Policies and Plans for Preserving the Environment
Photo courtesy of Zaineb Akbarally
As Sri Lanka gears up for the parliamentary election on November 14, the topics for debate are depressingly familiar – bringing criminal politicians to justice, ascertaining the responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks, the best path to economic recovery and how to combat corruption. Yet little is said about the perilous state of the country’s environment, which is facing daily onslaughts on forests, wildlife and ecosystems.
In a recent presentation, renowned environmentalist Prof. Sarath Kotagama warned that Sri Lanka’s future was interwoven with the fate of its natural habitats and that the country must act now to preserve its rich biodiversity.
Prof. Kotagama pointed out that Sri Lanka was at a critical juncture. The future of its forests, wildlife, and, by extension, its people, hung in the balance. As forests continued to shrink and elephant habitats degraded, the country faced far reaching consequences. The ecosystems that supported life were fragile and the decisions made today would have long lasting effects on biodiversity, human welfare and economic stability.
One of the main reasons for the environmental destruction over the past years has been the corruption and greed of unscrupulous politicians and government officials. Big business interests, corrupt officials, unscrupulous politicians and their henchmen are wantonly destroying large tracts of forest, polluting waterways and killing wildlife. The Sinharaja World Heritage Site forest is under threat from land grabs, illegal trawling in Puttalam is destroying fish stocks, elephants die painful deaths eating garbage dumped across the country, the Anavilundawa wetland sanctuary is bulldozed overnight for prawn farming, 90 percent of Sri Lanka’s corals are dead and sand and rocks are mined continuously for mega projects; these just some of the issues environmental activists are fighting against.
In the run up to the presidential election, the three main contenders put forward their party manifestos, which contained some progressive policies and plans for preserving what is left of the country’s natural habitat. Groundviews spoke to environmental activist and Convener at Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka, Jayantha Wijesingha, on what to expect from the next government by way of environmental protection and what measures were necessary to prevent further environmental degradation.
Which parties have been involved in environmental crimes?
There are environment criminals in all parties. They are involved in land scams, land degradation and land conversions. Some people in the SJB are land scammers who have seized state land and Mahaveli land. Rishard Baduideen and his supporters have taken more than 2,500 acres belonging to Tamil people and the church. Land was grabbed to sell to the Adani group’s wind farm project in Mannar. I support the NPP because it’s not the manifestos we trust at the end of day but because we believe in people with unblemished records who are less likely to be corrupt and less likely to be opportunists. I believe the NPP will not be corrupt and I trust them more than the SJB who have proven to be thieves and environmental criminals.
What are pros and cons of the two manifestos in regard to the environment?
As someone who has been involved in environmental policy making and environmental activism, I could not support the SJB, who have the support of elite environmentalists. The NPP, on the other hand, has the support of small environmentalists but their knowledge on environmental matters is limited. The NPP has theoretical knowledge but not field knowledge and ground knowledge, which is knowledge gained by activism. The previous NPP environmental policy was much broader compared to the one this year. When I looked at the two manifestos I really liked some things that have been stated by SJB such as having an environmental tribunal, which is very important. Judges and lawyers don’t understand the environmental problems and some have even charged us costs for filing public interest litigation. If they had some sensitivity to the environment or knowledge of conservation they would not have done that. The Animal Welfare Bill and the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) were mentioned in SJB’s manifesto but the policies are contradictory when looking at Sajith Premadasa’s new settlements and plantation housing projects that will exacerbate the HEC. Combining all the ministries that are related to the environment is one of the best things stated in the SJB’s manifesto. The NPP’s manifesto is comprehensive; they understand the sensitivity and importance of highlands and mountains. They will make sure that the environment is prioritised in every development activity. They have an ecosystem approach, which doesn’t look at one area or one forest in isolation but looks at ecosystems management and an integrated ecosystem approach that is scientific. The polluter pays principle is another important aspect as is adherence to all international treaties and conventions and policies. Introducing new laws to be in line with international conventions is something that is good.
What should the new president and the new government concentrate on in terms of the environment?
What the new president should concentrate on when it comes to the environment is number one – conserving existing eco systems, number two – restoring and increasing the protected area network and number three – conserving environmental resources. He should see that water bodies, tanks, rivers, water holes and catchments are protected and ensure that the coastal pollution and irregular development in coastal areas are contained. He should see how money can be sourced to improve eco-tourism, climate change and environmental protection from conservation funds available around the world to promote environmental protection. We don’t need to exploit our natural resources until Sri Lanka becomes a barren land; we can look at the service industry and the IT industry so that the country can be prosperous without exploiting its resources, which is destructive to the country. Resources should be used in a sustainable manner and with value addition so foreign counterparts do not exploit us. The environment should be preserved and safeguarded and regarded as our heritage to be preserved for future generations. I believe the NPP government under President Anura Dissanayake, as a man with common sense and environmental sensitivity, can do it. He must make sure the air, soil and water are clean so that country is liveable and prosperous. It should be a sustainable and healthier nation and a model for the world to follow. I hope he will deliver on his manifesto and go beyond it.
What should be done in terms of administration?
All ministries, agencies and authorities dealing with the environment should be under one ministry. There should be a proper environmental advisory committee with the right people in the right places to formulate ideas and ensure that their ideas are implemented. Prominence should be given to environmental conservation over gaining votes, which is what politicians have done in the past.
