Overtourism has become a significant issue in various parts of the world, affecting not only the environment but also the social and economic fabric of local communities.

The concept of overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a large number of tourists visit a particular destination, causing strain on the local infrastructure, resources, and ecosystem.

This can lead to a range of negative consequences, including overcrowding, pollution, and degradation of natural habitats.

In some cases, overtourism can also lead to the displacement of local residents, as housing is converted into tourist accommodations, driving up rents and making it difficult for locals to afford living in their own communities.

For example, in Barcelona, Spain, the influx of tourists has led to a significant increase in rent prices, making it challenging for locals to find affordable housing.

Similarly, in Venice, Italy, the large number of tourists has put a strain on the city's infrastructure, leading to concerns about the preservation of its cultural and historical heritage.

The environmental impacts of overtourism are also significant, with increased pollution, waste, and carbon emissions contributing to climate change.

In addition, the demand for resources such as water and energy can put a strain on local supplies, leading to shortages and increased costs.

For instance, a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council found that the tourism sector is responsible for around 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, the extraction of resources such as water and energy can have negative impacts on local ecosystems, leading to the degradation of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity.

The social impacts of overtourism can be just as significant, with local communities often feeling overwhelmed and displaced by the influx of tourists.

In some cases, overtourism can lead to the erosion of local culture and traditions, as tourist-oriented businesses and activities replace traditional ones.

For example, in Sedona, Arizona, the growth of tourism has led to concerns about the preservation of the area's natural beauty and cultural heritage.

In addition, the influx of tourists can put a strain on local services, including healthcare, education, and transportation.

The economic impacts of overtourism are complex and multifaceted, with both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, tourism can generate significant revenue and create jobs for local communities.

However, the benefits of tourism are often unevenly distributed, with large corporations and tour operators capturing a significant share of the revenue.

In addition, the growth of tourism can lead to increased costs and prices for local residents, making it difficult for them to afford basic necessities.

For instance, a study by the Global Footprint Network found that the average person in Europe consumes around 4.7 global hectares of resources per year, while the average person in the United States consumes around 8 global hectares.

To address the issue of overtourism, it is essential to adopt a sustainable tourism approach that prioritizes the needs of local communities and the environment.

This can involve implementing measures such as tourist taxes, quotas, and regulations to manage the number of visitors and reduce the negative impacts of tourism.

In addition, it is crucial to invest in sustainable tourism infrastructure, such as renewable energy and sustainable transportation systems.

For example, the city of Barcelona has implemented a range of measures to manage tourism, including a tourist tax and regulations on short-term rentals.

Similarly, the Sedona International Film Festival has launched a sustainable tourism initiative to promote environmentally-friendly tourism practices.

In conclusion, overtourism is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive and sustainable approach to address its social, environmental, and economic impacts.

By prioritizing the needs of local communities and the environment, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry that benefits both tourists and locals alike.

As noted by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism sector has the potential to be a positive force for sustainable development, but it requires careful management and planning to avoid the negative impacts of overtourism.

Ultimately, it is up to governments, businesses, and individuals to work together to create a more sustainable tourism industry that prioritizes the well-being of people and the planet.

Overtourism has become a significant issue in various parts of the world, affecting not only the environment but also the social and economic fabric of local communities.

The concept of overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a large number of tourists visit a particular destination, causing strain on the local infrastructure, resources, and ecosystem.

Title:

Content: Point of view
Lin Chi-yin
Lin Chi-yin: "Traveling Everywhere" and "Over-Travel"
Earlier, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Hsia Baolong, advocated the concept of “travel everywhere ” to fully explore Hong Kong ’ s tourism resources.
To speed up the implementation of the concept, the authorities are planning to set up a "special class" to bring together people inside and outside the Government for in-depth discussions.
In recent days, officials and legislators have expressed their views on the development of "red tourism", exploring new spots in the community, beautifying the streets, and presenting some scenes in the movies.
Simply put, it may be the story behind the attraction, or the accumulated word of mouth on social media, and every tree and grass anywhere can become a tourist attraction.
Of course, the author hopes that the "class" can launch various new ideas; and since the task of the class is to implement the concept of "travel everywhere", then how to implement the concept is the best for Hong Kong, the industry, the community and the public, the class can not ignore.
The University of Hong Kong campus has been forced by tourists, and the school has implemented reservation measures this month.
HKU itself has a complete management structure, and the university can still implement crowd control according to the situation. However, if some scenic spots that go deep into the community or even close to residential buildings are really "red hot", it may not be easy to implement crowd control.
“Everywhere travel ” is a concept, the key to implementation lies in the ability of the authorities to foresee problems. If you rely only on“ see and see ”, it is very likely that good things will turn into bad things.
“Aggressive ” Travel
In 2018, the word “overtourism ” was chosen as the Oxford English Dictionary ’ s word of the year, referring to the negative effects of overloading the area, declining quality of life and environmental damage caused by the influx of tourists to tourist attractions.
For example, Venice, Italy, which has long been affected by “overtourism ”, is not a“ once in a lifetime ” – the local population is only 50,000, and the number of daily tourists has exceeded the local population; during peak season, the number of daily visitors has even doubled.
I have friends who visited the place more than a decade ago, and they all agreed to say that people are crowded and will not go again.
In addition to Venice, some European cities or small islands with a tourism-led economy (such as the Canarias in Spain) also face the problem of job opportunities, high prices, and a homogenization of shops. Multinational companies invest heavily in hotels and holiday cottages, which also lead to higher rents, which locals can ’ t afford.
Even if tourism brings a lot of jobs to the region, it does not mean that the average person can earn a living wage.
People in these places understand the importance of tourism to the local economy, but they do not want the tourism industry to be unlimited, resulting in the resources of the whole place are only for the service of tourists.
"Tourism Hazards" and How to Deal with them
In Japanese society after the epidemic, a similar term, "tourism nuisance", has also appeared to describe problems such as traffic, noise, nuisance, and garbage pollution caused by too many tourists.
This phenomenon, in addition to the popularity of exchange rates, affordable air tickets, and people's desire to travel after the epidemic, social media will also have the effect of focusing on specific hot spots.
In the era of image-led, everyone can follow the picture, some places that were not originally planned as tourist attractions have begun to face sudden overcrowding.
Hong Kong people who love to visit Japan will not be unfamiliar with two “attractions ”: the Daokou near Enojima Electric Railway ’ s Kamakura University Station, and a Lawson convenience store in Kawaguchi-cho.
The former is the "holy place" of the popular manga "When Men are in the bottle". In recent years, the crossing has been congested with traffic due to frequent visits by tourists to "punch", local people can not get on the electric train, and some tourists are dangerous for taking good photos. Lawson is also a "punch" attraction, and the picture is a convenience store with a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. of tourists are constantly crossing the road and parking without permission, causing local residents to feel troubled.
Too many tourists can also lead to a decline in the quality of service, even in Japan, which values the spirit of “work people ”.
When I visited Japan last year, I saw some shops find ways to deal with “tourism hazards ” on their own, such as not allowing diners to take photos in the store, so that after the photos are uploaded to social media, it will cause more people to come and see them; limiting the number of diners to the number of people that the staff can serve, even if the seats are not full.
However, some tourists always find it difficult to understand the intentions behind these arrangements, and I have heard some tourists complain: "Obviously there is still a place, why not let us sit?"
When these conflicts can no longer be handled by businesses and residents themselves, how to strike a balance between “tourism ” and“ public nuisance ” will gradually become a policy issue.
The most extreme way to deal with it is to “eliminate ” popular attractions – coincidentally, the authorities of Kawaguchiko recently erected a 20-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high“ black curtain ” in front of Lawson to drive away tourists who came to take photos.
The reason why the authorities have to take extreme measures is that management alone can not prevent tourists from rushing out of the road, which is actually to "play the spot".
In addition, there are more and more tourist cities and hotspots charging tourists "admission fees" or "admission fees", but this method can not play a large role.
In Venice, for example, the city has been charging a 5 euro entry fee (about HK $42) to “overnight ” travelers since last month.
However, these fees simply cannot curb the huge demand for tourists, and the revenue is mainly used as a financial source to cope with "excessive travel", which can only cure the symptoms, not the root cause.
The Real Meaning of “Travel Everywhere ”
At this point, some people may point out that the above problems will only become problems if we succeed in attracting tourists to Hong Kong; what we have to focus on is how to get more people to come to Hong Kong.
However, how much tourism can bring to a city depends on the management and policies of the city, not on the remedial measures that can be taken.
Although the share of tourism industry in Hong Kong's economy is far less than that of the "tourist city" mentioned above, Hong Kong can't wait to see that other places are looking for countermeasures for the "tourism nuisance", and even start to turn to attack, redefine the tourism industry from the planning level and actively promote tourist education.
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for example, the government announced last month that it would ban new hotels and limit the number of cruise ships to return the city to a livable and tourism-friendly city. In Kamakura, Japan, people are no longer concentrated at certain points by decentralizing transportation (such as the launch of electric tricycle rental business) and proactively promoting multiple circumnavigation routes (such as the travel routes at 13 locations of Kamakura Shogunate).
The main disadvantage of post-event remediation is that the difficulty and cost of solving the problem are greatly increased, which will also affect the experience of tourists. More than 10 years ago, the North District of Hong Kong also experienced a pharmacy every few steps, and the situation of residents in the North District driving out water consignors on their own, which hurt the feelings of the people of the two places.
In particular, there are many policy issues that can be foreseen in advance, and we do not have to go through them personally before we know what the problem is (for example, the legal problems faced by cleaners under the garbage levy will not be known until the moment of trial).
Since there is a great deal of experience and policy measures in various places to refer to, the “Special Class ” must also strike a balance between tourism and city operations when formulating tourist routes and supporting packages, otherwise the attraction will only lead to losses. After the city of Kamakura solved the problem of overcrowding of tourists, the tourism industry representative of Kanagawa Prefecture (that is, the seat of Kamakura City) pointed out:“ Attraction is not tourism. ” The amount of time it takes to win is certainly not appropriate.
“Travel Everywhere ” is not just about adding tourist attractions, but promoting quality tourism in a more nuanced and proactive way to avoid problems.
The author is a public policy consultant.
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This can lead to a range of negative consequences, including overcrowding, pollution, and degradation of natural habitats.

