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River landform and it's use by people
The Grand Canyon, USA - MEDC
Background
•· Some of the Canyon rock is 2 billion years old.
•· The Canyon is 277 miles long. In places the Canyon is 18 miles across and 1 mile deep.
•· The Grand Canyon is a National park that contains many fossils of geological importance.
•· There are many vegetation changes in the Canyon, which promotes a diversity of wildlife.
How do people use the river landform?
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Tourist activities
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Impacts
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Bus tours along the south rim
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In summer, there are traffic bottlenecks at popular locations.
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Mule trekking
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Paths have been blasted into cliffs for mule rides; some consider this an eyesore.
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Rafting
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The Colorado's banks are covered in litter and eroded at popular camping sites used by rafters.
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3 million visitors a year
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This puts immense pressure on the facilities provided for tourists.
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Canyon edge paths to viewpoints
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Severe erosion is taking place at popular viewpoints making the Canyon edge unstable
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Dozens of rangers employed to guide visitors
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Employment is generated to maintain the Canyon. This provides permanent and seasonal jobs for local people. However these jobs are often unskilled on not well paid as well as being temporary in most cases.
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Tourists pick rare plants
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Some delicate ecosystems damaged.
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Rocks removed for souvenirs
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Increased erosion as stone removal exposes bedrock.
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Towns on the Canyon edge receive tourists year round
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This generates money all year round in towns nearby. Local people benefit by setting up hotels and guesthouses as well as other tourist related businesses.
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Much money is generated by tourism
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This money can be used to promote and protect the Canyon for future generations.
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What measures could be taken to reduce the negative impact of tourists?
•· Encourage visitors to only use specially designated footpaths to limit the erosion in other areas.
•· Move footpaths on a rotation to allow areas to regenerate.
•· Information boards to encourage people to appreciate the delicate balance that exists between humans and the natural environment.
•· Educational guided tours to teach people about the importance of using the area sustainably.
•· Concentrate resources and facilities to honeypot sites so that other areas are conserved.
•· Introduce a system of fines for people caught littering.
•· Cordon off areas where rare species of plant exist informing visitors of the reasons for this
D.Drake 2008
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