WWF Russia called for responsible ecotourism

Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) is the day when humanity has exhausted all the resources that the Earth can reproduce in a year. WWF Russia notes that every year this date naturally shifts further and further from the end of the year.

“The calculation of the date of the Earth Overshoot Day is carried out by the international organization Global Footprint Network (GFN). GFN experts compare the rate of human consumption of bioresources (human ecological footprint) with the ability of the planet to recover. The earlier the Earth Overshoot Day comes, the greater the debt of people to the planet becomes,” says a message on the WWF Russia website.

Experts note with regret that for many years Earth Overshoot Day has been moving further and further from the end of the year - last year it fell on July 29, this year it is already July 28.

The foundation emphasizes that in order to reduce the ecological footprint, it is necessary to consciously and carefully treat nature, for example, save water, electricity, not buy unnecessary goods, follow eco-labels on packages, and also behave responsibly in nature while traveling.

Traditionally, every year, on the eve of Eco-Debt Day, the Fund, together with its partners, draws attention to one of the hot topics in the field of responsible consumption. This year's theme is ecotourism.

“The campaign slogan for Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) 2022 is “Travel for nature”, because being a tourist is not only about having a good time, but also about responsibility,” the foundation says.

Over the past two years, domestic tourism has been actively developing in Russia, and interest in specially protected natural areas has increased, WWF notes. “Entrepreneurs and protected areas that receive tourists were not ready for a significant increase in the flow. Because of this, there were threats to local ecosystems and populations of wild animals,” the fund complains.

However, there are ways to organize tourism so that it even contributes to its conservation - this is real ecotourism, experts emphasize.