In some cases, overtourism can also lead to the displacement of local residents, as housing is converted into tourist accommodations, driving up rents and making it difficult for locals to afford living in their own communities.

Title:

Content: Global News
The world today - spraying with water guns..
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
You are now following the news of spraying with water guns.
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
From the World News section and now we leave you with the full details
SAHAD MOHAMMED - Abu Dhabi on Friday 19 July 2024 04: 25 PM - Spain's tourism unrest has reached its peak in the past few days, with some locals in Barcelona spraying tourists with water guns and canned drinks, asking them to go back to where they came from.
Angry residents, numbering about 3,000, blocked the entrances to hotels and cafes in the Barceloneta neighborhood in a symbolic attempt to express their indignation at the excessive tourist overcrowding in their city.
This is not the first time tourism has been highlighted as a problem in Spain, where the country, which attracted 85 million visitors in 2023, has seen a series of protests against excessive tourism in the country, especially in the city of Barcelona with a population of 1.6 million, which received more than 7.8 million visitors in 2023, leaving many locals unable to afford to live there due to high rental prices.
Fear of Protests in Europe
Spain ’ s overcrowding problem, and the decision to confront it by locals, has highlighted the potential for anti-tourist protests to spread to the rest of Europe ’ s heavily tourist-ridden cities, as UNESCO ’ s Sustainable Tourism Project chief Peter Debrin warned.
The protests will certainly spread if European officials fail to address the negative impact of mass tourism on the lives of the local population, DeBrin says, noting that the situation in Spain has become very volatile, as the coming of civil society and its attempt to bring about change is critical, after all elected officials must respond to what the residents of their cities want.
He cited the 2021 ban on large cruise ships in Venice, Italy, which was passed after protests by residents, as cruise ships no longer pass through the Grand Canal, but are now docked away from Venice, helping to preserve the city ’ s structural and environmental integrity.
But despite the decision to ban large cruise ships in Venice, passengers continue to flock to its narrow lanes in the thousands, with Venice expected to attract about 540,000 cruise passengers this year, an increase of 9 percent compared to 2023, according to the North Adriatic Ports Authority.
In a bid to reduce crowds, Venice has imposed a 5 euro ($5.45) tourist tax on peak days this year, a measure that has so far failed to rein in tourist numbers, Euronews reported.
Quality rather than quantity tourism
Like Venice, Barcelona residents have long struggled with the global popularity of their city: every year, fewer locals say tourism benefits the city, while more people feel it is harmful, according to a survey conducted by the Barcelona City Council in 2023.
UNESCO ’ s Sustainable Tourism Project Chief Officer Peter Debrin believes that Barcelona, which handles too many travelers, could join cities and countries that rely on a “quality over quantity ” tourism strategy – prioritizing high-spending travelers, rather than budget ones – a strategy that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, when safety and employment concerns pushed destinations around the world to take in fewer affordable travelers. Instead of a lot of budget travelers.
Debrin said Barcelona ’ s reliance on a “quality rather than quantity ” tourism strategy helps correct another problem plaguing the city: tourists who behave badly, noting that for Barcelona residents, it ’ s not just about visitor numbers, but also how people behave, with Spaniards complaining for years about tourists drinking too much, throwing garbage and cigarettes on the streets.
Debrin called on tourists to be more aware in their travel decisions, suggesting focusing on beautiful cities with fascinating tourist and cultural attractions, which are in need of more tourists.
Civil Society Demands
Civil society groups are calling on Barcelona officials to implement a number of policies aimed at “declining tourism growth, ” such as increased tourism taxes, restrictions on cruise ships, and restrictions on short-term rental housing, just like the steps being explored in Amsterdam to crack down on buses, boutiques, new hotels and short-term rentals. In 2023, it asks some visitors, especially young British tourists, to“ stay away ” if they are travelling to the city for drugs or partying.
The most popular Spanish cities with tourists
The General Coordinator of the Association of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Mediterranean States (ASCAME) Anwar Zebawi, said in an interview to the site "Economy dot Gulf", that some tourist destinations in Spain already suffer from the problem of overcrowding, and these destinations are Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid and Valencia, as these four cities attract tourists more than their capacity, and the problem is that the largest number of these tourists, come in specific months of the year. Sixty percent of all tourists who visit Barcelona each year do so during the months between July and September, creating severe congestion, while the other 40 percent is spread over the rest of the year.
Amplify for protests
Zibawi stressed that what everyone should realize, is that there is a kind of amplification of the recent protests in Barcelona,   the city has not witnessed "major" demonstrations against tourists, as the problem of the local population is never with tourists, and the people who have been sprayed with water, very few and may not exceed the fingers of one hand, pointing out that what happened was directed against those who rent houses as hotel houses. Real estate, largely, deprived the local population, especially young people, of the possibility of obtaining apartments at an appropriate rental price.
Causes of tourist overcrowding in Barcelona
Zibawi explains that one of the reasons that contribute to excessive tourist congestion in Barcelona,   is to allow tourists to stay in tourist houses and chaos in this area, the city contains about 10 thousand houses that have a license to do these works, while there are about 30 thousand hotels operating without a license and in a way contrary to the law, the offer of houses for rent at competitive prices, in addition to cheap flights available in Europe make the cost of travel to Barcelona tourist destinations. This has exacerbated the phenomenon of excessive tourism.
European cities where protests could spread
According to Zibawi, the European cities that can witness objections from the local population because of their suffering from excessive tourism, are Rome, Venice, some Italian islands, Crete in Greece, and some other Greek islands, while Amsterdam in the Netherlands, suffer from the problem of excessive tourism only, in some weeks of the year, especially at the end of the year. year.
Paris found a solution.
Zibawi pointed out that Paris had a major problem with the subject of overcrowding of tourists, and therefore prevented the work of hotel houses and raised the prices of hotels, where she saw that these steps contribute to making the cost of travel high, which prevents the tourist who does not have enough money to come, and this limits the phenomenon of overcrowding, pointing out that if the principle of quality tourism instead of quantity in Barcelona, this may solve the problem of overcrowding and contribute to the distribution of tourists in other areas. Spain.
Solutions that can be resorted to
For his part, Amer Daboussi, executive partner of Eagle Travel Travel, said in an interview with Eqtisad.al-Khaleej that cities suffering from tourist congestion can face this phenomenon by adopting a policy of "quality rather than quantity", where this policy focuses on imposing high standards of hospitality to attract rich or well-resourced tourists, and get rid of the large numbers of tourists from the middle category. h its reception, which reduces the negative effects on the local community.
Dabbousi believes that cities can also resort to the solutions of imposing tourism taxes on foreign visitors, raising hotel prices, restricting the work of hotel house rental applications by imposing financial fees on these apartments and using the revenues collected to improve infrastructure in tourist areas, in addition to the need for affected countries to market new tourist destinations within them, which contributes to attracting visitors to areas outside the main tourist centers.
Excessive damage from tourism
Cities facing the challenges of overcrowding, such as Bangkok in Thailand, Paris in France and New York in the United States, as well as some Greek and Spanish cities, must take measures to manage tourism sustainably and distribute tourism pressure in a way that preserves the quality of life of local residents and respects local culture. Eat and drink, making life more expensive for local residents.
We hope that we have succeeded in conveying the full details of the spraying with water guns..
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
In God ’ s care and protection.
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For example, in Barcelona, Spain, the influx of tourists has led to a significant increase in rent prices, making it challenging for locals to find affordable housing.

