International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict

Working to Protect the Environment in Armed Conflict

(Measuring depleted uranium contamination with gamma meter. Djakovica, Kosovo.)

Protecting the environment in times of armed conflict is not a new idea. Even in ancient times, rules existed to ensure that natural resources essential for people’s survival, such as clean water, were protected. Unfortunately, the need to protect the environment in the context of armed conflict is more urgent today than ever before. Observing the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict — which falls on this Sunday, November 6 — is a way of recognizing and striving to address the impacts of war on the environment.

During the 1900s, technological developments in weaponry carried with them unprecedented threats to and effects on the environment. In addition to the risks presented by conventional means and methods of warfare, environmental damage in connection with the testing or use of nuclear weapons loomed. The long-lasting effects of such testing became particularly visible to me when I visited the Marshall Islands earlier this year, as did the effects of remnants of war at sea for the small island states in the Pacific.

From the Vietnam War in the 1970s to the Iraq-Kuwait war in the 1990s, awareness of the environmental risks and damage grew slowly but surely. Many of us remember the shocking images of environmental destruction, such as “Agent Orange” in Vietnam or the burning oil wells in in Kuwait. In Kuwait, approximately 600 oil wells were set on fire, with some wells burning for more than eight months and causing severe damage to the environment in their wake. Iraqi areas and lands were also affected by the warfare. The efforts of Dr Mishkat Al-Moumin, Iraq’s first Minister of Environment, were critical in establishing governance structures for environmental protection in Iraq during her tenure in 2004–2005.

The burning of oil wells and other environmentally disastrous effects of the war once again awoke the international community to the effects of modern warfare on the environment. Similarly, more recent conflicts in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Lebanon and Liberia all demonstrated the high environmental costs for war-torn societies.

(Spilled mercury in Pancevo, Serbia.)

In stride with the advances in warfare technology, the 1970s saw the birth of modern international environmental law, in particular through the Stockholm Declaration on the Protection of the Environment, concluded in 1972 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. This conference also led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment).

The environmental concerns raised in the wake of the Vietnam War and subsequent to the 1972 Stockholm Declaration were reflected in two important legal documents, namely the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (ENMOD, 1976) and the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions (1977). Attempts to further codify and strengthen the protection of the environment during armed conflict were made in the aftermath of the Iraq-Kuwait war in the 1990s. The United Nations General Assembly discussed the matter, resolutions were adopted but in the end these attempts failed to arrive at any new legally binding protection measures.

However, one important and lasting result was the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC) Guidelines for Military Manuals and Instructions on the Protection of the Environment in Times of Armed Conflict. Without formally approving these guidelines, the United Nations General Assembly invited all States to “give due consideration to the possibility of incorporating them into their military manuals and other instructions addressed to their military personnel” at its 49th session in 1994. The Guidelines were a recognition of the need to address the protection of the environment in operational terms.

(Remnants of war in Sudan.)

In 2009, UN Environment, the ICRC and the Environmental Law Institute made one of the first comprehensive analyses of how the many different areas of international law could protect the environment during armed conflict. This analysis examined not only international humanitarian law, but also environmental law, human rights law and international criminal law. It presented twelve recommendations available in the publication: “Protecting the environment during armed conflict: An Inventory and Analysis of International Law”.

Among the recommendations in the 2009 UN Environment report, the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) was recommended to “examine the existing international law for protecting the environment during armed conflict and recommend how it can be clarified, codified and expanded”. Partly due to the fact that the recommendation came from another United Nations entity, the ILC examined it and as a result considered it apt for being placed on its long-term program of work in 2011. In 2013 the topic “Protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts” was placed on the current program of work and I was honoured to be appointed Special Rapporteur for the topic.

The International Law Commission, set up in 1947, consists of 34 legal experts representing the principal legal systems of the world, that report to the General Assembly on topics where it identifies a need to codify or progressively develop international law. Over the years, the Commission has addressed topics such as the law of the sea, treaty law, international criminal law, and protecting persons in the event of disasters.

In addition, the principles also encourage the establishment of protecting zones of major environmental and cultural interest. As we know, these areas can have a critical importance, both for protecting fragile ecosystems, and for ensuring the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples.

The work in the Commission is on-going and it is encouraging to note that our efforts come at a critical time, when concurrent efforts from other organizations are emerging. For instance, the ICRC guidelines are currently being revised to better reflect the developments since 1994. Indeed, one of the recommendations of the 2009 UN Environment report addressed the need to update the ICRC Guidelines, for instance to define key terms and examine protection of the environment during non-international armed conflicts. This suggestion and other recommendations were given further momentum by the fact that the 2011 ICRC report on Report on strengthening legal protection of victims of armed conflicts recognized environmental protection as one of the four areas of international humanitarian law that needed to be reinforced. That same year, Nordic countries issued a pledge on protection of the natural environment in times of armed conflicts at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

In addition, the resolution on the protection of the environment in areas affected by armed conflicts agreed by consensus at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in May this year was a major signal of the commitment of United Nations Member States to confront the issue.

