Can Sri Lanka combat climate change?

by Nayana N. Mawilmada

The year’s biggest Climate Conference opened in Cancun, Mexico on November 29 and will run for two weeks. As governments of the world engage in yet another round of discussions on the widely-misunderstood topic of climate change, we in Sri Lanka should pause and think about what we, as a nation, can and should do about this shared, global problem.

Sri Lanka is not a significant contributor to this crisis. On a global scale, our emissions of greenhouse gasses are negligible. In 2007, Sri Lanka’s per capita carbon dioxide emissions was 0.6 metric tons — the value for the People’s Republic of China was 4.9 tons and the United States was 18.9 tons. We have less than 0.5% of the world’s population. As Professor Sarath Kotagama of the Colombo University said at a recent climate change workshop in Colombo, “The world may not even feel that we exist (in global warming terms).”

Interesting, and often completely overlooked, is the fact that Sri Lanka cannot really fix or tangibly reduce the global problem either-for the same reasons. We are so small, even if we emit no greenhouse gasses, it will make little difference.

Of course, we should still aim to reduce our carbon emissions, and do whatever we can towards climate mitigation. But we have far bigger problems to deal with-which should be taken on urgently and much more seriously.

A satellite image of Sri Lanka

Although we don’t cause the problem, Sri Lanka is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Scientists warn us that this would mean floods, droughts and landslides becoming more common and more intense. Rain would no longer follow predictable patterns. Temperatures are slowly going up, and sea levels are rising.

In fact, we are already feeling these impacts. The recent floods which engulfed Colombo and suburbs are a stark reminder that we are ill-prepared for the onslaught of climate change.

Farmers worry about when exactly to expect rains so they can sow their paddy: monsoons no longer arrive on schedule. Certain stretches of Galle Road are already affected by coastal erosion and increased storm surges. Some impacts are less direct but no less threatening. An example is the rapid spread of Dengue fever. Changing climatic conditions are creating more conducive environments for mosquito breeding-and temperature rise is allowing them to spread even to colder parts of the country.

The impacts are very real. We can see them all around us. Things will get only worse in the coming years.

So what is to be done?

We can and should find ways to cope with these changing environmental conditions.

In other words, we must ADAPT to climate change — or learn to cope with the inevitable impacts. It is in our national and personal interest to do so. When we think climate change in Sri Lanka, we should be thinking much more of adaptation.

Easier said than done you think? Not quite. A more climate change resilient future is within our reach-if we act fast and with resolve.

Sri Lanka has embarked on an unprecedented development drive. A transformation of the country is underway. Massive investments are being rolled out across the economy with the aim of building a more prosperous future for our children. We just need to make sure that these new investments factor in the expected climate change impacts.

Indeed, many development projects can be climate-proofed. This requires some incremental extra costs-but that cost is negligible compared to what it would cost to fix them later. It makes financial and economic sense to take on the problem now. Such investment is akin to taking insurance on our development.

There is much we can do. Let’s take a few simple examples.

Engineers across the country use rainfall intensity curves to establish drainage requirements. The guidelines in use were last updated 25 years ago. No wonder we see so many flooded roads! Quick action to update these guidelines-considering expected climate change impacts-would improve the climate resilience of all new major engineering projects in the country.

Our tourism industry is concentrated along the coast-highly exposed to sea level rise impacts and coastal erosion. We are looking to expand the industry dramatically. New hotels should be designed and built to be left standing despite projected a rises in sea levels and storm surges-far cheaper than fixing them later.

Dengue concerns everyone. We can put in place a vector monitoring programme across the country without too much effort or cost. In fact, the Epidemiology Unit in the Ministry of Health is keen on doing this. Monitoring the density of mosquito populations will give us the ability to figure out where we need to target aggressive action to fight back-and prevent outbreaks of dengue-rather than the present shot-gun approach.

There are many more actions in sectors as diverse as plantations, water resources and town planning. The principle is the same: an ounce of prevention is better than a ton of cure.

Not every adaptive measure has to be large or state-driven. Community-level activities can also help tremendously. For example, farming communities can be encouraged to diversify their crops or store seed paddy suitable for varied conditions-allowing faster response and “adaptation” in the face of unpredictable rains. Traditional rice varieties that are drought and flood resistant could also be promoted.

These and a host of other recommendations are outlined in the proposed National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, unveiled at a recent workshop by the Ministry of Environment, and now pending formal cabinet approval. The strategy, which lays out a framework for action during the 2011-2016 period, is estimated to cost a total of Rs. 47.7 billion.

This might seem a huge amount, but it’s really a small price to pay for insuring the bigger development agenda — and safeguarding our children’s future — from climate change-induced risks (just 1% of the Rs. 4.3 trillion being invested in development projects from 2006-2016).

The other good news? We don’t have to cough it up all on our own! Given the global guilt on climate change, many developed countries are allocating resources specifically targeted at climate change-related preventive action.

If we act smart and fast, Sri Lanka can capture a big chunk of these resources to supplement our development activity, and finance climate change adaptation efforts.

Seizing the moment, however, calls for strong leadership and long-term vision in government, private sector and civil society. Just as climate change impacts unfold slowly, the benefits of climate adaptation measures will also become apparent only over time.

So can we combat climate change in Sri Lanka? Yes, we can! We can and should take action to protect ourselves and our national interests from the inevitable climate change impacts. We must first save ourselves before we can save the world.

And what should we be doing at the Cancun climate summit? We should be lobbying heavily to capture the resources we need to fight the impacts we feel right here at home.

Let the big boys (and girls) try to solve the global problem. Let’s solve our own. We have plenty to keep ourselves busy for at least a generation!

The author is an independent strategic planning specialist and consultant. Prior to his recent return to Sri Lanka, he served as an advisor to the National Parliament of East Timor, an urban development specialist at ADB in the Philippines, and as a planning consultant in the United States. His experience spans across 15 countries, mostly in Asia. He also serves as a visiting lecturer in the MBA programme at the University of Peradeniya.