Similarly, in Venice, Italy, the large number of tourists has put a strain on the city's infrastructure, leading to concerns about the preservation of its cultural and historical heritage.

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Content:
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Sedona Film Festival presents ‘Crowded Out’

“Crowded Out” is a powerful short documentary exploring over-tourism, featuring interviews with local residents and global experts. (Image provided by SIFF)

Originally Published: September 14, 2022 8:43 p.m.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the third film in its four-week Sustainable Tourism Film Series. “Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism” will show on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre at 4 p.m. The event will also include a selection of “Sustainable Travel: Where Next?” short films along with a panel discussion.

“Crowded Out” is a powerful short documentary exploring overtourism, featuring interviews with local residents and global experts.

Overtourism occurs when there are too many visitors to a particular destination. When rent prices push out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals, when narrow roads become jammed with tourist vehicles, when tourists cannot view landmarks because of the crowds – these are all signs of overtourism.

And it is the backlash from local residents that has made overtourism news. Cities such as Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik, and places once thought of as remote such as Iceland and Skye have suffered firsthand, and the protests by local residents have spread.

There has been decades of virtually uncontrolled growth, and it has crossed a threshold: in many destinations, tourism now demonstrably creates more problems than benefits.

This special event will also include a selection of short films from “Sustainable Travel: Where Next?” This series includes short-form documentary films, featuring insightful stories from the global travel and tourism sector showing how they are driving sustainable travel and protecting these precious destinations.

Following the screenings, there will be a panel discussion with representatives the City of Sedona, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, Keep Sedona Beautiful and the tourism and hospitality industry here.

“Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.

The final film in the Sustainable Tourism Series is:

Thursday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. “Vendemmia”

The environmental impacts of overtourism are also significant, with increased pollution, waste, and carbon emissions contributing to climate change.

Title:

Content: Featured ArticlesInternational
World Travel and Tourism Summit reveals global climate footprint data for travel and tourism
Regions _ Followers
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched environmental and social research on the climate footprint of the global travel and tourism industry.
This came during the 22nd World Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, organized by the World Travel and Tourism Council in cooperation with the Global Center for Tourism Sustainability in the capital Riyadh.
Environmental and social research covers 185 countries on all continents, the first of its kind at the international level, and will be updated annually with the latest figures, including measures that monitor the sector ’ s impact on a range of indicators, including pollutants, energy sources and water use, as well as social data, age data and gender wages in jobs related to the travel and tourism sector. Accuracy.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), announced in her opening speech the results of Environmental and Social Research (ESR).
One of the largest research projects, the World Travel and Tourism Council will be able to provide accurate reports and track the impact of various industry activities on the environment.
She explained that the tourism and travel sector is making great strides in decarbonization, stressing a focus in increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuel supported by government incentives, and also to greater use of renewable energy in national public electricity grids so as to promote the use of sustainable energy in hotel rooms.
The sector ’ s 8.1% share of the carbon footprint can be impacted by becoming more efficient and decoupling growth from the amount of energy consumed starting today, she said, noting that every decision and every step towards change will lead to a better and brighter future for all.
For his part, His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ahmed Al-Khatib, expressed his pleasure for the participation of the World Travel and Tourism Council in this important research that will follow the impact of future activities, stressing that the Kingdom recognizes that travelers and investors want policies that promote sustainability in the sector and that the Kingdom has embarked on a phase to make it a leader in the field of sustainable tourism.
“Within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative, we launched more than 60 initiatives last year to achieve this goal, the first batch of initiatives was investments in the green economy worth more than $186 billion, ” he said.
Previous estimates have indicated that the global travel and tourism sector is responsible for up to 11% of all global emissions, however, leading research by the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the sector ’ s total greenhouse gas emissions reached only 8.1% in 2019 globally. Thermal.
These emissions have continued to decline continuously since 2010, as a result of technological developments, as well as the introduction of a number of energy efficiency measures to activities within the sector. Between 2010 and 2019, the GDP of the tourism and travel sector grew at a rate of 4.3% annually, while its environmental impact increased by only 2.4%.
The World Travel and Tourism Council will continue to release new data on the sector ’ s performance in these indicators over the course of 2023.
Governments around the world will have a tool to guide their decision-making and more accurately accelerate the process of environmental change.
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In addition, the demand for resources such as water and energy can put a strain on local supplies, leading to shortages and increased costs.