(Air pollution from boilers at an asphalt plant in Herat, Afghanistan)

Not only is this resolution a positive signal in itself, but it will also establish synergies for the future between the on-going work of UN Environment, the ILC, as well as the important work undertaken by the ICRC on this topic. In addition, the engagement by civil society organisations contributes to develop these issues further. One example of such contributions comes from a partnership between UN Environment, academia and civil society to share best practices on environmental protection and peacebuilding through a knowledge platform.

In parallel, an important development for protection of the environment is happening in international criminal law. In September of this year, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) published a policy paper on case selection and prioritisation, which clearly signals that environmental crimes are to be regarded as priority areas for the court in terms of determining the gravity of the crimes.

In summary, this year is set to be a milestone in our global efforts to protect the environment in connection with armed conflict. As the path for increased protection of environment in relation to armed conflicts continues, it is my hope that the momentum established by these concurrent tracks within the United Nations, the ICRC, the ICC and the ILC might serve to provide a holistic and integrated protection, for existing and future generations.

Source : 7/11/2016 UN Environment ,https://medium.com/@UNEP/working-to-protect-the-environment-in-armed-conflict-ce9aff1aa479#.v4kecldq3

Development At A Cost To The Environment

Environmentalists have opposed moves by the government to encroach 99 acres of land from the Sripada (Adam’s peak) sanctuary to build cable wire cars and luxury hotels under an Urban Development Authority (UDA) project.

Out of 12, 329 acres, the project proposes to construct cable wire cars and hotels in 99 acres in the holy grounds of Sripada but environmentalists and the environmental protection organisations raised concerns ever since the plan was proposed in 2013 by the previous government.

The Center for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) stated that the project has taken a fresh start under a new name in the claim of boosting the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The initial construction work for the tourist hotel being built in Marewattha, Sripada began in 2013.

A cabinet paper was brought to parliament by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2014 to allocate 99 acres from the Adam’s peak sanctuary for cable car and tourist hotel projects.

The proposed projects were approved without clearance from the Central Environment Authority (CEA), Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Agrological Department and the Ministry of Environment, most importantly without any Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).

The construction was put on hold by the previous government following objections and protests staged by politicians, environmentalists and conservationists. According to gazette notice 8675/1940/Oct/25 Adam’s peak has been declared as a sanctuary under the Flora and Fauna Act.

The surrounding areas and the road leading from Sripada to Nallathanni were declared as a world heritage site of UNESCO in 2010 which means no construction or renovation can take place here without a valid reason and appropriate approvals from the authorities concerned, especially from the UNESCO committee.

It was declared as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Sri Lanka for the ecological and biological diversities which need to be protected and reserved without any harm being done to the site.

“A place that already has alot of tourist attraction and was supposed to be protected by the government, being damaged and threatened in the expectation of boosting the tourism industry in the country is not an appropriate plan by the government. It is crystal clear the projects aren’t sustainable nor will they be a contributing factor to the tourism industry. The government needs to understand the reality before allowing such projects in such a holy place where all people of all religions worship ,” the Director for CENS Ravindra Kariyawasam told The Sunday Leader.

No private and domestic buildings were allowed in close proximity of Sripada for over several years and the government that needs to protect the place is trying to build up unnecessary constructions in false claims by the developers should be seriously looked into,  the environmentalists said. The project however claims to provide facilities for the devotees who visit the place from various places all around the country and also to foreigners.

“According to the Flora and Fauna Act they cannot even cut down a single tree in the site how can they clear an area of 99 acres for the construction? Who has the authority to allow such projects in a UNESCO protected site,” protested the environmentalists.

“A visit to the place by the CENS had revealed that the construction had been done secretly under the new government even after it was put on hold. The construction and the development in the area undoubtedly will endanger the natural bio diversities and the species which live in the area. Most importantly the value of the land will be destroyed ,” lamented Kariyawasam.

Adam’s Peak is worshipped by all people of the country, the Sinhalese Tamils and Muslims by giving various names for the mountain and the sacred footprint. “Adam’s Peak is important also as a watershed. The districts to the south and the east of Adam’s Peak yield precious stones, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, one thing the island has been famous for. The development projects and the luxury hotels will endanger the sanctuary which is filled with natural ecological provisions. We are not against building luxury hotels and cable wire cars to boost tourism in Sri Lanka but Sripada is a place for worship and a UNESCO world heritage site, the government should put in place immediate measures to stop the ongoing project and to conserve the reservation,” Kariyawasam added.

