The Blue Flag´s local stakeholders such as municipalities, hotel managers or marina owners must build safe and sustainable services. Blue Flag recommends construction and renovation of buildings to be carried out under an environmental management plan put in place before the start of the project and encourages the use of environmentally friendly products.
With respect to the local conditions and the protection of the marine heritage and natural habitats, the programme involves local communities by promoting, supporting and engaging in environmental education activities.
Through awareness raising events and campaigns directed to the local communities and tourists, Blue Flag highlights the importance of tackling environmental issues in order to improve the sustainability of human settlement through planning and management. Moreover, it actively supports local green transport infrastructure alternatives.
Sites’ resilience is encouraged through the protection of green cover, especially mangroves, that reduces the impacts of hurricane and storms. The green cover also reduces coastal erosion.
The environmental management standards and practices increase proper management of waste.
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Blue Flag stewards are trained in environmental education. Part of their day to day activities involve providing awareness to tourists visiting the beach. However, not only tourists are part of this transformation: Blue Flag stewards also distribute information and tips on sustainability to local communities and low income schools, while also promoting the use of the beach by its local stakeholders and contributing to the achievement of this goal.
UKRAINE
Sustainability, along with education, is at the core of Blue Flag implementation in Ukraine. In Odessa, in semi-desert and eroded coastal zones, new Blue Flag standard infrastructures for beaches are implemented. This is done following a sustainable approach to urbanization and housing. The same type of renovation happens in Kiev, where Blue Flag is transforming the capital city’s beaches into attractive beach recreational zone and helping its development as a more sustainable city.