For instance, a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council found that the tourism sector is responsible for around 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, the extraction of resources such as water and energy can have negative impacts on local ecosystems, leading to the degradation of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity.

Title:

Content: The Truth Behind GDP “Wealth ” The Problem of Economic Growth
Without enough insanity, there can be no fundamental change.
In this case, insanity comes from being out of the ordinary, having the courage to reject immutability, and creating the future.
- Thomas.
by Thomas Sankara
Let us imagine ourselves succeeding: poor countries have been freed from the constraints of structural adjustment and have an equal voice in global governance organizations; and the rebalancing of international trade rules has given poor countries fair trade opportunities.
They suddenly found themselves free to formulate economic policies based solely on the national interest, without coercion or threat of invasion by the powerful, and to adopt the developmentalist methods that they achieved in the 1960s and 1970s, including nationalizing oil resources and mines, taking back control of telecommunications and water infrastructure, protecting domestic industries with high tariffs, and nurturing businesses until they could compete with the rest of the world. Agribusiness enterprises to ensure that small farmers have a stable land and provide subsidies to promote national food security. As domestic industry developed, these policies created more jobs in the country, and unions fought for decent wages for workers, so the middle class began to increase.
With rising income growth and falling poverty rates, hunger has become a thing of the past. With tax havens closing, government revenues rising and no longer burdened with heavy debt, social spending on universal health care and education has been made redundant.
The increase in university enrollment and, as the public health system and access to generic drugs became easier, eventually curbed the ravages of tropical diseases.
This is a convincing vision.
All of these theories are possible in the context of a fairer global economy, but in fact, we still have unsolved problems.
The standard developmentalist model hopes that poor countries can increase their industrial economy and income levels to the level of rich countries.
Of course, this pattern of economic growth will not only increase resource consumption, but also increase waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
This process is normal and even unavoidable to some extent.
Unfortunately, given the planet ’ s resources and ability to absorb greenhouse gases, there is not enough ecological capacity to achieve this goal.
Scientists say that even at the current level of total global resource consumption, the Earth ’ s ecological load is already overloaded by about 60% per year.
These overloads are almost entirely due to excessive consumption in rich countries.
According to data from the Global Footprint Network in Auckland, only 1.8 “global hectares ” are consumed per person per year at the current ecological capacity of the planet, which is the standard unit for calculating resource use, waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
If this is exceeded, it means that the Earth cannot replenish the resources it consumes or absorb more waste.
In other words, we will be forced onto a path of gradual degradation. 1.8 Global hectares are roughly equal to the average consumption of the average person in Ghana or Guatemala, compared to 4.7 global hectares per person in Europe and 8 global hectares per person in the United States and Canada, which is several times the average share.
To understand how extreme this overconsumption can be, imagine that if each of us were to live like the average citizen in a high-income country, the equivalent of 3.4 Earths would be sufficient.
Most people do not easily feel the impact of overloading the Earth's environment so they do not understand the concept, but more and more scientific data proves this.
Take deforestation as an example: Sixty years ago, 1.6 billion hectares of mature rainforest filled the earth, yet human industry destroyed more than half of them.
Take the soil as an example: 40% of the earth ’ s agricultural soils are severely degraded, mostly because intensive agricultural techniques and fertilizers make the soil no longer fertile, which means that agricultural production will begin to collapse in the near future. 343 Take fish as an example: About 85% of the world ’ s fish resources have been overexploited or depleted, and 344 Haddock production has fallen to 1% of its original level; 345 Halibut production was reduced to 0.2%.
The main reason is overfishing, but it is also partly due to rapid ocean acidification caused by high levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the Earth ’ s atmosphere.
Scientists say that it ’ s not just fish, as many as 140,000 plant and animal species are disappearing every year due to over-exploitation of the Earth ’ s ecosystem. 346 species are dying out hundreds or even thousands of times faster than before the Industrial Revolution, and so fast that scientists classify them as the sixth mass extinction in Earth ’ s history, the last of which occurred about 66 million years ago.
This is only happening at our current level of overall economic activity, that is, the level of resource consumption that exists in rich and poor countries.
If poor countries are to eradicate poverty, it is necessary to increase the consumption of resources, and this will only lead us further to disaster.
Unless, rich countries start to reduce their resource consumption.
The Problem of Economic Growth
Reducing resource consumption in rich countries may sound simple, but it is also a fair and sensible way to do so.
But given the current structure of the economy, this idea is almost entirely off the table.
In fact, almost all economists and politicians focus on the exact opposite: increasing GDP, which means increasing production and resource consumption each year.
Of all the economic thinking today, this is probably the most mainstream idea, so popular that almost no one doubts it.
Because the GDP indicator seems to have always existed, we take it for granted as a measure of economic development, but most people do not know that this indicator has been invented in recent years.
This indicator of the total economy actually comes from the economist Simon.
It was designed by Simon Kuznets and Keynes in the 1930s to help policymakers understand how to get out of the Great Depression.
Its goal is to calculate the monetary value of all the goods and labor produced so that policymakers can have a clearer idea of where the problems are coming from and what solutions are needed.
Gu argues that measures must be taken to help maximize social well-being and to track the progress of human social welfare.
He wants GDP indicators to exclude the value of negative items such as advertising, transportation and policing, because even the growth of these items does not represent an increase in people ’ s living standards.
However, when World War II broke out, Keynes changed this concept, insisting that all money-based projects, even negative ones, must be counted in order to determine how much productivity could be used for the war.
The final Keynesian version of GDP began to run around the world.
GDP was originally a measure of the economy in times of war, which is why the purpose of this measure is so monotonous, even violent.
Because it aggregates all money-based activities, it doesn ’ t care whether they are good or bad for the planet ’ s environment. Deforesting forests and selling timber, developing mountains and mining coal, or extending working hours and the retirement age, all of which increase GDP.
However, GDP cannot calculate the cost, so this indicator cannot measure the value of forests that have lost carbon dioxide absorption, or the loss of mountain forests that have lost homes for endangered species, and it cannot measure the physical and psychological damage caused by overwork.
This metric ignores not only the bad but also the good because it doesn ’ t measure many meaningful activities that aren ’ t based on money.
Growing your own food, cleaning your house, or caring for your elderly parents are not included in GDP because they do not involve any money transactions. They are only counted when a money transaction is generated.
Of course, it is not an absolute error to measure something and exclude something else, because the GDP indicator itself does not have any effect on the real world, it is the increase in GDP that affects us.
Once we start focusing on GDP growth, we are not only promoting the various economic behaviors measured by GDP, but also encouraging them to grow indefinitely.
That ’ s what we ’ ve been doing since the 1960s.
During the Cold War, in order to adjudicate the boring “race ” between the West and the Soviet Union, GDP began to be widely used, and politicians on both sides suddenly began to be enthusiastic about increasing GDP.
Gu has warned people that GDP should not be seen as a normal measure of economic success because it would cause too much damage.
But then people started doing it, and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund quickly extended the indicator to the rest of the world.
Today, governments in almost every country, rich or poor, are focused on the single goal of increasing GDP.
Generally speaking, if we want the global economy to function well, we need at least 2% to 3% annual GDP growth.
If growth falls below this rate, economists will tell people that the economy is in crisis; if growth falls to zero, economists will tell people that the entire economic system is about to collapse.
So, what will be the level of growth that will make the global economy work well?
In 2015, global GDP reached $73 trillion, and 3% growth means an additional $2 trillion, which is the value we must produce for the global economy next year in order to maintain economic stability. $2 trillion is about the GDP of the United Kingdom.
Imagine all the cars, televisions, houses, factories, barrels of oil and other products that the UK produces every year, keeping in mind that there are as many goods as mountains, that is, the amount of production that people have to increase in the next year on top of the world ’ s original production.
And because this growth is exponential rather than linear, it means that people have to add more in the following year and more in the following year.
The compound multiplier is very powerful, with a growth rate of 4.5% roughly the total growth that governments around the world want to achieve, so that the volume of goods will double every 16 years and quadruple every 32 years.
For example, if ancient Egypt had 1 cubic meter of assets and was growing at a rate of 4.5% per year, by the end of its 3,000 years of culture, all ancient Egyptian assets needed 2.5 billion solar systems to be stored.
Therefore, scientists should really realize that infinite exponential growth is extremely absurd.
Imagine that we follow this trajectory indefinitely to deny the most obvious fact that the Earth has its physical limits.
As David Attenborough has made clear, “Anyone who thinks he can achieve unlimited growth on a finite planet is either a madman or an economist. ”
What happens to the world when the current level of economic activity exceeds the planet ’ s ecological capacity and we still consider exponential growth?
The future that is coming seems to be miserable.
Scientists point out that tropical mature forests will disappear by 2050, and species diversity will decline by another 10%. 347 Compared to 1950, the current average amount of seafood that can be harvested will be reduced by more than 90%.
Most major metals, such as gold, silver, copper and zinc, as well as many key metals used in renewable energy technologies, such as lead, indium and antimony, are about to run out.
If Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are to be believed, they might be able to mine the moon and asteroids for metal instead.
But mining for minerals from other planets will not help much for the planet ’ s forests and fish, nor will it help the planet ’ s soil crisis.
Because, at the current rate of soil depletion, the world ’ s farmland surface soils will be more or less unusable by 2050, and will no longer exist by 2075.
Despite these obvious problems with GDP growth, for some reason GDP growth is equal to human progress.
We believe that life gets better when the GDP indicator goes up – our incomes increase and we have more jobs, which means that society has better schools, hospitals, etc.
That may have been the case in the past, but when the world is empty and human footprints do not have much impact on the face of the planet, unfortunately, that argument will no longer hold.
Over the past half century, U.S. GDP has grown steadily, but median income has stagnated, poverty has risen, and inequality has increased.
The same is true across the globe, where, while global real GDP has nearly doubled since 1980, the number of people living in poverty on less than $5 a day has increased by more than 1.1 billion.
Why is this the case?
Because at some point, the full growth of domestic production will start to lead to more negative outcomes than positive ones, that is, “ills ” than wealth. 352 Because there will be no more accumulation of capital that will not directly harm other people ’ s fields, such as enclosures, soil degradation, water pollution, human exploitation or climate change.
We have reached the point where GDP growth creates more poverty than it reduces.
As global political institutions put their weight on increasing GDP, humans and nature are under enormous pressure.
We can see countries presented in different ways, such as land grabs in India, privatisation of public services in the UK, deforestation in the Amazon basin in Brazil, and fracking and oil sands extraction in the US and Canada.
If you look at the negative consequences of increasing GDP from a global perspective, it is longer working hours, more expensive housing prices, land depletion, urban pollution, and a waste of marine resources, especially climate change.
All of these negative outcomes are to increase GDP, and those who resist this destructive trend will feel powerless, a sense of powerlessness that comes from government indifference.
According to the government ’ s most important indicators of progress, destruction must continue at all costs.
This is not because of the destructive power within humans, but because humans have rules that encourage behavior in destructive ways.
As the economist Joseph Stiglitz once said, “What we measure affects our behavior. ”
If we take the wrong things into account, then mistakes will follow. ”
It is worth noting that as long as GDP growth remains the main goal of global economic development, the solutions we described in the previous chapter may not be achieved. As the system desperately seeks the boundaries of capital accumulation, the pressure on GDP growth translates into pressure for increased debt, more structural adjustment, and free trade, and more monetization.
At least as far as the current economic organization is concerned, this is still a necessary condition for the sustainable development of our economy.
(This article is written by Jason.
Hekker, “Why Are Some Countries Save The More Poor? ” (Exposing the Dark Insider of Global Inequality & Solution), Savage Culture
Extended reading
Officially defined poverty lines make poverty an anomaly.
High-tech systems exacerbate discrimination against the poor
Hong Jingshu: Algorithms for Making Poverty Injustice

