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.
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