Striking a balance

Monday, 11 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

THE cost of development is getting higher each day, but it’s at the highest for Sri Lanka’s invaluable nature.

In the latest episode, the Government is planning on relocating 200 odd elephants to make way for the massive construction to take place for the Commonwealth Games 2018. The Government is actively banking on the games and is to invest a whopping US$ 4 billion on building a Games City that is expected to be among the best in the world. So bullish is it about this plan that it has pledged to implement it even if Sri Lanka loses its bid to rival Gold Coast in Australia.

A few weeks ago, reports of using buffer zones around wildlife parks provoked a flurry of protests as environmentalists insisted that these areas were essential to prevent elephant-man conflicts and ensure that migration patterns of the large animals were not disturbed. This relocation plan would further reduce the area available for the elephants, resulting in possible contraction of populations.

Rapid deforestation due to the large development projects that are popping up around the country is responsible for the loss of habitat to many other species. The Government also recently announced plans to open up all the blocks of the Yala National Park, ignoring the fact that two blocks of the area are kept closed to allow animals the freedom to enjoy their natural environment, breed and retain their normal life in the wild. This also gives the opportunity for much-needed research to be done to ascertain the value of the environment that is being rapidly depleted in the name of development.

When Sri Lanka in the first stages of its earlier development cycle with the opening up of the economy was encouraged by logging companies and international monetary organisations to carve up its forests, the integrity of a tiny handful of professionals saved Sri Lanka’s priceless biodiversity. Now that service is being undermined yet again – this time by its own people.

Balancing environmental needs and development is a challenge the entire world is facing. However, there has been a strong change of attitude since climate change and global warming have come to the forefront of people’s consciousness. Green business is estimated to hit US$ 1 trillion and the space for new ventures and inventions in this sphere is practically limitless. This is a great opportunity for Sri Lanka to leapfrog on the mistakes the rest of the world has made and move into industries that are environment friendly and thereby create a win-win situation for everyone.

Focus on material benefits without understanding its long-term results could rob this country of its greatest treasures. Preventing and preserving these gifts for future generations is not only the responsibility of all, but the greatest chance of survival. In this instance the Government has to take the lead and understand that massive development projects alone do not assure economic growth. One of the main foreign exchange earners is tourism and destroying the environment will end the foundation on which it stands.

If Sri Lanka is polluted for the sake of development, then the entire country will lose its very existence.