Source : 7/11/2016 Sunday Observer http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/11/06/development-at-a-cost-to-the-environment/

Sustainability now: Sustainability and value systems

(REDD+ economics advisor of UNEP, Ivo Mulder, says that changes to our natural environment through activities like deforestation will affect many businesses in a number of ways – Reuters )

n early October Ivo Mulder, a REDD+ economics advisor of UNEP, wrote an article titled ‘Valuing the Invaluable in Business’ where he elaborated on the difficulty of putting an economic value on our natural environment and links the reader to different kinds of tools with which businesses can prepare for the effects environmental challenges pose.

Given the difficulty of applying financial values to nature, often the environment’s value is considered ‘0’ or  ‘priceless  Nevertheless, it is also commonly understood by many that given the way humanity is currently progressing there will be a negative impact on society and businesses at a certain point in time; real economic and financial impacts.

The author describes different examples where unsustainable environmental conduct has already negatively affected the costs and revenues of businesses, such as the IOI Corporation and a Malaysian palm oil producer who faced a severe share price decrease linked with illegal deforestation in Indonesia.

Such developments influence not only the company itself but everyone who has put money into it such as stock and bond holders as well as banks and other investors.

“The takeaway message is that changes in our natural environment – deforestation, water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions building up in our atmosphere – are real and if left unaddressed will affect many businesses in a vast multitude of ways. On the other hand, those who are well prepared and know how to navigate changes in consumer and investor preferences related to natural capital will be much better positioned to weather the storm,” the article states.

There are a number of tools out there which can guide and help businesses to evaluate their status and find customised solutions. Ivo Mulder mentions the “Natural Capital Coalition” and their protocol and sector guides, the “Natural Capital Declaration” or Bloomberg’s and NCD’s “Water Risk Tool”. “What these tools have in common is that they are Excel-based, free to download from the internet, focus exclusively on the financial impact of natural capital risks, and are customisable, meaning that anyone can override the assumptions in the model and add new companies,” asserts Mulder.

Evaluating opportunities

Besides the direct influence of environmental challenges on the balance sheet, companies are advised to have a proactive look at their corporate conduct and assess in which way it needs natural and social resources to run profitably.

Corporate leaders should in addition evaluate the opportunities arising from the changing world in developing businesses which as a basic understanding do not make things worse but are able to deal with natural and societal changes and further than that, create business models which improve the current situation our planet is in.

They can reap business opportunities based on these challenges, which include resource scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, agriculture and land use, rising energy and food demand, and have profitable companies facilitating change in the right direction.

There are various companies which already understand these opportunities. In Sri Lanka for example, a renewable energy company which is focusing on biomass has in recent years built up a supply chain including more than 40,000 small farmers who grow Gliricidia, a sustainable, rapidly growing short rotation tree, within a triple fence around their land. Within a multitude of farmer trainings they were able to reach trusted and committed suppliers who were in turn reaping additional benefits such as being able to make organic fertiliser, pesticide and fungicide from the Gliricidia leaves and small branches which help them to save the Government’s subsidy for fertilisers.

How to make this organic fertiliser is also taught in the same farmer training. With this out grower model the company was able to plant 60 million trees across the North of Sri Lanka. To produce biomass only the large branches of the trees are cut, the stem however remains and is used as carbon sink. With this business model, the company is able to make money by facilitating environmental protection (fewer chemicals used in agriculture), increasing forests, increasing farmers’ incomes and skills and facilitating renewable energy to the country.

Earlier the opinion prevailed that companies were looking after jobs and profits and civil society was looking after society and environment. However this assumed often that companies were “excused” when they had a negative impact on both of the other two dimensions.

We as a society cannot afford such behaviour anymore. The time is gone when there was enough forest to be cut down and the only desire was to build a skyscraper or highway. We are going to lose out in the end if we continue to think that development goes hand-in-hand with construction and “getting rid of nature and anything which is considered old and out-fashioned”.

Green bonds

In Sri Lanka we look at the West and its “development” and in turn the West looks at Sri Lanka and its resources and still intact ecosystems. Yes, a society will always strive to develop, however we have to change the approach or we will end up in the same position the West now finds itself in – it might have the infrastructure we desire, however it faces a multitude of other issues which we have in common globally, and which are linked to  the natural environment. The world is changing and with it its many industries as we have understood them so far.

“The market for green bonds is rapidly expanding with close to $ 700 billion of climate-aligned bonds outstanding in 2016. There are plans to issue the first green bond that would specifically finance commercially viable projects that have a positive effect on the sustainable landscape management,” wrote Mulder.

By June 2016, 579 companies had made pledges to remove forest destruction from their supply chain. This means that a company does not only need to show that it is not harming the environment to achieve finance from a green bond but it also needs to show the positive effect it has on the environment and this is one crucial game changer. Now it is not only about voluntary reporting. Now we talk about large-scale financing opportunities.

To measure one’s own impact there are a number of tools available such as the GRI guidelines, UN Global Compact, OECD guidelines, ISO standards, etc. where a company can measure its footprint. In addition, environmental and societal changes have to be considered in core management decisions depending on the nature of a company’s linkages with these dimensions.