The social impacts of overtourism can be just as significant, with local communities often feeling overwhelmed and displaced by the influx of tourists.

In some cases, overtourism can lead to the erosion of local culture and traditions, as tourist-oriented businesses and activities replace traditional ones.

For example, in Sedona, Arizona, the growth of tourism has led to concerns about the preservation of the area's natural beauty and cultural heritage.

In addition, the influx of tourists can put a strain on local services, including healthcare, education, and transportation.

The economic impacts of overtourism are complex and multifaceted, with both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, tourism can generate significant revenue and create jobs for local communities.

However, the benefits of tourism are often unevenly distributed, with large corporations and tour operators capturing a significant share of the revenue.

In addition, the growth of tourism can lead to increased costs and prices for local residents, making it difficult for them to afford basic necessities.

For instance, a study by the Global Footprint Network found that the average person in Europe consumes around 4.7 global hectares of resources per year, while the average person in the United States consumes around 8 global hectares.

To address the issue of overtourism, it is essential to adopt a sustainable tourism approach that prioritizes the needs of local communities and the environment.

This can involve implementing measures such as tourist taxes, quotas, and regulations to manage the number of visitors and reduce the negative impacts of tourism.

In addition, it is crucial to invest in sustainable tourism infrastructure, such as renewable energy and sustainable transportation systems.

For example, the city of Barcelona has implemented a range of measures to manage tourism, including a tourist tax and regulations on short-term rentals.

Similarly, the Sedona International Film Festival has launched a sustainable tourism initiative to promote environmentally-friendly tourism practices.

In conclusion, overtourism is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive and sustainable approach to address its social, environmental, and economic impacts.

By prioritizing the needs of local communities and the environment, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry that benefits both tourists and locals alike.

As noted by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism sector has the potential to be a positive force for sustainable development, but it requires careful management and planning to avoid the negative impacts of overtourism.

Ultimately, it is up to governments, businesses, and individuals to work together to create a more sustainable tourism industry that prioritizes the well-being of people and the planet.


The Russian government is taking steps to prevent excessive borrowing of foreign words, especially from English, in the Russian language.

A law has been passed to protect the Russian language from excessive use of foreign words, and a special commission is working on creating a normative dictionary of the Russian language.

