There are a few simple actions that travelers in poorer countries, or even in rich nations, experiencing the effects of global warming and climate change can take to ensure minimal environmental impact while traveling around the world.
Water Use Tips for Greener Travel
Shower with care or a friend. Water cuts and shortages are common across many nations as rainfall is reducing or becoming erratic. If showering, get wet under the shower, then turn the shower off and lather up. When it’s time to rinse, turn the tap on and wash the soap off. This saves a lot of water. Sometimes water is supplied in buckets. A couple of scoops are all that is needed to wet skin and then a few to wash the soap off. Be mindful that local children are the ones who carry buckets of water over distances to family compounds from which washing water is taken when living with host families and volunteering abroad.
Only flush when necessary. Connected with the water, flushing toilets uses more water than is good for any nation, much less one experiencing water shortages. Also, some establishments use septic tanks which can not cope with too much liquid. Be prudent with flushing and limit water use and the impact on septic tanks. Many establishments or homes go by the philosophy: If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.
Reduce Pollution Traveling in Developing Countries
While many developing nations have few rubbish bins, and it may be tempting to throw rubbish on the ground like some local residents do, try to hold on to rubbish until arriving at a hotel or home, or find a rubbish bin. Bins are few and far between, but they do appear from time to time, depending on the destination. This will help keep the environment clean and set a good example to others.
Catch local transport. Instead of hiring a private vehicle to travel or tour around a new country, jump on local transport like everyone else and help cut vehicle emissions at the same time. Catching local transport has the potential to elicit the most exciting travel tales and is also a great way to meet people, who may well invite travelers home for a meal at the end of a long journey.
Electricity Use Tips Traveling in Developing Countries
Turn off lights and all electrical equipment like televisions and radios when leaving hotel rooms. This may seem obvious, but hoteliers complain about the cost of electricity and the waste when guests leave lights on when they leave rooms that don't have automatic sensors to turn the lights off. If nothing else, turning off the lights will help reduce the drain on electricity supply and global carbon emissions.
Turn fans and air-conditioning off when leaving hotel rooms. Keeping fans on while exploring outside the hotel or hostel does not cool the room; it just blows hot air around. Fans are only useful when someone is in the room. As for air-conditioning, it takes a few minutes for the cool air to kick in, so turn it off when leaving rooms for more than fifteen minutes and turn it on when returning back into the room. This saves electricity, which may well be in short supply in the developing world, and reduces carbon emissions.
A little awareness and a few simple actions can go along way towards leaving a light and eco-friendly footprint while traveling around the world. Socially Responsible Travel gives tips to travel more mindfully and with awareness of the cultures through which travelers venture.
Gayle Pescud - Co-founder of G-lish Foundation in Ghana, an award winning non-profit that welcomes volunteers in Africa.
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