Page 5 - Destination Risk and Resilience Manual-Namibia

Preface

by DKKV and Futouris

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect Turning into such a fashionable term has helped
on economic and social systems globally and uncov- public perception but issues central to the discussion
ered underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities. Be- remains unanswered: What does resilience actually
sides COVID-19, a steady increase of climate-related imply at destination level? How can resilience be ana-
disasters worldwide can be observed which are felt lysed and subsequently be built? The project ‘Destina-
directly through loss of lives, livelihoods and assets, tion Resilience’ set out to increase the understanding
and indirectly through damage to economic produc- of these issues and contribute to resilience building
tion, welfare and society. in tourism destinations. Implemented by the German
Committee for Disaster Reduction and Futouris with
These issues are particularly demanding in a cross-cut- support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internation-
ting industry such as tourism, which is highly depend- ale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the
ent on intact ecosystems, global business activity and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation
socio-cultural experiences. While tourism is a particu- and Development (BMZ)1 the project combines a
larly vulnerable industry influenced by many external wide-ranging expertise in the areas of disaster risk
factors, it is an indispensable source of income for reduction and sustainable tourism.
numerous communities worldwide, particularly in re-
gions with difficult accessibility, remoteness from eco- Within the project, a holistic destination resilience
nomic markets and limited industry. Thus, addressing analysis guideline was developed that provides a
these complex and interconnected risks has become process-oriented and participatory methodology to
an urgent priority for tourism destinations. assess and build resilience. The guideline is structured
around 5 steps, which are the foundation for the de-
In light of these developments, resilience has evolved velopment of destination resilience pathways towards
as a key concept for dealing with risks. It empha- risk-informed and sustainable tourism management
sises anticipatory action and encompasses not only that considers the local context. The 5-step approach
short-term coping measures, but also medium- and has been successfully implemented in three tourism
long-term aspects of learning, adaptation and trans- destinations in the Dominican Republic, Namibia and
formation. Contrary to common belief, resilience does Sri Lanka. Please refer to the Destination Resilience
not conflict with sustainability but plays an important Analysis Guideline to learn more about the conceptual
part to ensure continuous progress in achieving the ideas, key terms and underlying concepts about desti-
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The integra- nation resilience.
tion of sustainable development into all phases of
risk management can thus support future resilience This Risk and Resilience Manual presents outcomes
building rather than limiting it. The rise in popularity and main conclusions of the destination analysis. It
associated with the concept of resilience has however identifies valuable options for action to reduce risk
led to the use of resilience as a buzzword in a variety of and increase resilience in the Erongo Region, Namibia.
contexts, often lacking conceptual clarification. Presenting a resilience analysis tailored to the local
context of the Erongo Region, Namibia, it ensures the
relevance of proposed options for action. The Manual
is built on the principles of participation and co-crea-
tion of knowledge to increase ownership of proposed
strategies. The future development is everyone’s busi-
ness so only by bringing together all relevant actors,
destinations that are a resilient and sustainable place
to live in and visit can be created.

5