Archives

The challenge of the drought

Sri Lanka is experiencing an unprecedented drought. This is the worst drought in several decades which has affected almost the entire country. Seven or eight districts are severely affected. The worst affected are regions within the arid zone like Hambantota.

The drought is not new to Hambantota and the other severely affected areas. They have been periodically affected by drought. What makes matters worse is the intensity of the drought and the numbers involved. Due to development activity in the past years more and more people have settled in these areas.

The Government in power cannot be blamed for natural calamities like this, though some politicians and their media acolytes seem to do just that. Nature does not discriminate between political parties or other human groupings.

This does not mean that the politicians are to be absolved completely. In fact, all governments since independence should be held responsible for not addressing the issue properly and not implementing long term solutions.

It must also be said that some development projects that were undertaken in the past had been implemented without due regard to long-term effects.

The destruction of the ecological balance between man and nature is not a feature peculiar to Sri Lanka. It is a feature common to the socio-economic system we live in.

Man has not been conscious of this balance and the need to retain it until quite recently. Irrational exploitation of natural resources, including the forest cover and water resources have contributed to recurrent and more intensive droughts in various parts of the world. Man is still fighting for a socio-economic set up that will give priority to ecological sustenance.

The problem we face today has to be tackled on two fronts. First is to find short term or instant solutions to the hardships facing the people in the drought stricken areas. The second is to find a lasting solution or solutions to avert such severe droughts.

The government has taken quick initiatives and some are already bearing fruit. It appealed to the international community and international NGOs who are already providing relief. Similarly, the public and private sector institutions as well as civil society organizations and individuals have also come forward to alleviate the suffering of the masses.

On the other hand, it must work out long term solutions with the aim of preserving our water resources and rainfall for use in adverse climatic conditions.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 10.9.2001:
  Energy : ecology vs. economy

• Voice of the Sinhala and Tamil Media
  Editorials from Sinhala and Tamil Newspapers
  of 10.9.2001

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager