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Regional amity flourishes

Times couldn't have been better for the further development of SAARC amity. We come to this conclusion on the basis of the growing friendly interaction among the SAARC Seven.

For instance, close on the heels of President Kumaratunga's recent visit to New Delhi, which helped in consolidating Indo-Lanka relations, we had a visit to this country by Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was on a region-wide tour aimed at boosting intra-SAARC relations' - the Pakistani Premier being current SAARC Chairman.

The immediate backdrop to this goodwill tour of the SAARC region by the Pakistani Premier are the steadily improving relations between India and Pakistan - the two principal states of SAARC. On the state of Indo-Pakistani relations has depended - to a large extent - the fortunes of SAARC, on account of the predominant role played by India and Pakistan in regional affairs.

Now that Indo-Pakistani relations are on the mend, opportunities are blossoming for the strengthening of multilateral as well as bilateral relations within the South Asian region.

Sri Lanka, however, has been in the fortunate position over the years, of enjoying warm ties with both India and Pakistan. This has enabled her to establish bilateral relations with both countries which have brought mutual benefits and generated ample goodwill. For instance, steady progress is being made towards the successful conclusion of a Pakistan-Lanka Free Trade Agreement.

This will ensure enhanced cooperation between the countries in the tourism, cultural affairs and economic sectors. Another important bonanza that came Lanka's way during the visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister was the Pakistani offer of a US $ 10 million export credit facility to Sri Lanka.

A glance at the Pakistan-Lanka joint statement issued at the end of Premier Aziz's visit, provides an idea of the vast areas of cooperation between the two countries. Of equal significance is the fact that Pakistan is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's peace process. This position accords with that of India and the regional opinion climate could be considered ideal for the acceleration of the local peace effort.

It is hoped that the current amity in the region would continue to flourish in the days ahead. We wish both India and Pakistan well in their efforts to resolve once and for all the festering Kashmir issue which has proved a stumbling block to better Indo-Pakistani ties.

Sri Lanka, for its part, would be pursuing a policy of friendship with all states in the region. The SAARC Seven needs to bear in mind that unity is the key to self-help and survival.

The day after tomorrow

The recent film The Day After Tomorrow highlighted a worst-case scenario precipitated by global warming. True, there is no immediate danger of New York going under water or ice, but it could happen if we do not take corrective action now.

The Kyoto Protocol, the UN's pact on global warming, aims to do just that. Russia's handover on Thursday in Nairobi of the legal instruments declaring it had ratified the Kyoto Protocol means the pact can take effect from February 16. It marks the culmination of a long, arduous journey.

Global warming is caused by the "greenhouse effect," the phenomenon whereby atmospheric gases trap solar energy, stoking Earth's temperature, rather than let the heat radiate back into space. The burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) produces excess carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a major cause of the greenhouse effect. Other gases (chlorofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide) have also been identified as greenhouse gases. Developed countries, all major fossil fuel users, have to take most of the blame for producing CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

The Kyoto Protocol requires industrialised countries to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases by 5.2 percent by a target of 2008-2012 compared with their 1990 levels. This is a feasible target, given that alternatives to CFCs have been available for years and energy efficient engines/power plants now have much less emissions. A plethora of alternative energy sources including wind and solar power are being looked at.

The main stumbling block for Kyoto was the fierce opposition by the US, which had questioned the scientific evidence for global warming and described Kyoto unfair and too expensive for its economy. Nevertheless, recent scientific studies have fuelled concern that global warming is accelerating, with dangerous and irreversible effects on the climate.

The US, the world's biggest energy user, must act now to join the rest of the international community to save the planet before it is too late. Russia too hesitated to sign Kyoto for several years. Now that Russia's approval has been obtained, the draft pact becomes an international treaty.

Insurance giant Munich Re puts the cost of climate-related disasters in 2003 at 60 billion dollars. The cost, both in monetary and human terms, is likely to escalate. We can already feel climatic changes. For example, it is raining in periods that used to be dry and vice versa. These are minor changes in our eyes, but powerful forces are at work to change climatic patterns cataclysmically.

The international community must cooperate closely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ensure the climatic status quo and protect the planet from further damage.

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