More trees can help lower temperatures especially in cities

Warnings over extreme heat which is posing serious health hazards are becoming all too common in Sri Lanka as well as many countries in the world. The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Meteorology Department this week cautioned people living in several districts that increasing temperatures will put them at risk of heat cramps and exhaustion while long hours of exposure to the sun would lead to heat strokes.

Similar warnings have been issued in many countries with Europe among continents gripped by a heat wave while closer to home, neighbouring India too is suffering from the extreme heat and drought conditions.

Climate change is a very real threat that the planet faces and not one that any country can fight alone. Despite extreme weather conditions impacting most countries, collective efforts to deal with the problems fall short and it is an area that does not get the priority that it should get. While it is true that in the global context, a small island nation like Sri Lanka may be unable to do much, on a national level, it can certainly do a lot to prioritise the protection of the environment. It is estimated that between 1990 and 2000, Sri Lanka lost an average of 26,800 hectares of forest per year while the average annual deforestation rate stands at around 1.14%. The rate of deforestation has been on the rise in the last three decades with the country losing 7.7% of its forest cover, or around 417,000 hectares, between 1990 and 2005. These statistics show the seriousness of the problem that the country faces, sacrificing its priceless forests and tree cover, in the name of development. Not only does this destruction impact the lives of humans but has put the country’s unique flora and fauna under severe threat. 

With urbanisation on the rise in the country, cities are getting hotter with concrete structures contributing to the increase in temperatures while the increased use in air conditioning is also adding to the problem while tree cover that once helped cool temperature is fast dwindling. The country has seen worsening natural disasters over recent years with the ongoing drought across several districts, one such example while floods, earth lips, landslides, etc. have become all too common, largely due to deforestation.

Trees are often the victims that fall when new concrete structures come up and little is done to replant new trees in place of those that are destroyed. In areas where once there was a lush covering of trees, there now stands barren land with concrete towers looming large while a tree that once sheltered a weary pedestrian can no longer be seen. It is a proven fact that trees can lower air temperature as well as reduce need for air-conditioning thus reducing emissions. Studies in many countries have shown that tree canopy cover can reduce daytime temperatures in urban areas. Trees are nature’s answer to reduce the use of air conditioning and artificial means of reducing temperature. The tree planting campaigns that successive governments undertook in the past seem to have fallen by the wayside, but it is time to revive such programs if the country is to save itself from the rising temperatures caused by climate change and global warming. Numerous kinds of trees grow easily in the fertile soil of the country and bringing back the country’s tree cover only needs an organised effort by the public with the support of the Government and as well as the private sector.

There must be more focus on bringing more greenery to the urban areas particularly the big cities where the shade of a tree can go a long way to reduce temperatures and make the cities more habitable while also bringing back birds, bees and insects which are fast disappearing from these built-up areas. Also teaching children to love nature and encouraging them to grow trees is one way to ensure that future generations would have a greener, pollution-free country to live in.