Lanka begins battle against climate change

'Blue-Green Era' offensive launched as ocean threatens coastline:

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The 'Blue-Green Era' announced recently is certainly not about party politics! With looming oceanic flooding threats to many coastal urban centres and a quarter of the population now living in landslide-prone regions, the new 'Sri Lanka Next: Blue-Green Era' policy initiative of the government puts Sri Lanka on track to battle the multiple dangers of global climate change. The initiative, which brings together the public and private sectors as well as community organisations, eco-activist groups and scientists, is also a platform for much debate and controversy over the different tracks to be trod and the major changes in economy and lifestyle that challenge Sri Lanka.

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As the whole world is now learning, the Earth's island nations are already among the first victims of climate change and the resultant rise in ocean levels. While previous attempts to commit nations and governments to agree to comprehensive restraints on global warming failed, last month's global summit in Paris on climate change succeeded in important first steps by the entire global community to save the Earth and life on it from total ecological disaster. The Blue-Green Era initiative is a prompt national follow-up to that, now historic, UN-facilitated, 'Conference Of the Parties', better known as COP21, held in Paris last December.

Ceremonially launched at the BMICH, Colombo, on January 6, the policy initiative was named 'Sri Lanka Next: Blue-Green Era' to reflect the national response to the immediate threat of oceanic rise and the larger need to sustain and protect the natural environment. At the launch ceremony, President Maithripala Sirisena and the gathering of scientists, activists, government planners and concerned business leaders present read out a pledge to do whatever is necessary in the fight against global warming, and to limit the rising global temperature to under 2 degrees centigrade.

But, as many eco-activists point out, this new national commitment yet needs to be laid in a comprehensive manner with a national strategy and action plan to implement the promise.

Action plan

Addressing the gathering President Sirisena, emphasised the need for all in the public and private sector to show solidarity in achieving the goal of making a greener country, setting an example to the world.

Dr. Ananda Mallawatantri, Country Representative of IUCN Sri Lanka, told the Sunday Observer that the Government had set the stage and it was now the duty of the various implementing agencies to get together and act to achieve the goals. "Sustaining the concept and a strong and practical strategy to implement the desired goals is needed as the next step," Dr. Mallawatantri added.

Looking at available strategies to control carbon emissions and to absorb the existing carbon in the atmosphere, climate and ecology experts see the country's forests as a crucial source of environmental sustenance. They point to the urgent need to halt de-forestation.

Now signed up with the UN's "collaborative initiative" on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (UN-REDD) in developing countries, Sri Lanka is committed to halt the decline in forest coverage currently occurring on the island and enhance forested areas.

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UN-REDD was launched in 2008 and the Program supports nationally-led REDD processes and promotes the informed and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders, including indigenous tribes and other forest-dependent communities.

Since trees absorb a significant amount of carbon, a healthy forest cover and ample trees where ever possible can reduce the minimal carbon emitted by Sri Lanka. "This does not mean we reduce our development pace and protect the environment. But we must adopt the right strategy and that needs coordination from all relevant sectors - be it public or private," said Professor W.L. Sumathipala speaking to the media at a separate press conference held as a sideline event organized by the UN REDD Program.

Explaining strategies now being adopted across the world to reduce the growing carbon percentage in the atmosphere, Prof. Sumathipala added that strategies of absorption and storage of carbon will be more suitable for Sri Lanka as the country still has a very low carbon foot print.

Environmentalist Hemantha Withanage speaking at the media conference, stressed that Sri Lankan policy decision makers need to re-think their strategies - existing and in future planning. "There needs to be a serious focus as one fourth of the Sri Lankan population is living in landslide prone areas," he pointed out. In addition, he said, the Sri Lankan coastline is under threat. According to the Hazard Profile of the country established by the Disaster Management Centre and the United Nations Development Program,the highly urbanized Colombo, Gampaha, Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Galle and Kaluthara areas are predicted to get heavily inundated as the sea level continues to rise in the coming years if global warming proceeds at current rates.

"The world is discussing the loss and damage in addition to the emphasis on mitigation and adaptation. This means identifying who is responsible to pay for the disasters already happening. It is still a discussion. If the world does not correctly face the climate change and global warming phenomena, there will be a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude," he warned.

According to experts, one urgent national need to deal with climate change is to begin mapping out potential high risk areas in the future and warn farmers in those areas of the steps they should take to adapt to the oncoming changes.

He emphasized that policy makers, politicians and people must think beyond the petty political issues currently under discussion. "The struggle to control carbon emission and minimize global warming is getting severe. The climate changes taking place are signs of large-scale disasters," he added.

Scientists and environmentalists strongly believe that if Sri Lanka is seriously getting ready to lower carbon emissions then relying on coal power for power generation is counterproductive.

Counter measures

Veteran environment communicator and science writer Nalaka Gunawardene charges that there is a disagreement within the Government on how to sustain low carbon emissions. Despite President Sirisena's initiative to stick to a low carbon emission policy, certain sections of the Government are adamant about starting the new electricity generation plants, namely the coal power plants.

"This is understandable as a Government needs to ensure fast economic growth. But this 'Sri Lanka Next: Blue Green Era' concept needs to be shared by everyone," Gunawardene pointed out. If the Government carries on establishing coal power plants, the expected low carbon level will never be achieved, he argued.

He feels that it is a little too late to stop the currently planned coal power plants since the bilateral agreements and the process to construct the plants are in progress from previous Government's time.

"Bilateral agreements are not easy to annul and pull out of. But at a minimum we should look at integrating renewable energy into long and short term power and energy plans. Historically, the Sri Lankan authorities have not taken renewable energy seriously - it is just a token attention," he said, adding that the only well-established renewable energy source is hydro-electric (hydrel) power, in which Sri Lanka has reached its optimum natural hydrel level. Therefore, wind, solar, biomass and dendro power sources have to be taken into consideration seriously.

He questioned the lack of attention to renewable energy when planning is done in the power and energy sector. "With increased awareness, both the supply and the demand sides can increase the potential for renewable energy. It has to happen both ways," he added.