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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Compiled by Shanika Sriyannanda Drowning in polythene
Per capita consumption of plastic in 1980 was 2 kg but it has increased rapidly over the last few years and now it is upto 4.5 kg. Of the total waste generation in all the MCs, UCs and PSs, of polythene accounts for 500 tonnes daily. This includes mainly non biodegradable hazardous plastic materials. by Shanika Sriyananda If it rains, take a boat ! That could easily become the catch phrase of 21st century Sri Lanka, with many of its major townships being transformed into lakes of significant proportions, after a few hours of rain. If the age-old drainage system with poor rain water draining facilities in cities continues the way they are, the mode of transport in the country during rainy days will have to be by small boats. This would be a more cost effective and fuel saving mode compared to the time and energy wasted due to the present traffic congestions, which compel commuters to spend a considerable portion of their time on the roads. Like the dengue virus, the clogged drainage systems catches the attention of the authorities as well as the public, only during rainy days. With rain water receding, talks about 'restructuring' the drainage systems or cleaning of drainage seasonally, receds as well. What causes that clogging of the city drainage systems and the resultant floods? The Sunday Observer found that the large amount of polythene, silli silli bags and thin lunch sheets were among the main 'culprits', that clog the city drainage systems. Unplanned garbage disposal and the habit of throwing waste on the wayside roads aggravate the clogging of drains, especially during the monsoonal rains. Large amount of silli silli bags and polythene covers strewn across the towns is a very common sight after the New Year. Due to the absence of a separate disposal system for polythene or a systematic way of collecting this troublesome material separately, one can see large amounts of polythene covers used to wrap items - from ready-made garments to shoes, bags, kitchen utensils and sweets, sold during 'Aurudu season' still piled up along the road in some areas. The previous government and the present government have talked much about banning polythene. But eco-groups allege that nothing much is being done with the drafs of the new legislations gathering dust. According to a top official of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the polythene 'menace' is under control as the local authorities are collecting polythene separately. In a TV program after the New Year, the official said that in some local authorities the public was given dates to collect waste separately and several programmes had been laid down in their garbage disposal and collection mechanisms. When the Sunday Observer inquired from the Ministry about such projects, a reliable source said that there were few pilot projects in some local authorities that collected garbage separately but they were inactive and not successful. However, it is time to implement practical garbage separation methods with community participation, where garbage is separated at house-hold levels or dumped in separate bins kept in public places. Public commitment is vital to have a sound garbage separation system. Like in Australia, Japan and Sweden, the public should be encouraged to separate their house-hold waste and dump them in public dump yards, which have separate sections for glass, paper, polythene and food waste. As an alternative, the authorities can also place a value on these house-hold waste, by purchasing waste, which can be re-cyclable. A strong network with re-cycling companies and local authorities is a must to buy house-hold re-cycling waste like glass, paper, plastic bottles and polythene. Meanwhile, in what could be termed as 'good news' the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) is in the 'process' of implementing a massive project to buy polythene from the public while converting the polythene manufacturing industries into more eco-friendly polythene producers. Despite a ban on polythene, a CESS tax of 1 per cent was imposed under HS39 Code for some imported polythene varieties from March 1. In the absence of a total ban, this action sounds much better as the tax revenue collected is to be used mainly for a massive project to collect used polythene in six districts. "The tax revenue will be utilised for two major purposes, where half the revenue will be spent to strengthen eco-friendly manufacturing activities of the small and medium enterprises in polythene manufacturing industry and the other half for the implementation of the 'Post Consumer Plastic Waste Management' project", Lal Fernando, Director Pollution Control, CEA said. The Special Plastic Control Committee set up under a Cabinet decision will develop a two-year project to manage post consumer plastic waste soon. " 'Not in My Back Yard' habit made people dump or simply throw whatever the garbage including polythene on the road. So managing polythene waste has given priority in activities under this project", he said. According to Fernando, 50 per cent of the CESS tax revenue will be utilised for this project. The first phase will be implemented in Colombo and Gampaha and the second phase in Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Galle. A separate Unit has been set up at the CEA to implement the project. It will also give priority to collect polythene separately from each house-hold. "Polythene will be collected from door-to-door and collection centres will also be established in each area, where people are given a price for the polythene that they have collected. But the public has to sell clean polythene", he added. Fernando said, that a private company had come forward to buy used water bottles and polythene, which were collected in relief camps after the tsunami. "The CEA advised the camp people to collect waste - polythene and bottles - separately. There is a high demand for used water bottles from India", he added. Fillip for our forests The 'EC UNDP Small Grants Programme for Operations to Promote Tropical Forests' (SGP/PTF), to promote sustainable forest management in direct partnership with local stakeholders, was launched last week.
