By Carmel Corea
The National Geographic Magazine April 2017 issue carries a satellite image showing the polluted waters around Sri Lanka. This irrefutable evidence indicates a possible environmental disaster for Sri Lanka’s coral reefs.
Coral reefs protect Sri Lanka from natural disasters and are essential for sustaining this country’s fishing industry. The tourism industry boldly advertises Sri Lanka’s pristine beaches and states, “Investors favour coastal belt tourism development’.
In view of recent research, environmentalists warn that unless urgent measures are taken to control marine pollution, the financial loss and income downturn to the country will be inevitable.
What is marine pollution?
Marine pollution occurs when harmful or potentially harmful chemicals, materials, pathogens or disruptive activities invade the oceans. Eighty percent of marine pollution comes from the land. Air, too, contributes by carrying pesticides, toxic gases, hot air and sound, all proven to be harmful to marine life and habitats.
Greenpeace UK’s senior ocean campaigner Louise Edge says more than 12 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year.
Sri Lanka is the world’s fifth worst ocean plastic polluter, with China topping the list. Fisherman say pollution is killing marine life and their livelihood.
The United Nations will hold an Ocean Conference from June 5 to 9 to reverse the decline in the health of oceans for the benefit of the people and the planet.
Global warming stresses the environment
Global warming — due to an increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide produced mainly by anthropogenic (human) activities — is causing climate change.
Records indicate atmospheric carbon levels increased from 280 to 400 parts per million from 1750 to 2015, resulting in atmospheric warming.
Researches state that our oceans absorb about 30 million tons of carbon dioxide every day changing the chemistry of the sea and increasing its acidification.
This reduces sea water’s carrying capacity for calcium carbonate needed by corals and other marine organisms to build their exoskeletons. Hence coral reefs are under survival threat and need careful management.
Sri Lanka formally ratified the Paris Agreement to limit GHG emissions on April 22 last year.
The importance of coral reefs to Sri Lanka
Coral reefs are vital for Sri Lanka’s economy. They are the ‘rain forest of the sea’ — the most bio-diverse and productive ecosystem on earth, occupying only 0.2% of the ocean, yet home to a quarter of all marine species. More than 4000 species of fish make coral reefs their home. Corals can only exist within a narrow band of environmental conditions found in tropical and subtropical waters. The water temperature must remain ideally between 23C and 29C (or 77F and 84F).
The conditions needed for coral survival are found in the seas surrounding Sri Lanka. This makes Sri Lanka a unique island, with potential for developing into a high foreign income generating eco-tourist resort.
Coral reef destruction and sewage pollution
Dr. Stephanie Wear, the Nature Conservancy (USA) lead scientist for coral conservation, has carried out extensive research on marine pollution. She says, “When you think of the top threats to coral reefs sewage isn’t usually at the top of the list. Climate change and over fishing are the more familiar hazards, but pollution from untreated sewage is a serious threat to reefs and the services they provide for marine life and people.”
Dr.Wear elaborates that some of the greatest sewage pollution in the world occurs in developing countries, where most coral reefs exist. It appears that the infrastructure in sewage waste management in these countries may be old, and poorly maintained – and that causes untreated sewage to be pumped into the sea.
A similar situation exists in Sri Lanka. Nihal Fernando, Project Director (Colombo Port City) and Urban Development Authority Director, in an article published in this newspaper on June 19 last year states, “… thousands of metric tonnes of raw sewage are annually discharged to sea.”
Source – 09/04/2017, The suinday Times , See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170409/sunday-times-2/marine-pollution-around-sri-lanka-and-the-inevitable-environmental-disaster-236258.html