Where such tools offer guidance and evaluation systems, rankings and ratings are often flawed based on the research method they apply. When looking at Forbes’ most sustainable companies in 2016, we have 50 global companies ranked with a large car company leading the group. Where the assessment looked into waste management, resource efficiency, human resource management and so on it did not evaluate the very core activities of companies from the angle outlined above.

Where for sure these companies invest significant time and resources in their sustainability activities their main business activities do not often reflect the sustainable development agenda. A company which needs large amounts of water in their factories does not only need to invest in small water projects in the country within CSR projects; it needs to ensure that the water it takes does not lead to shortages somewhere else. It needs to put systems into place that balance out the water demand of their production. Therefore, to look at the research method of such rankings is crucial.

Finally, as understood from Mulders’ article, whether being ranked or not, a company nowadays has to evaluate its impact as well as its dependence on the natural environment and society and set up its core business accordingly. A few years down the line no one is going to care about rankings anymore but rather about how to sustain their company in a world which is facing a multitude of challenges and there is no indication yet that these are going to reduce within societies and the natural environment.  –

Source : 2/11/2016 Daily FT http://www.ft.lk/article/577477/Sustainability-now–Sustainability-and-value-systems#sthash.VtGYMl7c.dpuf

Sri Lanka cracks down on owners of elephants taken from wild

(In this July 5, 2016 photo, a Sri Lankan mahout rests his hand on an iron chain that is used to tie his tamed elephant, in the backyard of his home in Baduraliya, )

In Sri Lanka, an elephant in the back yard has long been a sign of wealth, privilege and power. But these days it may also be a sign that someone is breaking the law.

Capturing wild elephants has been banned for decades here. Registration records indicate there should be only 127 elephants in captivity, most of them older. Yet they are a staple of the South Asian island nation’s 400 or so yearly processions — traditional ceremonies honoring a marriage, calling for peace or praying for rain — and in each there are always a few young elephants clumsily cantering to keep up.

“In Sri Lanka, people measure the success of the processions by the number of elephants,” said the Rev. Magalkande Sudantha, a Buddhist monk.

Despite concerns that the animals may be abused, spectators always expect a parade of elephants wearing jangling ornaments, and babies are a special attraction.

“There is no beauty in processions without elephants,” said Janaka Alwis, a 48-year-old city council employee in Gampaha, north of Colombo. “People go to watch because of the elephants, and to count them.”

(In this July 5, 2016 photo, a Sri Lankan female mahout and her husband walk with their tamed elephant across a waterway in Baduraliya)

Aware of the ongoing elephant racket, authorities have been cracking down. In the last two years, the government has confiscated 39 elephants whose owners produced either false permits or none at all. Some had paid as much as $200,000 per captured animal when a previous government was in office, according to Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera.

Those facing prosecution for illegally keeping elephants include one judge and a Buddhist monk. Police are also considering charges against people suspected of rounding up wild elephants for profit.

The practice of taming wild elephants includes starving, beating and scaring them into submission, while keeping them chained up at all times, conservationists say.

(In this Oct. 20, 2016 photo, Sri Lankan traditional dancers escort a tusker known as “Nadungamuwe Tusker,” who is famous for carrying the sacred tooth relic of the temple of tooth during its annual procession, during a felicitation to the animal for his services to Buddhist temple processions in Kirindiwela village)

Taming a wild elephant is an extremely cruel experience for the animal,” said Prithviraj Fernando, who runs the Center for Conservation and Research in Sri Lanka. “Whether it’s a temple or a private person, that’s how it is done.”

The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three subspecies of Asian elephant and is found only on the teardrop-shaped Indian Ocean island. In the 19th century there were believed to be up to 14,000. That number fell to fewer than 3,000 before hunting and capture were banned. But while the population has grown since then to nearly 6,000, according to the island’s first official elephant census in 2011, they are still considered endangered and under threat from habitat loss and degradation. They are confined to small, isolated pockets of jungle and pasture in the north and the east.

For Buddhists, who make up 70 percent of the island’s 20 million population, elephants are believed to have been servants of the Buddha and even a previous incarnation of the holy man himself. Sinhalese kings rode elephants into battle. And every year, colorfully decorated tuskers carry an ornate box containing a replica of one of the Buddha’s teeth.

(May 19, 2015 file photo, Sri Lankan police officers march with a ceremonially dressed elephant calf during a Victory Day parade in Matara)

“The elephants carrying sacred relics are very fortunate. Even we don’t have that opportunity,” said housewife Kanthi Sriyalatha, 53. She said the sight of the animals is also a thrill. “Children wait in anticipation to watch processions because they want to see the elephants. ”

Conservationists said that, given the importance given to using elephants in religious ceremonies, the government should be stepping in to manage their care while ensuring no more are captured in the wild.

