BiodiversityConservationGuidelines

for Hotels and Guest Houses in Ziarat valley, Balochistan

Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation in to Production Systems in the Juniper Forest

1. Preamble
The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourism's relationship with the environment is complex- many such activities can have adverse environmental effects. Degradation of local environment, landscape and aesthetics in-turn impact tourism activities in any area. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops etc. A hotel's impact comes mainly from the energy, water, food and other resources that are consumed in running the hotel, which in return produces solid, liquid and gaseous wastes and also by the direct impacts of activities of guests on local environment. Additionally, damage is also caused by releases of sewage, oil and chemicals by these facilities, even architectural/visual pollution. Among all of them, waste and sewage disposal is the most serious problem. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends and also spoil aesthetic values and degrades biological setting of the area. Among all of them, waste and sewage disposal is the most serious problem. Improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment, water bodies, scenic areas, and roadsides. In addition, regular renovation and replacement of furniture, appliances and facilities can cause impacts through purchasing and consumption choices and increased waste generation. Ziarat valley is blessed with outstanding physical features, high biological and cultural and historical significance. The Juniper (Juniperus excelsa polycarpos) forests cover an area of about 247,000 acres (1,000 square kilometres) and are considered second largest of the world. These forests have tremendous historical, cultural and biological significance but also provide economic and livelihood opportunity to thousands of local household, who live here in abject poverty and solely depend on natural resources within these forests. Tourist activities greatly support economic activities in the area, but related un-planned development is causing damage to the fragile natural environment within this ecosystem. The tourist accommodation facilities including hotels and guest houses in Ziarat are considered to have tremendous direct and indirect impacts on the local environment including biodiversity. Further development of tourist facilities in Ziarat district is being undertaken in un-planned and haphazard manner. The damage caused by this industry to the environment is quite visible. Most of the solid waste generated by hotels, guest houses, restaurants and stalls/kiosks is not disposed properly, and is creating serious environmental problems.

2. Introduction and Objectives of these Guidelines

To conserve the very unique ecology of Ziarat, IUCN Pakistans Juniper Project being implemented through Support from United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) aims to make production activities in the Juniper forest ecosystem biodiversity friendly. It is mandated to effectively generate income for the local people in a manner that the present generations get benefits from this natural resources, with ample opportunities left for the future generations, thus ensures the sustainable use of natural resources. On the other hand it helps to create awareness and importance of environment conservation among locals as well as visitors. These Guidelines have been prepared as a ready reference for hotel/guest house owners and operators to minimise adverse practices from their business to minimize impact on biological resources and aesthetic values. They would also serve as a tool raise awareness and consciousness among tourists so as to encourage environmentally and socially responsible activities. Following these guidelines will maximize pleasure of recreation for you and other who follow. It will also allow local inhabitants of Ziarat to keep their natural and cultural heritage unspoiled by commercial influences.

3. Existing Tourist Facilities and Recreational Activities in Ziarat

In Ziarat, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) constructed an 18 room motel and a restaurant in the early 80s, which is now under the management of a private contractor and is in neglected condition. A few other hotels and restaurants are also located in the main bazaar. There are an estimated thirteen (government) rest houses and six private hotels in Ziarat town. The rest houses have reasonable to good accommodation. There are also a large number of private guest houses which offer accommodation facilities to the visitors, but there is no proper check on the standards and practices of these guest houses. Being located at a distance from major cities of province including Quetta, Ziarat is famous as a recreational resort. Where tourists enjoy leisure activities including cooking and get indulge in other activities like walking and sightseeing. Many student and youth group also travel to the area for hiking and camping and spend nights in open. Some visitor facilities have been established - walking trails, picnic facilities and overnight huts. Places there are public toilets and picnic shades, but none of these are not properly constructed or maintained.

4. Impacts of Hotels/Guest Houses on Biodiversity in Ziarat

Tourist activities in Ziarat valley result in demand for proper boarding/accommodation facilities. Besides its benefits like support to local economy, running and managing such facilities through conventional practices may gives rise to many environmental problems. Such activities cause damage to local environment during their construction and operation. A hotel's impact comes mainly from the energy, water, food and other resources that are consumed in running the hotel, which in return produces solid, liquid and gaseous wastes and also by the direct impacts of activities of guests on local environment. Additionally, damage is also caused by releases of sewage, oil and chemicals by these facilities, even architectural/visual pollution. Among all of them, waste and sewage disposal is the most serious problem. Improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment, water bodies, scenic areas, and roadsides. In addition, regular renovation and replacement of furniture, appliances and facilities can cause impacts through purchasing and consumption choices and increased waste generation.