Miguel Bermeo, Resident Representative of UNDP commented "it is widely accepted, in Sri Lanka, that deforestation is one of the main environmental and social problems in the country. Forests yield various products and also have a vital role in the protection of soil and water resources, and of biodiversity. Unless planned action is taken to halt deforestation and forest degradation, there will be adverse impacts on the ability of the nation's forests to provide much-needed products and ecological security for the people. It is very much evident that the population increase has a direct impact on the declining of the forest cover." Sri Lanka is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, ranking 19 in population density (Maddumabandara, 2000). It is also the second most populous nation among the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The increase in population and the resulting demands for land, for agriculture and other development programmes have seen forest cover dwindling over the recent years. A survey based on satellite imageries carried out in 1992 shows that close canopy natural forest cover has reduced to almost 24 per cent in 1994. One of the main underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation is the poverty that is often associated with landlessness and the poor land tenure system. Shifting cultivation, excessive harvesting of forest products and the conversion of natural forests to plantation and arable land are the other significant factors that have influenced the unprecedented deforestation. As a result of these trends, forest area per capita has declined from about 1.3 ha in 1990 to less than 0.1 ha in 1992, (MALF, 1995), The most serious consequences of deforestation and forest degradation are: reduction in biodiversity due to the destruction of habitats of fauna and flora; irregular water flow and drying up of natural springs and reduction in base flow of streams together with flash floods during rainy seasons; shortened life spans of irrigation reservoirs and channels; loss of soil fertility associated with soil erosion resulting in the reduction of agricultural productivity, widening the gap between the demand and the supply for wood products; resulting in rapidly increasing prices together with increasing imports of swan wood and other wood products; scarcity of fuel-wood in certain localities, and the contribution to green house gas emissions, resulting in the reduced well-being of the present as well as future generations. According to Nimal Karunaratne, PTF Co-ordinator of the United Nations Development Program for Sri Lanka, the long-term vision of SGP PTF Sri Lanka is 'the conservation and improved sustainable forest management through an active partnership with State, rural communities and private sector.' Micro capital grants ranging between US$ 50,000 - US$ 100,000 have already been awarded to five non-governmental organisations to support community led initiatives that envisage conservation and sustainable use of forest resources. "They were chosen out of 142 submissions, based on the degree of community participation, importance of core-forest area ranked under the National Conservation Review (NCR) of the Forest Department, and compliance with the thematic areas of SGP PTF as well as the degree to which gender concerns are addressed," explained Karunaratne. The qualifying initiatives are a community based mangrove rehabilitation and management program in the Puttalam lagoon by the Turtle Conservation Project of Kosgoda, conversion of pine plantations to natural forests and promotion of joint forest management involving buffer zone community members by the Project Environment Protection Foundation of Kamburupitiya, Matara, creation of market opportunities for mangrove forests communities as an initiative for sustainable management of tropical forests in the Southern coast by the Environment and Economic Consultancy Service, sustainable use of non timber forest products and conservation of Bambarabotuwa Forest Reserve with the participation of buffer zone communities by the People's Development Foundation of Ratnapura, and biodiversity conservation of Nilgala Forest Reserve and sustainable use of non wood forest resources by the Conservation Area Management Committee (CAMC) together with Lower Uva Development Centre (LUDC). The SGP PTF of UNDP Sri Lanka will continue to accept concepts for possible funding till 30 May 2005. The key thematic areas identified to be funded are participatory forest biodiversity conservation, development of alternative livelihood initiatives and enhancement of skills and the capacities of local communities, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure sustained delivery of better forest services, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure better delivery of forest goods, development of forest services and goods through multi sector partnerships, and promoting development of alternative forest resources bases. The EC UNDP SGP PTF programme is also intended to contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality and empowering women, and ensuring environmental sustainability.
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The
principal thrust of SGP PTF is the execution of small forest related
projects by civil society organisations at country level, which will serve
as the basis for lessons to be drawn and policy guidance to be provided.
This initiative is funded by the European Commission (EC) and is managed by
UNDP through the Executing Agency, the South East Asian Ministers of
Education Organisation (SEAMO) Regional Centre for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). 