“We need to impose some restrictions on ourselves. There are about 30,000 Buddhist temples,” Fernando said. “If every temple wants to have a procession with an elephant, it is not possible.”

The government is planning to set up its own pool of captive animals to be hired out to temples for ceremonies.

“We have to create a pool of elephants” for processions, said Perera, the wildlife minister. “We are creating a process now for how to issue permits, how to release some of the elephant babies” to temples for their upkeep and use in processions.

Under the plan, some would be kept in a so-called elephant orphanage. But some would go to families or temples that are financially capable of feeding and caring for them.

(July 30, 2007 file photo, mahouts and others stand after controlling an elephant called Choti Mahattaya, or Little Master, who ran berserk while taking part in a religious pageant in capital Colombo)

Some elephant owners say those who claim mistreatment are acting on Western notions of conservation and animal welfare.

“Elephants living with us do better than the animals in the wild,” said Harsha Dharmawijaya, whose family has kept at least one elephant for 96 years. “We scrub their bodies and bathe them, feed them and treat their illnesses. … In a way this is a noble act.”

Some critics, however, note that Buddhism is a faith that preaches compassion for nature.

“If the Buddha was alive, would he condone what’s going on? I don’t think he would,” said Sumith Pilapitiya, a former World Bank environmental specialist who argued that the government should focus on the animals’ welfare rather than religious norms.

“In the name of Buddhism … we are ill-treating animals,” he said.

(Oct. 31, 2016 photo, Sri Lankans watch a heard of elephants at the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala)

Source :  01/11/2016 , SF GATE http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Sri-Lanka-cracks-down-on-owners-of-elephants-10426669.php#photo-11680974

Coping With A Changing Climate

A recent report issued by the UN Development Program, the Global Environmental Facility and the Government of Australia, evaluating the preparedness of Sri Lanka to deal with Climate Change pointed out the a lack of “awareness about climate change impacts on the livelihood among farmers and local government officials, especially those engaged in water management and agriculture extension”. This is not the first warning; we have had plenty of time to deal with this need. An article titled; Climate Change’ published in 2011 asked of the outcome of the Durban meeting that our climate change experts went to:

“While awaiting to hear of the brilliant contributions that Sri Lanka has made to the just concluded United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), conference in Durban, the view from Durban is somewhat clouded. The global polluters are demonstrating extreme disdain of accepting any responsibility they have to the rest of humanity who share a common atmosphere with them. The unilateral move by Canada in withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol, a move endorsed by the fossil energy industry, demonstrates how much public interest has been eroded from political enclaves.

The UNFCC itself is a lame duck, it is still unable to recognize or identify the difference in value of carbon originating from biotic sources and fossil sources. This fact is commonsense; that while a diamond, petroleum, a lump of coal, piece of wood or piece of fruit is comprised of carbon, they are not the same, and they have different values. So in burning them up we have to recognize the value (cost) of each. The carbon dioxide that emanates from them by burning is also different. The carbon dioxide from biotic carbon will always have the carbon isotope C14, while carbon dioxide from fossil carbon will never contain C14. In time, the differences are in millions of years. This much is common knowledge, most high school children are already aware of these facts. Then why has the UNFCC chosen not to ‘see’ that there is a value and temporal difference between biotic and fossil carbon cycles? A cynic might say that many are in the pay of the energy industry. But, what about our Sri Lankan scientists who attended Durban? Surely they will never sell out to the energy industry! Perhaps they have already identified these fundamental structural flaws within the UNFCC and we might see this stand reflected in their reports.

In the meanwhile, apart from the innumerable conferences and workshops that we could have, what should we do in Sri Lanka? This question has come sharply into focus with the news that Russian scientists have discovered hundreds of plumes of methane gas, some over 1,000 meters in diameter, bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean. Methane is about 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Dr.Igor Semiletov of the Russian Academy of Sciences stated in a recent interview “ Earlier we found torch-like structures like this but they were only tens of meters in diameter. This is the first time that we’ve found continuous, powerful and impressive seeping structures, more than 1,000 meters in diameter. It’s amazing.”

All this points to the need for immediate action. Landscapes are slow to respond to rapid changes. The effect of the increase in storm force was apparent all last year. By now we should have had some national adaptation strategies. Yes, there has been a plethora of conferences around the subject, but what do I do if my drinking water runs out? What do I do if there is salt intrusion into my field? How do I deal with sudden windstorms? If the years spent on discussing adaptation had borne any fruit, we would now be seeing public education programs on climate change preparedness by now. “

Sadly, today, in 2016 we have the UNDP stating that in Sri Lanka there is a lack of “awareness about climate change impacts on the livelihood among farmers and local government officials, especially those engaged in water management and agriculture extension”

It is now patently clear that we will face a scarcity of food as the global temperatures rise. Chlorophyll, the primary material of life begins to denature as the 39degree threshold is passed. We are already witnessing 40 degree plus temperatures in many nations with the probability of exposure times increasing (fig 1). Should we not have been conducting tests on heat resistant crops or adaptive landscapes ?