The law prohibits the use of foreign words in official documents and public speeches, unless there are no Russian equivalents.

In addition, the government is encouraging the use of Russian language in all spheres of life, including education, media, and business.

The city of Krasnodar has even gone so far as to ban the use of foreign words in shop signs and advertisements.

Similarly, in Ghana, there is a debate about the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in lower primary schools, with some arguing that it hinders the learning of English.

However, unlike Russia, Ghana does not have laws regulating borrowings from English, but rather encourages the use of English as the official language.

In Nigeria, there are concerns about the country's debt to China, with some experts warning that the country may lose key national assets if it defaults on its loans.

In contrast to Russia, Nigeria's language policy does not restrict the use of foreign words, including English, which is the country's official language.

Overall, while some governments like Russia are actively working to prevent borrowings from English, others like Ghana and Nigeria do not have such regulations in place.

The Russian government is taking steps to prevent excessive borrowing of foreign words, especially from English, in the Russian language.

Title:

Content: In Russia, they are determined to protect the language from excessive saturation with borrowings
The Russian language is one of the most popular in Eurasia, and attempts to abolish our culture have failed.
© Video: TRK "Zvezda" © Photo: TRK "Zvezda"
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Store, Department, Home and other foreign words in the names of shops, cafes and restaurants in Krasnodar soon will not be.
The Cuban capital decided to abandon all foreign names.
The Cuban authorities obliged entrepreneurs to translate business into Russian.
“A sign in a foreign language or using transliteration or a sign in Russian has a big difference.
In part of the fact that 100% of our population can read, understand the sign in Russian.
And many, by ignorance and age, do not even understand what is written on these signs, ” said the chief architect of Krasnodar Artem Salamatin.
So far, the business has been given time until September 1.
But many entrepreneurs are ready to change now.
“Everything will be in Russian.
We will translate the site into Russian.
We'll change everything.
With pleasure, ” entrepreneur Hovhannes Hovhannisyan shared.
Words borrowed from foreign languages became an integral part of Russian many centuries ago.
Massive in our speech, they appeared in different iconic historical periods.
For example, the Mongol invasion.
And after the Patriotic War of 1812 - there were a lot of gallicisms, that is, French words.
Now in conversations predominate borrowing from English.
“We began to use foreign words very actively in areas where such activity had not been observed before.
First of all, it is the public sphere.
Social sphere.
Where actually came a lot of foreign words ”, – said the Chairman of the Association of teachers of literature and Russian language Lyudmila Dudova.
Russia is now determined to protect the language from excessive saturation with borrowings.
President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law “on mandatory observance of the norms of the modern Russian language when using it as a state language. ”
What specific rules are we talking about?
It's not clear yet.
They are compiled by a special government commission.
“The normative dictionary of the Russian language will be a single consistent comprehensive publication, which will be formed on the basis of dictionaries of the Russian language.
Interpretive, spelling, ” explained Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Tatiana Vasilyeva.
Thus, foreign words should disappear as much as possible from all official documents.
In addition, officials should not use anglicisms and other borrowings during public speeches and generally avoid them in their speech.
“There are so many wonderful and beautiful words in the Russian language.
But why then instead of the word mentor we say coach.
Well, it doesn't sound.
It seems to me that we need to get rid of such words that are imposed, ” said Lyudmila Skakovskaya, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture.
This law, according to officials, should protect the Russian language from attacks from abroad, where they have long been trying to abolish all Russian.
But now these sentiments have intensified even more.
The Kiev regime has long declared war on our culture and heritage.
Throughout the country, the monument to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin is being demolished, because it is he who is considered the creator of the modern literary Russian language.
And it was the language issue that became one of the main reasons for the bloody confrontation in the East of Ukraine in 2014.
Residents of Donbass then did not agree with the nationalists, they did not refuse the Russian language.
“They use the term underdogs.
All these years, when the Maidan happened, they etched Russian in the Donbass, for them it is a symbol of communication.
The Russian world is hysterical.
What connects the Russian world?
The Russian language, ” said political scientist Yuri Svetov.
The fact that our language and culture need protection is also said by the leaders of other neighboring states.
During the autumn meeting of the heads of the CIS countries in Astana, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on his colleagues to create an organization for the protection of the Russian language.
“Our idea is to create an international organization in the image and likeness of the UN.
Using the positive experience of Francophonie.
The headquarters of which is located in Paris, ” said President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Rossotrudnichestvo recently conducted its own study abroad, which showed that openly Russophobic sentiments are present only among politicians.
But ordinary people continue to willingly learn our language and culture.
According to the United Nations, Russian is spoken by 258 million people worldwide.
It is one of the most popular in Eurasia, and attempts to abolish our culture have failed.
Abroad, Dostoevsky, Pushkin and other Russian classics are also read.
Expert opinion and analytics
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read below the following news

A law has been passed to protect the Russian language from excessive use of foreign words, and a special commission is working on creating a normative dictionary of the Russian language.

The law prohibits the use of foreign words in official documents and public speeches, unless there are no Russian equivalents.

Title:

