River-Based Cultural Landscapes and the Challenges of Flood Disaster in the Tropics

Olasunmbo 'Bolanle Adhuze ,Dorcas Ayeni

doi:10.7176/jees/9-7-06

Abstract

Cultural Landscapes are unique in their appeal not only to the host communities but more to tourists and serve more than the purpose of mere sightseeing, they are enriched with physical tangible and intangible qualities of our heritage. The history of a people are often woven around such environments because their socio-religious links are without a doubt attached to it. These sites, apart from its historical qualities contain natural elements such as rocks, hills, rivers, caves and are today developed for tourism with so much investment being committed to achieving maximum benefits of tourism. However, with the challenges of climate change and most especially flood for sites which are river-based, hopes may be dashed, and development swept away just in one episode of flood when prevention is not considered. This paper, therefore, examines the challenges of flood on such heritage sites using the Osun-Osogbo Grove as a case study. Observation method was used to gather necessary information from tour guides and frequent users of the site. It holds that in the redesign of such sites, integration of control, mitigation of flood risk and other man-made enclosures is essential to cope with the challenge and therefore prevent destruction. It then discusses some of the ways these design goals can be accomplished. It closes by recommending how the strategies can be propagated to the stakeholders. Keywords - Cultural landscape, Disaster, Flood, Osun Osogbo Grove, Risk Control DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-7-06 Publication date :July 31 st 2019

Highlights

The cultural landscape, a geographical area which is a combined work of nature and man, subjected to time but is gradually becoming a place where people want to be identified with because of the recent global attention that is being paid to it
The tourism industry is a vehicle for promoting cultural exchange that enhances international understanding and goodwill among the diverse peoples of the world, it is a catalyst for enhancing many country destination employment opportunities, foreign exchange and infrastructural facilities, where a wellplanned developmental strategy is put in place. (ESCAP, 2002; cited in Ejaetal, 2012)
6.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION In this work, it has been discovered that the effects of climate change will in no small measure affect tourism, especially in water-based tourist sites which are prone to flood

Summary

Introduction

The cultural landscape, a geographical area which is a combined work of nature and man, subjected to time but is gradually becoming a place where people want to be identified with because of the recent global attention that is being paid to it. These places are primarily developed for tourism in many areas where they are located and are fast becoming a major tourist attractions world over. Tourism in recent times has become a significant income earner, statistics say tourism is the second largest industry that has contributed to the socio-economic growth of many countries (Ejaetal, 2012; Ojo, 2014). Tourism industry promotes cultural exchange among countries of the world through the interactions that take place between tourists of foreign descent with the locals of the tourist site. The tourism industry is a vehicle for promoting cultural exchange that enhances international understanding and goodwill among the diverse peoples of the world, it is a catalyst for enhancing many country destination employment opportunities, foreign exchange and infrastructural facilities, where a wellplanned developmental strategy is put in place. It makes a logical sense to say that before the socio-economic and physical benefits of tourism can be harnessed, utmost relevance should be accrued to that site in its conservation and protection in the face of the challenging environmental problems of climate change and especially the river-based tourist site

Methods

Conclusion