Sri Lanka’s unique bio diversity is a global heritage that is threatened by the impact of climate change and efforts in achieving and sustaining the millennium goals are challenged by Global warming experienced currently.   

The focus of this paper is to identify the key factor of climate change and global warming that has the greatest impact that threatens the quality of life and the environment that supports it so as to take effective action to adapt and mitigate.  

Climate Change and its affects in Sri Lanka.

 Whilst Sri Lanka is a developing country with significantly lower carbon emissions in comparison to industrial nations, climate change during the last 5 years has been affecting the country disproportionately more, resulting in many disasters including massive flooding, landslides, and hurricane winds as well as inclement weather changes affecting life and livelihoods.  

Impacts of Climatic change on the rural communities

 Over the last three to four years, the world has seen a significant increased number of natural disasters, commonly attributed to climatic change.  In Sri Lanka, the month of March which is normally a month of no rain, but in 2008 experienced un-seasonal heavy rainfall throughout the month. The resultant failures in paddy crops and loss of harvesting days for other crops have brought disaster to the most vulnerable in the farming communities. Whilst agriculture accounts for over 25% of the economy, a significantly higher proportion of the population is engaged and depends on agriculture. The resultant doubling of food prices have also affected the poorer people disproportionately.   

In addition to agricultural losses, flooding and landslides brings untold hardship to the poorer sector of the society. Those living in poorly constructed dwellings, closer to river banks, hillsides have their whole lifesaving destroyed, rending them homeless and with no livelihood support. Climatic changes have affected the poorest people making them even more vulnerable to follow-on threats such as health epidemics, loss of clean drinking water and food security.

The un-seasonal heavy rain in 2009 has also seen an increase in the number of lightning strikes, killing over 9 people in villages and injuring many more during the month of March.  The heavy rains also caused flooding in the South Western region during the month of May, displacing over 350,000 people and affecting over 500,000.

Such exceptional climatic change has threatened cultural practices in the country such as harvest festivals. In 2010, three months of continuous rain has virtually stopped all natural rubber tapping in the wet zone, affecting thousands of small holder livelihoods as well as employment in smaller manufacturing industries using natural rubber as a raw material. The unpredictability in changing in temperatures has also affected productivity of tea, which over 1 million people depend on and has a major economic impact on the national economy.    

The overall impact of such climate change bears heavily on the poorest communities living with much insecurity. Most of their daily energy use may be limited to cooking two or three meals a day using firewood which is not accessible during times of flooding and un-seasonal rain. 

Evidence of global warming and climate change  

Whilst there is evidence of correlation between the phenomena of Global warming and climate change, it could be said that global warming is an indicator of climate change and not a cause and effect.

Whilst a significant cause can be attributed to carbon emissions and deforestation resulting negatively through the greenhouse effect there may remain a contribution from a longer term 300 to 500 year natural cyclical geological or geothermal change phenomena.

Therefore, whilst action should be taken towards mitigation through such measures as reduction of carbon emissions,  mitigation and  adaptations needs to be planned and implemented to reduce the impact of predicted climate change impact on the most vulnerable communities. 

Impact due to Geological features

An area that has been badly affected by climate change following the recent heavy rains resulting in flooding is Gampaha District. It is also the second highest populated district after the Capital Colombo, lying closer to sea level. One of the main reasons for the flooding is the earth filling of low lying land as well as rising river water overflow and lack of flood management.

The Dutch Canal system that was built over 200 years ago is now in as state of disrepair with the main sluice gates that is meant to stop sea water flowing back does not function any longer.

With further global warming and resultant rise in sea level as predicted will have a devastating impact on a population of over 2 million living in the District due to flooding. Significant numbers of poor families live in makeshift housing in low lying areas that are frequently flooded and their meager livelihoods destroyed. It is usually the Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers who respond to such disasters regularly with food and medicine to help families marooned in isolated villages.

Impacts of Climatic change on urban communities

Urbanization brings with it poverty and poor health in competing for ever decreasing resources, such as healthcare, education, food, water, drainage and sanitary services.

With increasing impact of climate change on the rural communities and the pressure towards industrialization to reach millennium goals and greater urbanization has also resulted in seeing larger numbers of health emergencies in urban areas.