Compounding the hypocrisy that is being foisted on us. There is the spectacle of Sri Lanka signing the Paris Accord to keep global temperatures under control by limiting out carbon output while gleefully promoting the construction of mega cities with no concern of their carbon footprint. When we consider that for every ton of concrete we emit 800 kgs of CO2 and every ton of steel is responsible for 1.2 tons of CO2, who has reported on the increase in CO2 emissions by this giant city building exercise? If the climate change secretariat has failed to account for both the construction and operational CO2 costs of construction in Sri Lanka, we would be cheating in our international obligations.

The impact of climate change is serious, there is a universal need to be educated and prepare for the consequences. We have been very delinquent in this regard as stated by the UNDP study. Hiding our heads in the sand will not make the problem go away. Increasing our carbon footprint in the name of ‘economic development’ is certainly an act of shooting ourselves in the foot and increasing the impact of climate change!

Source : 30th October 2016; Colombo Telegraph  https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/coping-with-a-changing-climate/

Sri Lanka Advocates Climate Change Mitigation Through Humane Lifestyle

At present, climate change has become one of the major challenges faced by mankind. In view of the adverse impacts of climate change, cuts in global emission levels are considered to be an imperative and immediate need. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has noted that livestock supply chains, the meat production industry in particular, are among the most significant contributors to climate change with emissions estimated at 7.1 gigatonnes CO2-eq per annum, representing 14.5 percent of human-induced GHG emissions. In addition, animal agriculture also results in more dire consequences as seen in the deforestation for grazing purposes, the loss of biodiversity, and pollution of water sources due to animal waste disposal.

Mitigation efforts should therefore take into account the greenhouse gas emissions of the livestock industry. As such, the campaign for meatless food consumption has significant implications as an ecologically conscious, alternative lifestyle pattern. It is clear from the facts that a sizeable reduction in terms of daily meat consumption would contribute immensely towards reductions in emission and in country’s reaching their emission targets as promised in the Paris Agreement. This would not only ensure healthy living but also would help fulfil the individual and collective responsibility in contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint. Further, the rescaling of meat industry would lead to more sustainable patterns of livestock production which incorporates humane farming practices that would ensure the welfare of animals.

The recently ratified Nationally Determined Contributions of Sri Lanka (NDCs) include climate actions that focus on the sectors pertaining to livestock sector. This would also have impacts of co-benefit based actions as livestock industry would feature under adaptation as a sector mentioned within the NDCs, though it will also contribute to the reduction of emissions if focusing on reducing the scale of animal agriculture, and reduce the meat production. It is important that in the implementation of these NDCs, that the country adopts a humane approach, as all beings are impacted by climate change, not only humans.

Speaking at the Global Youth Forum on Climate Change, Bhagya Wickramasinghe, who works with SLYCAN Trust with animal welfare related issues, commented on SLYCAN Trusts’s new initiative- Meatless Monday- which advocates change of lifestyle towards the meatless/vegan option by recognizing the impact of meat on the health and environment through conscious eating habits. She mentioned that mindful eating, and meatless food consumption are important in fulfilling our individual contribution to mitigating climate change impacts.

As part of the Sri Lankan government’s agenda in addressing the issue of climate change, the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka recently organised the ‘Sri Lanka Next – A Blue Green Era’ Conference and Exhibition, and the 5th Asia- Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, which took place from 17th – 19th October at Bandaranaike Memorial International Convention Hall. The forum focused on the theme of “adapting and living below 2*c: bridging gaps in policy and practice”. As a token of the significance of vegetarianism in mitigating climate change issues, the inauguration reception for Sri Lanka NEXT conference was held as a meatless dinner. The reception which was held on the eve of the 17th of October was attended by over 1000 international and local delegates participating in the APAN forum. The array of food which included many different types of cuisines, served as a tangible reminder of the alternative lifestyle options that are more environmentally friendly and sensitive to animal welfare. On the whole, the reception which marked the commencement of the Government’s official campaign in addressing climate change, reiterated an important message in highlighting the significance of meatless food consumption in fulfilling our individual and social responsibility towards creating a better environment.

Source : Colombo Telegraph https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lanka-advocates-climate-change-mitigation-through-humane-lifestyle/

Land grabbers eye unprotected forests around Sinharaja

Protect these LRC forests immediately – environmental organisations urge president

(School children learn importance of protecting environment at BLUE – GREEN event)

Environment organisations fear  there is an ongoing attempt to grab forest lands in the vicinity of the Sinharaja forest by individuals and groups..

The scheme came to light when a group commenced surveying around 400 acres of the Delgoda Forest located near the Sinharaja Forest last week. The group claimed they possessed  deeds to the land.