Content: city news Yelets, news Yelets, Yelets news, Yelets newspaper, Red banner
Better than any passport.
0 0
The Russian government has submitted to the state Duma a bill to protect the Russian language from excessive use of foreign words.
The document implies control over the observance by officials and citizens of the norms of the Russian literary language and the inadmissibility of the use of foreign words, with the exception of those that do not have common analogues in the Russian language.
"Wet feet"
by "toptalische"
Fighters for the purity of the native language waited, because the discussion about it among linguists, writers, scientists goes on constantly, then quiet, then flaring up with renewed vigor.
The initiative of the Government of Russia, which decided to wedge itself into the disputes of professionals, is quite understandable and understandable.
Today, when the United States and the entire Western world are in a rush to destroy, eradicate, wipe out all Russian, the frequent use of Anglicisms in everyday life is at least unpatriotic.
In fairness, it should be noted that borrowing from other languages is a constant process.
Lenin also proposed "to declare war on the use of foreign words unnecessarily", and the intricacies of relations and mutual accusations of Slavophiles and Westerners entered the textbooks, as well as the textbook proposals to replace other people's "galoshes" with their "wet feet", and "sidewalks" - with "toptalisches".
In the 1940s, a new wave: the struggle against cosmopolitanism suggested “for everything Russian against foreign ”, including in the language.
A printer is a printer?
Meanwhile, all – both supporters and opponents – agree that there are concepts in their native language that came after the phenomena, realities created in other countries, and therefore the words denoting them, well, not ours, but they can not do without them.
A striking example is the computer, IT technologies and everything related to them.
The word “printer ” cannot be replaced by a Russian translation from English, since“ printer ” does not mean a device for printing, but a person engaged in this process.
By the way, this phenomenon is not new: even under Peter I, who “cut through the window to Europe ”, dozens of Dutch and German words for technologies and mechanisms poured into Russia.
And in opera, many terms are borrowed from Italian and have long been part of the Russian language.
And we calmly use such words as “federation ”,“ sphere ”, “national ”,“ commission ” and many others that came from foreign languages, but are firmly entrenched in our own.
How to be
in one bow
Meanwhile, one cannot but agree with the authors of the bill: recently, the speech of deputies of different ranks, officials, political and economic experts, heads of federal and regional, and sometimes local authorities is simply replete with foreign words that have simple and understandable analogues in their native language.
And if we are almost reconciled with merchandisers (commodity scientists in our own way), then what do you think of the expression from the fashion world “in one bow ”?
The well-known vegetable has nothing to do with it: in English look - look, therefore, in Russian it is an image, appearance, look, etc. In texts related to business, "marketplace" (literally from the English place of trade), as well as "startup" (start, start, take the first steps) or "webinar" (training video conference live).
In the field of education, they like to talk about “bullying prevention ”: this word means ridicule, bullying of children at school by peers.
Increasingly, “campus ” sounds, while the translation from Latin is a familiar campus for many of us, or“ coach ” instead of the usual “coach ”,“ mentor ”.
Abilympics
with WorldSkills
I will also swing at my favorite “quest ” recently: again with the English“ game, search ”.
I do not like the sequestered budget, because it is “cut ”, but transparent is more to my liking, because it is“ open ”, “transparent ”.
And who will prove to me that “exchange of practices ” is better than the usual“ exchange of experience ”?
Or for days on TV reported about the participation of Russians in the championship "Abilympics".
You will break the language by pronouncing, although this is only a competition in professional skills among the disabled, in another way they are also called the “Olympics of opportunities ”.
From the same series, the widely distributed “WorldSkills ” (WorldSkills) is also a competition, but students studying a particular profession.
We have such competitions took place in the times of the USSR, then they were safely forgotten, and now they are back again, only in a Western manner.
And here is another illustrative example: the all-Russian social project “Agrofoodsharing ”.
We divide abracadabra into parts: agro - of course, something related to agriculture.
In English, food – food, share – share.
As a result, we get a movement of agricultural producers who want to share with other people the surplus of their crops.
The idea, of course, is good, right, but why break the language?
And finally from the sore: "solving cases." Brilliant!
In English, the word “case ” has two meanings: a briefcase, a suitcase and the second – circumstances.
Therefore, in Russian literally "the decision of circumstances" or, as the know-it-all Internet interprets, "the study of the situation and the choice of a suitable solution."
They will leave themselves
on your own?
Most likely, the desire to cleanse the language by introducing a law at the state level is an attempt to distance oneself from the West, its influence, to isolate oneself from someone else ’ s and alien mentality, lifestyle and dubious values.
However, it is not very clear what it will look like in practice: will there be lists of prohibited words and expressions or just recommendations, and addressed to high-ranking officials and other “persons in the TV ” – after all, it is with their filing that all sorts of newfangled borrowings from foreign languages often go“ to people ”.
However, a few decades ago, our teachers at the Yelets Pedagogical Institute hammered us, students, that the language is a self-cleaning system, and all harmful, fake after a while will simply disappear.
It has always been so, and I want to believe it will be so.
KSTATI:
I assume that all borrowings are from our haste, eternal saving of time even on pronunciation and writing of words.
We usually write in sms a short, indifferent “OK ”.
While in the native language for this almost a dozen words: “good ”,“ okay ”, “agree ”,“ give ”, “let ”,“ good ”, etc. No wonder there is a catch phrase: “Speech is better than any passport ”...
Tatyana SHCHERBATYKH
VRF News

In addition, the government is encouraging the use of Russian language in all spheres of life, including education, media, and business.

The city of Krasnodar has even gone so far as to ban the use of foreign words in shop signs and advertisements.

Similarly, in Ghana, there is a debate about the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in lower primary schools, with some arguing that it hinders the learning of English.

Title:

Content: Use of mother tongue in lower primary unproductive

BY: Augustina Tawiah
Angela Ami Atse

A proofreader and one-time tutor, Angela Ami Atse, has described as unproductive the country’s policy to use only the mother tongue as the medium of instruction for pupils in lower primary schools.

Mrs Atse who is the Assistant Head of Proofreading at Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) explained that that policy was part of the reasons why some pupils in lower primary in the country were unable to speak and write English language very well.

Mrs Atse has, therefore, called for the use of the English language and mother tongue simultaneously as the medium of instruction for pupils in lower primary.

“One of the reasons cited for the introduction of the mother tongue as a medium of instruction in lower primary schools is that, it will help pupils to speak and write good English. But that is not entirely the case. It is also part of the reason lower primary pupils are not speaking English well.

“They are doing literal translation. All languages have one uniform structure — they express number and time (tense) but there are some other structures that are unique to languages. So if the child does not know at what point the transfer of knowledge should be done, that is when the child learns to speak “vernacular English”. They speak English with a vernacular accent and understanding,” she explained.

What does the policy say

Ghana’s current language policy mandates the use of the child’s first language as the language of instruction from kindergarten through Grade Three with English as the LI thereafter. English is taught as a subject in the lower primary grades while Ghanaian languages become a subject of study from Grade Four through Grade Nine. The language policy states:

“Where teachers and learning materials are available and linguistic composition of classes is fairly uniform, the children’s first language must be used as the dominant medium of instruction in kindergarten and lower primary school “(Ministry of Education, Ghana, 2004, pp27-28).

“Instruction in the indigenous languages is limited to the 11 government-sponsored languages, namely Akuapem Twi, Asanti Twi, Fanti, Nzema, Dagaare and Dagbane, Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Gonja and Kasem.

English language as Ghana’s official language

Mrs Atse, who was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, pointed out that so long as English language remained the official language of the country, it was important that the medium of instruction at all levels of education in the country remained English while the mother tongue was left for parents to teach their children at home at the family level.

This, she explained was because, the family was the first agent of socialisation for the child and the child could easily acquire the language spoken by family members compared to the school environment.

She said the multi-ethnic nature of the country was also another challenge adding that it was likely that children were introduced to a local language for the first time in school, which may not necessarily be their mother tongue.

Explaining why it was important for English Language to be used at all levels of education. She pointed out that even in examinations, with the exception of Ghanaian Language, all other subjects, including mathematics, have the instructions and questions written in English so if the child misunderstands the instructions he or she might end up not doing well in the examination.

“If we really want to be part of the world, we cannot abandon English language. We still have to carry English language along because we will be dealing with people who do not speak or write any Ghanaian language.

“How do we communicate with people? How do we do business with foreigners? So we need to develop the language that can link us up with the rest of the world. Of course, we should bring our languages up so that they do not die but that should best be done at home,” she advised.

Poor spoken and written English

The educationist also spoke about poor English language that was written and spoken by both students and adults nowadays, attributing it to the inability of people to learn the language well.

She, therefore, called for intensive reading on the part of students in order to improve on their written and spoken English.

However, unlike Russia, Ghana does not have laws regulating borrowings from English, but rather encourages the use of English as the official language.

In Nigeria, there are concerns about the country's debt to China, with some experts warning that the country may lose key national assets if it defaults on its loans.

Title:

Content: Nigeria risks losing assets to China over $3.48bn loan, experts warn FG

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Economic and financial experts have warned the Federal Government that Nigeria risks losing key national assets to China in the event that it defaults in paying back loans obtained from China which is currently put at $3.48bn.

They spoke against the backdrop of the possible takeover of Uganda’s only international airport and other key assets over the East African country’s inability to repay a $207m loan obtained on November 17, 2015 from the Export-Import Bank of China.

The loan has a maturity period of 20 years including a seven-year grace period. According to the deal signed with the Chinese lenders, Uganda will have to surrender its only international airport.

