The negative effects of mega-sporting events on the Environment

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) intended to increase environmental awareness through sporting activities by emphasizing the importance of environmental factors in the planning and handing over the Olympic Games to the host city. Sports organizations, teams and sponsors have recognized the need to better understand the environmental implications of the activities they promote, host and regulate. Despite the fact that event organizers frequently emphasize the importance of environmental and sociology-economic legacy components, the environmental consequences of events are difficult to assess quantitatively since they are complex and often occur over long periods. Mega-events have frequently been criticized for their perceived negative repercussions on vulnerable areas and more recently, for contributing to climate change. Given the importance of sustainable development and environmental protection, this study examines the negative effects of mega-sporting events on the environment. Data were collected from Qualitative interviews, library studies, and previous research. Fifteen experts in the sport and environment field were selected as a sample by snowball distribution method and the interview steps were performed until the theoretical saturation was reached. The paper demonstrates that the most common negative environmental externalities were noise, water and soil pollution, waste generation, emission of greenhouse gases by consuming electricity and fuel and consumption of natural resources (water, wood, paper, etc.). Furthermore, the result of this research can be used to identify key local environmental concerns, pressure points and provide part of the solution for organizers seeking to use their time and resources as efficiently as possible in achieving environmental goals.

کلیدواژه ها:

Environmental factors ، Sustainable Development ، mega-sporting events