An epidemic proportional increase in the number of infected and deaths due to dengue in the last 5 years in urban areas, increased demand for energy, health services, land for housing and transport also contribute towards various urban disasters. Unplanned development without proper drainage system also contributes to urban flooding and loss of productivity.

Greater urbanization and consumerism also results in the creation of non-biodegradable waste. Garbage dumps and landfill sites create major health hazards to the poorer sectors of the community.

Adaptation, Mitigation and Timely response

Therefore a balance of adaptation and mitigation and planned timely response needs to be considered to reduce the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable and to avoid potential disaster.

Activities should be planned to ensure that any investment on adaptation and mitigation has the maximum impact bringing measureable results in relieving suffering of the most affected.

Proposed activities for mitigation and adaptation

1. Monitor climate change patterns and study the potential impacts on the most vulnerable in given geographic areas.

2. Assist in livelihood development programmes in rural areas to reduce pressure towards urbanization.

3. Identify families living in poor housing in flood prone areas and assist with livelihood and housing development.

4. Awareness creation for the protection of environment to mitigate health hazards.

5. Campaigns towards reduction of carbon emissions through efficient use of energy.

6. Awareness against deforestation to prevent landslide disasters as well as for carbon absorption.

7. Adaption for better disaster preparedness through timely information dissemination and mitigation action, with the impact of threat to life being be greatly reduced.

8. Promote food security and healthy living habits to reduce impacts of health emergencies and spread of decease.

9. Advocate lower dependence of chemical fertilizer and insecticides through proper use and application.

10. Support National and School education programmes on “environmental Protection”

11. Provide better community services, health services and transport services to rural farmers to improve productivity and quality of life.

12. Conduct health awareness programmes in mitigating affects due to urbanization such as Dengue and other epidemics.

13. Introduce productive methods and new technology to improve productivity, harvest as well as to reduce post-harvest losses.

14. Promotion of green practices such as reducing, recycling and reusing of non-biodegradable material such as plastics and other artificial compounds.

15. Promote compost manufacture from garbage leading to reduced methane emission and environmental and health hazards.

16. Promote the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind energy and mini hydro plants to support small scale rural electrification.

17. Repair and maintain infrastructure to ensure flood control in low lying areas, for example Canal sluice gates in Colombo, assisting Gampaha district flood control.

Implementation methodology

There are well experienced humanitarian organizations working in Sri Lanka on disaster mitigation and response. Under the overall coordination of the National Disaster management Centre, a clear implementation plan needs to be formulated in ensuring the most effective application of available skills and resources.

A PMER system should be established in order to ensure effectiveness as well as transparency and accountability to all key stakeholders.

Organizational  Capacity and Experience

Being able to take preventive action against likely threats needs to be put in focus in all humanitarian action that would reduce the suffering of those most vulnerable.

With the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement focusing on disaster mitigation, including the impacts of climatic change, the Sri Lanka Red Cross has been active in taking various programs of disaster mitigation in empowering vulnerable communities. With a Branch office established in every district, setting up and training of Community based disaster response teams as well as Branch Disaster Response teams has proven successful.

In many of such emergencies, First Aid can save life. Volunteers trained in First Aid have become a great asset to communities where fast access to medical care may not be available.    

In a country where over 80% of the population live in rural areas, good and practical advice on preventive action and timely information with community based early warning systems can be the difference between life and death. Traditional methods of communication in a rural setting can be more effective than technology that is not accessible to the poor rural communities.

The programme implementation by Red Cross following the devastating tsunami that left 35,000 people dead and over half a million affected included building of over 30,000 houses, 300 hospitals and medical centres, and major programmes on Water and sanitation rehabilitation programmes at a cost of over 600 million $.

With a history of nearly 75 years of Humanitarian service in the country, established under Geneva conventions, the Sri Lanka Red Cross has proven its long term commitment with an indigenous volunteer base giving access to all communities throughout the country.

Therefore organizational capacity and experience should be utilized in a carefully planned,  coordinated  implementation effort on a longer term on Climate change adaptation and mitigation in reducing the preventable suffering of vulnerable communities.

 

21^st July 2010