5. Environmental Guidelines for Hotel/Guest Houses Owners and Operators

The hotel/guest house owners shall ensure that the following measures are implemented to reduce environmental impacts on biological resources in Ziarat from activities related to energy, water use and waste production:

ENERGY
Each hotel/guest house should form a committee comprising of sensitized and responsible staff members who are responsible for keeping a close check on use on energy for lighting, heating and cooking activity within the premises. All measures should be taken to reduce energy loss. Alternates should be used wherever feasible. For reducing energy consumption for lighting, the following must be ensured: All conventional tungsten filament bulbs must be replaced with energy efficient Compact Florescent Lamps (energy savers), All such activities like cooking, cleaning, repair/ maintenance related work should be done during day time as to avoid any heavy using of artificial lighting, which demands more energy. Where electricity is available, wood torches, candles, lanterns must not be used for decoration purposes. For indoor activities during day, instead of using artificial lighting, all possible effort must be made to make use of natural day light. For lighting at night, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) lamps or kerosene lamps be used where available, instead of wood torches and bon-fires, Diesel generators must be avoided for electrification and there carbon foot prints are huge and also cause considerable noise pollution.

For reducing energy consumption for heating and cooking, the following must be ensured: All measures must be taken to ensure that the use of wood must be minimized, because it has huge impact on forest resources. Instead, LPG cylinders or kerosene stoves should be used. If no other option is available, briquettes or coal can be used selectively, When using briquettes, coal or fuel-wood (when no option is available), the energy efficient stoves should be used to reduce amount of wood consumed during cooking. These stoves also reducing risk of health impacts from smoke. Kitchen menu must be carefully selected with minimum choices of energy intensive food like (barbeque), which waste too much fuel. For heating water, solar geysers should be used, which are most environment friendly,

Fire places in rooms must be removed. Instead guest must be requested to use warm clothing and blankets to escape cold. If only necessary, LPG heaters may be used, Doors, windows in guest rooms must be kept closed to avoid energy use. Carpets and local rugs should be preferred over concrete floors to avoid energy loss. Walls must be fixed with insulation material like panelling, boards etc of otherwise must be coated with light shades of paint, For any new construction or extension in infrastructure, professional architect must be consulted to adopt a proper building design to cater for energy conservation for lighting and heating, Any electrical appliance to be installed like refrigerators/freezers, ovens, other appliance must be carefully selected. Brands must be chosen which should have minimal energy consumption. If rooms are fitted with any such equipment (air conditioners or heaters), they should be properly services and maintained at a suitable temperature. A close check should be kept on their use, Guests should also be encouraged to make friendly choices in food and services which should avoid ununnecessary energy loss. Outdoor activities around hotel/guest house premises should be checked to around activities like bon-fires which waste too much on energy and damages local environment, Kitchen and all the rooms must be chalked with energy conservation tip and its importance for environmental conservation so as to sensitize tourists/guest for ensuring compliance.

WATER
All leaky water tanks, pipes and taps must be repaired. Frequently check guestroom toilets for leaking valves by placing a small amount of food coloring in the toilet tank and seeing if it appears in the toilet bowl. Replace valves when leaks are noted, Kitchen and guestroom toilets must be fitted with half or quarter turn taps as to facilitate users to turn them off frequently during multiple uses, Discourage fitting of bath tubs and showers in the guest toilets. Instead use traditional means making use of bucket and a mug. This considerable helps reducing of water wastage, Foodservice operations and cooking can use substantial amounts of water. Do not thaw foods by running water over them, While washing rooms, floors minimize use of water. Instead use rugs, mobs etc. to clean flooring, Introduce towel re-use policy. Most of the towels slightly used once can be used several times again after drying in the sun. This reduces wastage of water consumed during washing, Discourage guests from washing clothes themselves in toilets. Instead introduce a laundry in the hotel/guest house. Offer weekly laundry facility instead of daily,

Kitchen and all washrooms must display water conservation tips. Islamic verses can be used for sensitizing about conservation of water, Discourage wastage of water for gardening and lawns. If only must, prefer to use re-cycled kitchen water, which can be used for lawns after slight treatment. Plant local plant and tree species in gardens which require less amount of water, Do not allow staff and guests to wash cars by themselves. Besides water wastage this may case pollution of the soil and water bodies.

