Restoring critical ecosystems vital for sustainable growth

While Sri Lanka is experiencing yet another heat wave these days, reminding us of the direct effects of man-made climate change, there was also some good news regarding the environment. Sri Lanka was recognised as one of the seven UN World Restoration Flagships for its initiative to restore and expand mangrove cover by over 50%. 

These awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – led by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) – which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.

Mangrove forests once thrived along the whole coast of Sri Lanka which acted as the first line of defence for coastlines, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. Their destruction was felt firsthand during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. However, since then there have been reasonable efforts to restore this vital ecosystem.

In 2015, Sri Lanka became the first nation to legally protect all its mangrove forests and established the National Expert Committee on Mangrove Conservation and Sustainable Use, spurring several actions to protect and manage mangroves including new declarations under the legislations.

While the mangrove initiative deserves credit there are many other areas of critical importance that the Government needs to focus on. Sri Lanka’s wetland primordial rainforests are rapidly dwindling. They preserve some of the most unique biodiversity in the island. The genetic resources within these endemic species can be called the country’s ‘green gold’. The plant species, especially used for traditional medicine, have enormous economic value. Harnessed properly through research in Sri Lanka and through properly executed collaborations with foreign partners bound by benefit sharing agreements can generate enormous revenue to the country.

Further, forest systems, especially those in the central hills are the lungs of the country, being the natural purifiers of air. Sri Lanka should be constantly vigilant about the number of pollutants created in the Indian subcontinent. The region remains one of the most hazardous in the world in terms of air pollution. The atmosphere does not respect national borders, and it is a matter of time before the unsustainable levels of air pollution in the subcontinent becomes a serious threat to public health in our country as well. It is therefore imperative that a comprehensive reforestation program be launched to restore the depleted vegetation in the country. The primary focus should be for the restoration of forests in the central hills which will also secure the water table and ensure that the key rivers are properly fed through the catchments.

Just as rich in biodiversity as the primordial rain forests are the coral reefs around the island. Though small in area, Sri Lanka’s reefs possess numerous endemic corals and fishes that are found nowhere else in the world. Just as importantly they provide a barrier against sea erosion and a line of defence against the rising global sea levels.

As a small island and a developing nation now amidst an economic crisis, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Consequences of climate change such as temperature rise, rainfall variability and sea level rise are critically affecting almost all economic sectors of the country, jeopardising food and energy security and threatening to hinder economic recovery. Occurrences of natural disasters due to extreme weather conditions such as prolonged droughts, flash floods and landslides deprive lives and livelihoods of people. While Sri Lanka attempts to crawl out of the man-made economic disaster it should do so while also focusing on the immediate needs of the environment.