Towns and Villages Stories

“One can see from space how the human race has changed the Earth. Nearly all of the available land has been cleared of forest and is now used for agriculture or urban development. The polar ice caps are shrinking and the desert areas are increasing. At night, the Earth is no longer dark, but large areas are lit up. All of this is evidence that human exploitation of the planet is reaching a critical limit. But human demands and expectations are ever-increasing. We cannot continue to pollute the atmosphere, poison the ocean, and exhaust the land. There isn’t any more available.” - Stephen Hawking, Physicist & Author?

Green Destinations has awarded the following Good Practice Stories for their commitment to building sustainable societies and improving the quality of life in their cities and the locals. In this article, we highlighted the inspiring stories of destinations like Tartu (Estonia), S?o Miguel do Gostoso (Brazil), Tibau do Sul – Rio Grande do Norte State (Brazil), and Pafos Region (Cyprus). Read more about them below.

Tartu, Estonia

To meet emerging environmental needs, Tartu has been focusing on creating high-quality public spaces. In order to achieve it quickly and efficiently, Tartu closed one of its main streets in the city centre for car traffic and opened it only for its citizens in July 2020.

Following that, the whole area was completely redesigned to create a space with different dimensions and possibilities to prove how versatile a public space in such a prominent area could be. The avenue was called Autovabaduse (Car-Free) Avenue and attracted people not only from Estonia but also from all around the world. Car-Free Avenue was located between the classical old town and the river Emaj?gi that flows through the city. Most importantly, this initiative opened a public discussion all over Estonia on climate change, excessive car ownership, and different methods in building a sustainable future. Find out more about the new and sustainable approach of Tartu and how the project has been developed.

S?o Miguel do Gostoso, Brazil

S?o Miguel do Gostoso is a city that belongs to the state of Rio Grande do Norte. In the past, the city was characterized by being a small fishing village; nowadays it is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Brazil. Until 2017, the sanitary and environmental aspects in the city were critical. The septic tanks did not have the proper structures and resulted in the release of debris and contaminated the water and the subsoil. All of it reflected in the water quality of artesian wells, which were unsuitable for consumption, and overall in the lifestyle of the locals.

To counteract the scenario, the government of the state of Rio Grande do Norte and the state's tourism secretariat with resources from the World Bank, began the work of basic sanitation in the city - to leave the urban area completely sanitized and environmentally prosperous. How was the good practice implemented? And how was the social project carried out? Click here to know more about it.

Tibau do Sul – Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

The Guaraíras Lagoon was once typical in Tibau do Sul, isolated from the sea body. During the heavy rains, the lagoon used to overflow, causing floodings in the surrounding villages. Following that, a channel of connection with the sea was built. Unfortunately, one night, the waters broke out from the canal and brought down the entire village; it ended up destroying the whole area, forever transforming the hydrography and geography of the place.

The old ecosystem of the freshwater lagoon has now been altered, giving way to an estuary ecosystem. The destination has been named an Environmental Protection Area (APA), to order the use, protect, and preserve ecosystems of the dunes, Atlantic forest, mangroves, lagoons, and rivers. Want to know more about how the plan was implemented and which results have been achieved? Go read their good practice story here!?

Pafos Region, Cyprus

Pafos is a tourist destination with high tourist flows during the peak seasons. Until last year, sustainable mobility and accessibility with low-carbon transport were serious issues. Diesel busses carried out circular routes in Pafos town, connecting the main historical monuments and points of interest in the Old Town of Pafos with the accommodation units of the coastal area of Kato Pafos. Those high emission diesel coaches were causing air and noise pollution.

With that, Pafos municipality took the initiative to develop an integrated green mobility management system to solve the problem. The initiative would eventually reduce CO2 emissions, both for human health and the natural environment, and promote good practices to reduce environmental risks. One of the many objectives for Pafos was to create incentives for the implementation of environment-friendly urban means of transport; with that to enhance access to more user-friendly information services. To know more about how Pafos Municipality introduced the first electric bus in Cyprus, check their story here.

Following the stories mentioned above, it becomes important to comprehend and promote the need for environmental upliftment at any destination, not only to assist the tourists but also the local population. With that, it will be possible to contribute to the sustainability of destinations and raise awareness about protecting and improving territory management.

Curious to know more about destination management and our good practice stories? Visit our website www.greendestinations.org and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for receiving the latest updates on sustainable tourism and destination management.