WASTE
The only solution to waste management is reduce, re-use and recycle (3 Rs). In this regard observe the following: Minimize production of waste (solid liquid and gaseous). The tips provided in energy and water sections above will considerably help in this regard, Reduce use of and surfactants (soaps and detergents) as they cause considerable pollution of water bodies. Excessive amount of these cause eutrophication of water bodes that spoils all aquatic life, Discourage dumping of lubricants (from tourist vehicles) in soils and water bodies. Encourage staff and guest to get oil change done from designated workshops. Oil based kitchen residue must be buried in deep ditches and covered by soil, Garbage bins must be placed in all guest/rooms. At source segregation of solid could be very instrumental for its proper management. Organic waste (mostly coming from kitchen) can be easily segregated and can be used for making of compost, which can be used as fertilizer and soil conditioner for kitchen gardening, Recyclables from solid waste (metal, plastic/rubber, glass and paper etc.) can be segregated and sold out to local garbage merchants for good prices, The non-consumable waste must be collected daily and disposal off at designated waste dumping points, where local authorities must be asked to transport it to final disposal sites. Designated places can be constructed within hotel/guest house premises to dump waste temporarily, Encourage staff and guests to reduce production of waste by making friendly choices of consumption. Use of plastic bags (shoppers) could be minimized by alternates like paper bags and others made out of jute, cloth or linen,

5.1. Support from Public Sector

i. The local authorities/public sector entities must ensure that further development of any tourist facility like hotel/guest house is done in such a way as to cater for proper environmental considerations including selection of suitable site to construct any such facility. The site must be selected with a view to ensure that no natural resources including forests and water bodies are significantly impacted. The site must be selected on such a location as to avoid any additional construction of related infrastructure like access roads etc. Such development should also take into consideration for avoiding any activity that spoils scenic beauty and cause aesthetic pollution in Ziarat. ii. For any new mega construction project (if planned) for construction of tourists facility, necessary environmental regulations must be catered for including; conduction of Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be comprehensively conducted (if and where applicable). iii. Authorities must ensure that any new construction of such a facility must also cater for proper design of hotels/guest houses with purpose to reduce consumption on energy for heating and cooking and also reduction in wastage of water. Local institutional must cater for improvements and modifications in the existing hotels/guest houses with a purpose to reduce energy and water loss. iv. Municipal and relevant local authorities in Ziarat shall launch a campaign to provide a system for better management of solid waste in particular, that should include awareness raising/sensitizing, development of facilities of primary collection and disposal of waste and improved measures for waste transportation and its final safe disposal. v. Likewise, encouragement of use of alternate fuel is also required urgently as to reduce burden on forests resources which is a source of firewood in Ziarat. Additionally, activities and plans to conserve, re-use water resources needs immediate attention. Measures aiming and better sewage management to avoid contamination of soils, water bodies and under-ground water resources are also immediately required. vi. The local authorities in public sector must also initiate measures to further develop tourists facilities including designated picnic areas and nature trails, wildlife viewing hides etc. Other amenities including public toilets, picnic shares, camping sites and first aid posts needs to be constructed, particularly in areas with huge tourists influx. While developing such a facility, necessary consideration needs to be given to the proper design/stricter, so as to select design which suits the ecological landscape of the area. Also, such facilities should have environmental considerations including waste management and also with proper security arrangement for the tourists. vii. Fiscal measures to reduce waste of energy needs to ensured through participation of hotel owners. Sensitisation associated to the economic cost of energy generation could be used as a

best tool to ensure energy conservation in hotel industry. This would also help in reducing impact of forest resources and promote usage of alternate and clean fuel by the industry. viii. A broad sensitization campaign need to be launched for hotel/guest house owners and tourist to adopt environmentally sustainable practices during their stay, in particular those related to resources use and choices in relation to consumption of goods during recreation. Such sensitization would in-turn create a demand by the tourist to promote sustainable practices by the hotel industry. ix. Mechanisms for regulating tourist influx must be set to avoid blowing activities out of proportion to such a level that would spoil natural beauty and biological resources of this unique ecological landscape.