The Sunday Times learned  the Forest Department’s Range Forest Office in Kalawana was able  to stop the activity as no proper documentation regarding land ownership was provided.

Sriyantha Perera of the ‘Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka’ said many fraudulent attempts are being made to grab forest land. In one instance an individual claiming rights to the forest land based on ‘Nindagam Oppu’ claimed to have been issued during the British colonial era in 1940.

According to this old ‘nindagam’ document  the individual claimed he owned an extent of 800 ‘vee kuraniya’ – an old unit of measure used to quantify amount of harvest. This roughly equivalent to 2000 acres according to Rainforest Protectors.

The reality however is that no individual can legally own over 50 acres of land.

Another ruse of the land grabbers is to peruse documents of the Land Registry in an effort to identify land  owners who may have died and those who have left the country, create fake documents and claim ownership. Perera added that with the advent of nature-based tourism, land value in the area had sky-rocketed and this was another reason behind the rush to grab land illicitly.

The Kalawana Divisional Secretary refused to comment on the issue when the Sunday Times contacted her. The Conservator General of Forest, Anura Sathurusinghe said that he also got to know about the attempts to grab forest lands adjacent to Sinharaja and the matter is under investigation.

Meanwhile, the ‘Rainforest Protectors’ has called on government to take over all forest lands adjacent to Sinharaja because the high value of its endemic biodiversity. They added these patches of forest also act as corridors linking the larger rainforest complex, and if destroyed, the already fragmented fragile ecosystem would be adversely affected.

The environmentalists said they recognised difficulties faced regarding forest lands claimed by private individuals. However they pointed out that forest lands belonging to the Land Reclamation Commission (LRC) are forests which can be immediately brought under the protected area network as the  LRC had agreed to transfer the lands to the Forest Department several years ago.

Unfortunately boundary demarcation disputes have slowed the process of transferring the said lands for protecting under the control of the Forest Department.

Forest Conservator General Mr. Sathurusinghe said these LRC lands were now being surveyed, but said that Forest Department has to wait until the survey Department finalised its demarcation.

Environmentalists point out that as there were attempts to grab forest lands in these areas with blessings of the local politicians, it was very important to expedite the process of protecting LRC forest lands.

“There have been instances where lands are grabbed overnight. Why can’t work to protect these forest  lands be expedited? especially when the Environment Minister is the President of the country who enjoys executive powers environmentalists ask.

Meanwhile the month of October is earmarked as ‘Tree Planting Month’ with the campaign spearheaded by the President Maithripala Sirisena himself.

As Environment Minister, the President also aims to increase Sri Lanka’s forest cover up to 32 percent from the current 29 percent.

Environmentalists are thus  urging the President to expedite the process of bringing these LRC lands under the protected area network to give them the much needed legal protection necessary to ensure their safety.

Sri Lanka NEXT – Blue Green Era

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the “Sri Lanka NEXT – Blue Green Era” policy initiative, held at the BMICH,  President Sirisena emphasised that should any individual or institution take action to upset the balance of the environment,  government would not hesitate to enforce the laws against the wrongdoers.

While welcoming these sentiments, environmentalists said action rather than words were necessary. They pointed out that approval had been given  for the implementation of environmentally harmful projects such as mini hydro power plants.

Activists who have a joint stall in the “Sri Lanka NEXT – Blue Green Era” exhibition, are using the opportunity educate people on how sensitive environments are being destroyed for a negligible amounst of power generated by mini hydro power projects.

The ‘Rainforest Protectors’ also handed over a letter President Sirisena emphasizing need to take timely action to ensure Ministry of Environment, Central Environmental Authority and Sustainable Energy Authority cease issuing permits for future mini hydro projects and urgently appoint a team to investigate issues connected  to existing mini-hydro projects.

The organisation accused unnamed government politicians of attempting to get permission to restart currently halted mini hydro projects which allegedly harm the environment.

Source : Sunday Times  http://www.sundaytimes.lk/161023/news/land-grabbers-eye-unprotected-forests-around-sinharaja-213439.html

Wiped out and it’s all our fault

Humans have wiped out so many animals that the planet is on the verge of the first ‘mass extinction’ since the age of the dinosaurs, conservationists have warned.

By the end of the decade, seven out of every ten of the world’s mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds will have been wiped out, according to the biggest ever report into extinction.

Some of the most threatened species include African elephants, tigers, mountain gorillas and giant pandas, said the report by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

Its grim findings were described as a wake-up call to help save Earth’s remaining animals – before it is too late.

The study assessed 14,152 populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles.

Numbers fell by 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012 – and are dropping by around 2 per cent every year, with no sign of any slowdown.

By 2020, populations of vertebrate species could have fallen by 67 per cent over the 50-year period unless action is taken to reverse the damaging impacts of mankind, the Living Planet report found.

These include poaching, farming, over-fishing, deforestation, climate change, the ditching of waste plastic, chemical and air pollution – behaviours that are affecting humans too.

