Glaciers and Development

Glaciers and Development

Types of Development in Glacial Areas

• The most common types of development in upland glaciated regions are:
• Recreation and Tourism
• Conservation
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• Renewable energy
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• Water storage and supply
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Tourism

• Advantages
• Tourism supports rural services (buses, village shops, and post offices),
• Snowdonia tourism is worth £396m a year to the local economy.
• Tourism puts pressure on areas to conserve wildlife.
• 8,300 people are employed in tourism in Snowdonia.
• Disadvantages
• Jobs in tourism are usually seasonal and low paid.
• Large numbers of tourists causes traffic congestion.
• Facilities built for tourists are an eyesore on the landscape.
• Tourists can cause footpath erosion.
• Demand for holiday homes increases the housing prices for locals.
• Local goods and services can become more expensive because tourists will generally pay more.

Conservation

• Advantages
• Special planning laws stop the demolition of properties within national parks.
• Plant and animal ecosystems are protected.
• All development is managed to ensure it will not harm the local area.
• Disadvantages
• Settlements are not allowed to develop and are usually left as another view on the landscape.
• There are restrictions on advertising for local businesses.
• Maintaining footpaths is often argued as some people see them as a scar on the landscape.

Renewable Energy

• Advantages
• Wind farms can generate huge amounts of renewable energy.
• Visitor and education centers can be set up at renewable energy plants to spread awareness about sustainability.
• Wind turbines are quiet and aesthetically pleasing.
• Disadvantages
• The wind is unreliable.
• Tourists can be put off the area.
• Flora and fauna can be disturbed and birds can be killed by flying into turbines.
• Loss of access to large areas of land.
• Property values in the area decrease.

Water Storage and Supply

• Advantages
• HEP is produced at dams.
• Reservoirs create tourist areas.
• Reservoirs can be used for recreation.
• Dams can help to prevent flooding.
• Disadvantages
• The creation of a reservoir can displace homes and ecosystems.
• Tourism can have an impact on the area.
• Flooding an area disrupts the natural processes in the area.
• Reservoirs can be visually intrusive.

Land Use Conflicts in Glaciated Areas

• Military Training - Mountainous terrain is used for RAF training. Some walkers and locals object to the jet noises that come from this.
• Reservoirs - Glacial troughs can be dammed to create reservoirs. This can cause displacement of locals.
• Wind Turbines - Many locals and tourists feel that wind farms take away from the landscape.
• Hunting - Hunting is allowed in some upland areas. Many nature lovers are opposed to this.
• Forestry - Conifer plantations acidify the soil and block tourist views. Light to the forest floor can also be blocked, driving out animal and bird species.

Finding Balance

• Compromise between development and conservation in upland glaciated areas usually comes in the form of limited development.
• Strict management is usually placed around glaciated areas to ensure ecosystems are not permanently damaged:
• Maximum visitor numbers are applied to tourist centers so areas do not exceed carrying capacity.
• Signs can be used to show visitors where is out of bounds.
• Seasonal closure takes place in some areas to give sites time to recover.
• Restricted activities such as camping and motorbikes are banned in some areas.
• Film makers can ensure that filming is done in a manner which doesn't damage the landscape.