Tourism and Recreation The plentiful wildlife, the rivers and beaches, and the flower-filled prairies of Texas are enjoyed by many people as part of a thriving tourism and recreation industry. Climate change may affect tourism and recreation in the following ways:
Wetland loss due to increased rates of sea-level rise and limited ability of wetlands to migrate inland could reduce habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife essential to hunting and recreational fishing.
Rising sea levels will increase coastal erosion, resulting in beach loss in places where sediment supplies are low, and increased risk of damage from severe coastal storms in low-lying areas.
Bird watching, canoeing, and other outdoor activities may be affected either directly (by higher temperatures and/or wildfires) or indirectly (through changes in species communities or loss of habitat) thus undermining the ecotourism industry.
Many natural habitats in the Texas coastal region harbor threatened or endangered species—such as the whooping cranes of Aransas, the sea turtles of Laguna Madre, and the richly diverse community of plants and animals in Big Thicket. Habitat losses due to continued human development combined with climate change impacts could increase the threats to these species.
Rising sea levels will increase coastal erosion, resulting in beach loss in places where sediment supplies are low, and increased risk of damage from severe coastal storms in low-lying areas.