Mike Barrett, director of science and policy at WWF-UK, said: ‘For the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs … we face a global mass extinction of wildlife.

‘We ignore the decline of other species at our peril – for they are the barometer that reveals our impact on the world that sustains us.

‘Humanity’s misuse of natural resources is threatening habitats, pushing irreplaceable species to the brink and threatening the stability of our climate.’

But he added: ‘We know how to stop this. It requires governments, businesses and citizens to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment.’

The African elephant population has fallen by 111,000 in the past decade, mainly down to poaching, with just 415,000 left.

Other animals are even more rare. There are now just 3,900 tigers in the world and 1,864 giant pandas.

Shockingly the numbers of one of the most at risk species, the Amur leopard, are down to just 70.

Overall, terrestrial species have seen populations drop by 38 per cent between 1970 and 2012. Freshwater species fared even worse, falling by 81 per cent.

For marine creatures – based on 6,170 populations of 1,353 species of fish, birds, mammals and reptiles – the report found a 36 per cent decline.

The worst years were between 1970 and 1980, however the decline has been stabilised thanks to efforts to stop overfishing.

On a positive note, animal species living in African grasslands have increased slightly since 2004, thanks to conservation efforts.

The report also highlights the success of habitat protection and strict hunting controls in Europe.

Professor Ken Norris, director of science at ZSL, said: ‘Human behaviour continues to drive the decline of wildlife populations globally, with particular impact on freshwater habitats.

‘However, these are declines – they are not yet extinctions – and this should be a wake-up call to marshal efforts to promote the recovery of these populations.’

Handout photo from Marwell Zoological Park of a Amur Leopard

Source : 26/10/2016 Daily Mirror http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Wiped-out-and-it-s-all-our-fault-118191.html

President launches ‘National polythene, plastic and electronic waste prevention week’

President Maithripala Sirisena launched a ‘National polythene, plastic and electronic waste prevention week’ from October 24 to 30 at a ceremony at the Central Environmental Authority at Battaramulla yesterday.

He also launched the website www.wmd.cea.lk containing information about polythene, plastics and electronic waste.

Representatives of the Kaduwela, Anuradhapura and Kandy Municipal Councils and the Balangoda Urban Council which are successfully operating polythene and plastic recycling projects received special certificates from the President who also symbolically distributed tractors, trailers, polythene baling machines and polythene grinding machines among council representatives.

The National Crafts Council, U.G. Susantha, Kodituwakku, Mrs. Geethanjalee, Mr. Prajashantha, Mrs. Senaviratne and Siyam City Cement Lanka Ltd received certificates of appreciation for disposing polythene and plastic waste collected during the National Week in an environment friendly manner and introducing environment friendly containers as a substitute for polythene and plastic containers.

Source : 21/10/2016 Dailly News http://www.dailynews.lk/2016/10/21/local/96634

Sri Lanka prioritizes sustainable development with a strict policy against environmental degradation

Sustainable development is a priority for the government and development projects will be implemented adhering to a strict policy against environmental degradation, Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena said.

President Sirisena said that not only Sri Lanka, but the whole world has to face the consequences of environmental pollution and further emphasized that the present government follows a very stern policy against the destruction of environment and depletion of natural resources.

Addressing a ceremony to launch “Sri Lanka NEXT – Blue Green Era” policy initiative, held at the BMICH, on Tuesday (18), the President emphasized that if any individual or institution take actions to harm the environment the Government will not hesitate to enforce the laws against the wrongdoers. He also said that as the Minister of Environment recently, he took strong decisions against several incidents of this type reported in various parts of the country.

The President said the state officials and the institutions responsible for the environmental conservation should act in a responsible manner, in this regard and said that he believed the relevant authorities will fulfill their respective responsibilities honorably by taking effective steps against the smugglers.

The year 2017 has been declared as a year of eradication of poverty in the country, the President said adding that all the initiatives in this regard will be implemented giving priority to the sustainable development, one of the main objectives of the Government.

“The Government has understood the importance of moving towards natural resources while resolving issues related to the energy field,” he added.

A series of programs for taking Sri Lanka towards a green era are being carried out from Oct. 17-19 at the BMICH. The Asia Pacific Conference on climate change simulations commenced yesterday with the participation of 500 foreign scientists.

International Research Seminar, film exhibition on environment, exhibition on environmental creations and productions, specialists’ dialog and a global youth society on climate change were held in parallel to this summit. Over 80 Presidential Awards were presented at the main ceremony held today.

The UN Resident Coordinator Una McCauley officially presented the Green Climate Fund’s assistance of USD 38.18 million to support dry zone communities to adapt to climate change to the President at the occasion.

The first copy of the publication on climate change, prepared by the Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment was presented to the President.

Source : Colombo Page  http://www.colombopage.com/archive_16B/Oct18_1476800804CH.php