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority said some provisions of the financing agreement with China exposed the Entebbe International Airport and other Ugandan assets which might be taken over by Chinese lenders upon arbitration in Beijing.

China has reportedly rejected recent pleas by Uganda to renegotiate the toxic clauses of the 2015 loan.

This came as Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in August 2020 hinted about the possibility of Nigeria forfeiting its assets to China in the event of loan default.

Amaechi reportedly said Nigeria had waived immunity on a loan, which means China could take the country to arbitration in the event of a default.

The minister, however, added that there would be no need for China to claim any infrastructure once Nigeria repaid its loans to the Asian country.

 “We must learn to pay our debts and we are paying, and once you are paying, nobody will come and take any of your assets,” Amaechi said.

However, financial analysts hinted about the possibility of Nigeria forfeiting key national assets to China if the country defaulted on its $3.48bn loans.

They also advised the Federal Government to properly review the loan agreements with China to save the country from facing a situation similar to that of Uganda.

The Chief Executive Officer of SD&D Capital Management, Idakolo Gbolade, said Nigeria might forfeit certain assets in the event of a loan default.

Asked if Nigeria faced any risks on its China loans, Gbolade said, “Yes, it is very possible. If you remember about a year ago, there was serious concern in the National Assembly on the loans given by the Chinese Exim Bank to us, and I am sure the loan clause also includes forfeiture of national assets.”

The expert, however, expressed confidence that Nigeria was capable of paying back its debt.

An economist and professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo, Akpan Ekpo, said the development in Uganda was worrisome and exemplified some of the dangers of borrowing from external sources.

He, therefore, advised the government to ensure that loan agreements with China were properly appraised.

Ekpo said, “It is an issue of concern; that is why in any loan agreement with China, we have to read in between the lines. We have to make sure we really understand their agreements.

“We should make sure that Nigerians are involved in the loan negotiation process. Experts should be carried along so that they can properly understand both the agreement in English and in Chinese.

“If the loans have clauses that may cost us our assets or even our sovereignty – as the debate was earlier in the year – that would be disastrous.

“So they should take experts with them when they go to negotiate the loans they collect from China, not just people from foreign affairs.”

A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Sheriffdeen Tella, equally expressed a similar view, stressing that all loan agreements between Nigeria and external sources should be properly studied by experts.

He said, “It could happen to any African country because they are all thinking of borrowing. But I think that since people have kept the conversation alive now, the government will be very careful with loans collected from China.

“There is, however, the need for an assessment of government external debt from different sources now. We have to start looking at it and there is a need to study the documents that contain the agreements of some of these loans to prevent a similar occurrence.

“We need to start asking ‘what are the contents or the conditions of the loans?’ There is also a need for the government to create a means for offsetting such debts.”

The Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, said the country should not have a problem paying back the loan if the economy thrived sufficiently.

He said, “An interest of 2.5 per cent is not high. The key challenge is that did we invest the money in productive assets, and are we getting the value for the money? Was the project cost-optimal?

“It is important to note that investment in infrastructure should lead to an expansion in the country’s ability to generate revenue. If the economy thrives, paying back the loan should not be a problem.

“However, if certain reasonable conditions are not met, it may have a catalytic effect on the economy with the country finding it difficult to pay back the loan.”

Although the Federal Government has been mostly secretive about the terms of the agreement of its China loans, the Debt Management Office has made some statements on them in recent times.

In a statement in June, 2020, the DMO said, “The total borrowings from China of $3.121bn as at March 31, 2020, are concessional loans with interest rates of 2.5 per cent per annum, tenor of 20 years and grace period (moratorium) of seven years.”

According to the DMO, the terms are compliant with the provisions of Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

In addition, the low interest rate reduces the interest cost to government while the long tenor enables the repayment of the principal sum of the loans over many years.

Eleven projects, ranging from water supply, power generation, railways, airport terminals, communication to agricultural processing are funded by the loans acquired.

The Director-General, DMO, Patience Oniha, had in February said, “So far, let’s be very clear that there has not been any default, whether of local or international debt.”

The earliest of the funding agreements between Nigeria and China was signed in 2010 with an interest rate of 2.5 per cent yearly, a repayment period of about 20 years and a grace period of seven years.

If Nigeria is unable to pay its first debt by 2038, the country may have to lease out any of the Chinese-funded projects in Nigeria to China.

The first loan project was for the Nigerian national public security communication system project with $399.50m agreed on December 20, 2010 and disbursed.

The second loan was for the Nigerian railway modernisation project (Wu- Kaduna section) with $500m agreed on December 20, 2010 and disbursed.

While the third loan was for the Abuja light rail project with $500m agreed on November 7, 2012 and disbursed, the fourth loan was targeted at Nigerian ICT infrastructure backbone project with $100m agreed on January 5, 2013 and disbursed.

The fifth loan was meant for the Nigerian four airport terminals’ expansion project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt) with $500m agreed on July 10, 2013 but $455.28m was disbursed, which is 91.06 per cent of the agreed amount.

The sixth loan was for the Nigerian Zungeru hydroelectric power project with $984.32m agreed on September 28, 2013 but only $518.24m was disbursed, which is 52.65 per cent of the agreed amount.

The seventh loan was for the Nigerian 40 parboiled rice processing plants project (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), with $325.67m agreed on April 26, 2016, but nothing was disbursed.

The eighth loan was for the Nigerian railway modernisation project (Lagos – Ibadan section), with $1.27bn agreed on August 18, 2017 but only $759.84m was disbursed, which is 17.50 per cent of the agreed amount.

The ninth loan was targeted at the rehabilitation and upgrading of Abuja-Keffi-Markurdi road project with $460.82m agreed on August 18, 2017 but only $80.64m was disbursed, which is 59.96 per cent of the amount agreed.

The 10th loan was meant for the Nigeria supply of rolling stocks and depot equipment for the Abuja light rail project with $157m agreed on May 29, 2018, but nothing was disbursed.

Lastly, the 11th loan was for the Nigeria greater Abuja water supply project with $381.09m agreed on May 29, 2018, but nothing was disbursed.

In terms of repayments, Nigeria paid $102.68m to China in the first six month of 2021, while it still owes about $3.48bn

Nigeria also paid a total of $102.68m to the Exim Bank of China in the first half of this year.

Nigeria paid an interest fee of $42.54m, which is 73.76 per cent of the principal fee of $57.67m as debt service to the Exim Bank of China in the first three months of 2021

Alongside commitment charges of $1.98m, Nigeria paid a total of $102.20m.

In the second quarter of 2021, Nigeria paid an interest fee of $306,050, without paying the principal fee, as debt service to the Exim Bank of China in the second three months of 2021

Alongside commitment charges of $170,680, Nigeria paid a total of $476,730 in Q2 2021.

The PUNCH had reported that Nigeria spent $591.11m in five years on servicing the debts owed to the Exim Bank of China.

Nevertheless, Nigeria still owes China $3.48bn as of the end of June 2021.

Copyright PUNCH.

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In contrast to Russia, Nigeria's language policy does not restrict the use of foreign words, including English, which is the country's official language.

Overall, while some governments like Russia are actively working to prevent borrowings from English, others like Ghana and Nigeria do not have such regulations in place.