By Rushita Shetty and Joyatri Ray
Recognition is often the driving force behind achieving desired goals and this is where international certifications become important for countries to position themselves in the world order. The global standards and criteria set by international organisations act as a medium for nations, especially developing countries, to aim to be at par with developed countries. But when it comes to safeguarding the environment, however, what we need to focus on are the rules of the race rather than the finishing line.
Blue Flag is one such international certification that focuses on marine and environmental education, motivating nations to work towards creating a sustainable and accessible environment. Launched in 1987, Blue Flag is a programme run by the non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education. The core value of Blue Flag and of the foundation is sustainability to bring about a positive change. Therefore, Blue Flag lists 33 criteria that need to be fulfilled by a country or a local community in order to become a certified Blue Flag site. These 33 criteria are divided into four main areas comprising environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, and safety and services. These criteria keep evolving with time as they are reviewed by experts in order to find more efficient and sustainable ways of preserving beaches and coasts.
India is among the many nations that have undertaken voluntary measures to adopt Blue Flag standards and implement them in beaches across the nation. India is also the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to successfully meet the 33 criteria and has till date acquired the certification for 12 beaches. India is blessed with a peninsular coastline that has historically proven to be excellent for trade. However, today, rising environmental threats have directed countries like India to focus on sustainability. The mission set out by Blue Flag is to promote sustainability in the tourism sector through environmental education and protection along the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. For example, the Golden Beach in Odisha, India has been successful in reducing marine litter by 99% in three years since it received its Blue Flag certification, aiding in the protection of the coastal ecosystem. This in turn also helps countries boost tourism by promoting beaches with Blue Flag certification. In 2020, India projected a 40% rise in tourist footfall with its eight Blue Flag beaches back then.
Tourism is one of the coveted outcomes of Blue Flag, and the objective to promote sustainability through tourism has turned out to be beneficial for nations around the globe. Obtaining an ecolabel like Blue Flag boosts the sustainable goals of nations as well as gives impetus to economic growth through tourism. According to researchers, an ecolabel is beneficial in three ways. Firstly, it reverses the negative impact of tourism on the environment by making tourists comply with the national laws that adhere to the criteria of the ecolabels. Secondly, it increases the sensitivity and responsibility of tourists and requires them to act respectfully towards the environment. Lastly, it favours products and services that are compatible with sustainable environmental development plans.
Governments have taken up the Blue Flag criteria seriously to enhance their tourism options. The Indian government has established the Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), which works in accordance with the World Bank’s Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. ICZM’s objective is to assist India in building national capacity for implementation of a comprehensive coastal management approach in the country. The Ministry of Environment in 2020 allowed state governments to construct infrastructure in Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ). CRZs are ecologically sensitive areas where any form of activity is regulated in order to maintain and preserve the coastal ecosystem. However, to receive the international certification the government has allowed building infrastructure such as toilets and other basic amenities that should be available to tourists as per Blue Flag criteria.
Amid the positive developments, it becomes crucial to understand the viewpoint of the local communities that are situated in these Blue Flag certified coastal and marine regions. A macro level understanding of Blue Flag provides a happy picture; however, it’s a different story at the micro level with regard to the local communities. With the rampant tourism in these areas there has also been an infrastructure boom, which has led to multiple levels of discrimination consisting of loss of access to the sea, livelihood challenges, displacement, and ecological threats.
One of the many examples can be seen in the protesting fishing communities in Odisha. The proposed redevelopment for Blue Flag certification for the beaches in Gopalpur and Pati-Sonapur in Ganjam district means the fisherfolk do not have a place to anchor their boats. The redevelopment project for five more beaches in the state for Blue Flag certification will further displace the local fishing communities and affect about 300 fishing boats that use the proposed land to anchor their boats. It is crucial to understand that the fishing communities and the local population are dependent upon the beaches for their livelihood and the denial of access is the cost they pay in order for state and Union governments to achieve the international certification.
The local communities allege that the government has not taken adequate measures to address their grievances. Communities settled here for decades and dependent on the resources of the ocean are today required to leave their land and ocean for the certification while no suitable arrangements are made for their rehabilitation.
Sustainable tourism cannot be seen only through the prism of tourism-specific policies, the complexity of the matter requires a holistic understanding of the ecology and the people who are dependent upon this ecosystem. The continual neglect of small-scale fishing communities has resulted in their marginalisation.
For a large majority of citizens, the bigger picture presented is of sustainability and international recognition. This hides the ground realities of injustice and the constant disempowerment of local communities who do not have an equal say in the decision-making process about their own land and ocean. Blue Flag recognition indeed helps in achieving sustainable goals; however, the roadmap to achieve this recognition is frequently built upon the shattered livelihoods of local communities. The alarming rate at which national and state policies are being altered to accommodate tourism projects in the coastal parts of the country has resulted in land grabbing and encroachment on the lands of the local communities who due to their lack of understanding and access to the government machineries do not have a forum to their distress addressed.
Rushita Shetty is a Programme Associate and Joyatri Ray is the Director of EQUATIONS (Equitable Tourism Options), a research, campaign, and advocacy organisation that studies the social, cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of tourism on local communities.