Hi everyone! In our continuation with our series on tourism and water pollution, we’ll be exploring what happens when waterways and canals are polluted by tourist and human activity.
In our very first post, we cited how the drop in tourist activity due to the COVID-19 situation has cleared Venice’s (usually polluted) canals and waterways. This was a shock to the global media world as we did not think it was possible to see almost pristine waters in waterways that are usually crowded with recreational and transport activities. This brings us to wonder just how pollutive human and tourist activity are when it takes drastic measures like travel bans and lockdowns for us to be able to see cleaner water bodies in urban areas.
Canals are man-made waterways constructed mainly in cities or built-up urban areas to facilitate water drainage, irrigation and in some cases, water transport. In some cities such as Venice and Amsterdam, the canals are popular tourist sites, and where many tourist and recreational activities occur. We know that tourism can have detrimental impacts on the water quality of waterways and the environment but what is also concerning is the negative impact of polluted waters on human health and the tourist business at these canals.
Water pollution in canals is not as easy to spot
A study conducted on seven waterways in Ireland sought to find if recreational water users’ demand for recreational activities at the waterways are responsive to the level of water quality at the site. The study generally found that longer durations of recreational water activity at the waterways were associated with better water quality. For example, in the tests related to faecal coliform, shorter activity durations were associated with increasing faecal coliform contamination. Faecal coliform is a contaminant originating from human and animal waste, and high levels of it can indicate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms which can cause water-borne diseases.
However, all is not rosy as the study also found that, despite discouragements from waterway authorities from entering sites with high faecal coliform, some recreational users still continued, seemingly unconcerned with the compromised water quality and the health risks it poses. This is because many harmful contaminants in the waterways are not easily detected by the common man or recreational user. These users may then continue with recreational activities until water pollution becomes extreme, especially for dedicated water sports recreationalists. While water pollution in the waterway may not seem extreme, it would already expose them to some toxic contaminants and pollutants in the water and potential health risks in the long run. Not only can polluted waters in canals result in economic losses due to a fall in demand by recreational users and tourists, it can pose serious health threats to those who do indeed come into contact with or go near the water.
What now?
This problem could also apply to other water bodies like lakes and oceans, especially those with high usage by human activities such as tourist and recreational ones. Hence, it is important for managers of city waterways to prevent further pollution and ensure the waters are clean enough to not only look aesthetically pleasing but also prevent any detrimental health threats to water users.
Also, remember the next time you plan any water activities, it is best to think twice and take precautions before you enter the water because not only can your recreational activities be a threat to the water, the water can be a threat to you too!
References
Breen, B, Curtis, J & Hynes, S 2017, ‘Water quality and recreational use of public waterways’, https://doi.org/10.1080/21606544.2017.1335241
Lyman, E.J 2020, ‘Coronavirus’s unexpected silver lining is revealed in Italy’ , 20 March, viewed 2 September 2020, https://fortune.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-italy-lockdown-environmental-impact-silver-lining-covid-19/