13 June 2011: The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the launch of a project with the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism titled “Sustainable Tourism through Energy Efficiency with Adaptation and Mitigation Measures in Pangandaran (STREAM).” The project will implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures related to energy efficiency in Pangandaran, Java, Indonesia.

The project will include: seminars and workshops on energy efficiency to increase the knowledge and capacity of local tourism stakeholders; applying energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in hotels and public buildings; low-carbon tourism planning tools; and adaptation measures, such as the rehabilitation of mangroves and coral reefs that naturally capture and store carbon emissions.

The project aims to serve as a model of innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in tourism destinations in Indonesia and South-East Asia. It is envisaged that the project will significantly increase the climate change resilience of Pangandaran and the competitiveness of its tourism sector. [UNWTO Press Release]