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| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
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News Business Features
Editorial
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While the rich bio-diversity of the country is suffering a slow death in the absence of proper conservation activities, the two state institutions, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Department are working in different directions, claims Rohan Petiyagoda, the Managing Trustee of the Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka and a researcher of the recent survey on the frog species of Sri Lanka.
He says that bio-diversity conservation needs scientific solutions from highly qualified university experts to conserve the losing wild 'treasures' of the country.
"When finding solutions, the country needs the help of university experts. We have hundreds of biologists in the universities and need to bring them together in the conservation of nature soon," he says.
The team leader Petiyagoda says that 21 research papers in the Raffles Bulletin of the Zoology, highlight the 35 new species of frogs, 50 new species of snails, 16 new species of crabs, 7 new species of lizards, a species of mouse deer and an extinct tiger. "We can still be proud of our bio-diversity. But, they will be extinct very soon unless urgent conservation measures are taken", he adds.
The studies have described 35 new species of frogs in Sri Lanka. Seventeen tree frogs and two other species of frogs have become extinct. And many of these species are critically endangered or are vulnerable to extinction. More than 40 species are in trouble, and we need to take some conservation action to protect them.
Petiyagoda says that over 19 species of amphibians have already disappeared and when compared to the total of number amphibians (34) which disappeared in the world; nearly half of them are from Sri Lanka. According to him the number is a bad indication for our conservation efforts.
"This will be a wake-up call for the government agencies and also for the people to look at nature conservation very urgently. This is not only just for amphibian conservation but for the country's wildlife as a whole", he says.
The research has found that these species are living in rain forests, home gardens, tea estates and in the dry zone forests. Petiyagoda says that amphibians are good indicators as they are very sensitive animals. "A small change in the eco-system, like less rainfall or pesticide can result in the decline of the amphibian population. They will be the first warning sign that things are going wrong", he points out.
The very comprehensive global amphibian assessment carried out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) found that over 11 species of amphibians were endangered and they may disappear at any time unless proper conservation measures were taken.
What does conservation measures mean ? Is it, as many layman think, just protect the forests by not cutting down trees or go hunting animals?
"Conserving amphibians are very much complex than that. Most of the amphibians that are endemic to the country are found in the South Western wet zone of Sri Lanka.
But in the wet zone, we have very little forest cover compared to the dry zone, but have a very rich bio-diversity. So, conserving these forests are very important and today, there are some threats, which have nothing to do with cutting down trees or poaching", he claims.
Climate change in the wet zone is another threat to amphibians which are very sensitive. Nuwara Eliya is now receiving 20 per cent less rain than 100 years ago and the Horton Plains too get less rain. On the other hand, the average temperature has risen by one and half degrees Celsius in Nuwara Eliya and this is three times higher than the global warming indicators. He also says the acid rain and invasive plants in Horton Plains pose severe threats to amphibians.
"The whole world is now warmed by half a degree Celsius over the last hundred years but Nuwara Eliya by one and half degrees Celsius", Petiyagoda points out. According to Petiyagoda these problems can be addressed through better conservation practices with the involvement of a team of scientists including geographers, climatologists, zoologists, biologists, conservation biologists and ecologists.
"Firstly these forests have to be conserved through good conservation practices, otherwise, the 11 species of frogs, which are very rare, will disappear soon", he warns.
The study has found that 17 species of tree frog can be bred in captivity near forests.
Green beat by S.S
New power projects: who are the spokes in the wheels?
The unit price of electricity is likely to soar again. Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) drowned in a financial crisis is struggling hard to find alternate measures to convert the institution back to its glorious past.
But, will the CEB be able to survive just by increasing the rates and on loans. 'Recovery' could surely be a temporary measure. At the same time the CEB would become a huge debtor in the future now with the soaring oil prices in the world market. The CEB will be compelled to sell power at a 'reasonable' price to people, despite the market price hikes.
Sri Lanka, which will be the one and the only country to generate electricity with over 65 per cent on auto diesel in the world, will not be able to survive without two proposed power projects - the Upper Kotmale and Norochcholai coal power within the next few years.
Residents in the area and some environmental lobbies blocked the implementation of the project. The fate of the Upper Kotmale power project is also the same and the proposal is dragging for years forcing the country to depend on more and more oil based power generation.
The reality may be different from the present picture. And the public as well as the government need to have a better understanding about the so-called environmental groups. The CEB buys emergency power from private sector, a unit at a cost ranging from Rs. 18 to Rs. 20.
And the CEB has already spent and is still spending millions and millions of rupees to purchase electricity from the private sector.
The ordinary citizens of this country will definitely identify the 'hidden agendas' of those who obstruct the implementation of these two projects. As the CEB Engineers Union President Ananda Piyatilake once said, the protesters most probably would have been those who are unable to sell their electricity for higher prices. According to CEB sources, the unit selling price of electricity could be brought down to half the present selling price due to least cost generation. No doubt, the implementation of coal power will be a big blow to 'power sellers'.
Need to be sceptical about some eco-groups who aroused the residents by claiming only the darker sides of the story. It is high time to identify the so-called environmental-cum-NGOs who 'run' for each and every development activity to display their slogans to grab some more 'dollars'.
Coal is a cheap source of energy and more than 40 per cent of the world's electricity is generated through coal. Coal power plants may pose a threat to the country's eco-system but it is less compared to pollution by commissioning more and more thermal power stations.
However, neither the environmentalists nor the public would protest to these two power plants, which are the best options for the country.
The public is ready to bare the high cost for electricity for another four to six years until the much needed and much delayed two power projects generate electricity. After the 'D-days' the CEB will be able to sell electricity at a very reasonable price without loosing money.
The responsibility still lies with the government. It is high time to educate the public on the importance of the two projects. This is the only way out to 'defeat' the devious forces that hinder the people's opportunity for affordable electricity and to generate power with less pollution.
The Government signed the P-TOMS despite large protests because it gave
priority to the people's need and it is high time that the government should
follow suit to commission these power projects and prevent the entire
country and its economy going into 'darkness'.
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