Climate change threatens Lanka's sustainable development

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is concerned about the adverse effects of climate change in the South Asia region and stressed that the region has made no contribution to Green House Gas emissions.

"Climate change will be the central theme for the sixteenth SAARC summit in Bhutan in April 2010," Minister Ranawaka said.

The Minister thanking the Danish Government for hosting the Conference said he was delivering his statement also as the Chairman of SAARC. "The island states, low-lying regions and long coastlines of South Asia face serious threats from climatic variations, including sea level rise, he pointed out.

The Himalayan region and, adjacent mountainous countries and river basins have been exposed to catastrophic consequences of accelerated glacial melt, and associated risks," Ranawaka pointed out. .

Speaking on Sri Lanka's situation he said, the climate change has caused a loss of agricultural harvest to the country .

"The country has lost 15 per cent of its agricultural harvest due to unexpected floods in the last year and 20 percent this year due to droughts.

The Government has launched the Green (Haritha) Lanka project and established a National Council for Sustainable Development on the directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure sustainability of the country's development against the impacts of climate change, he said.

"Climate change poses a threat on Sri Lanka's sustainable development by directly impacting on its social, economic and environmental spheres," he said.

Adhering to principles and provisions of the Kyoto Protocol will be crucial in combating climate change, he reiterated and emphasized that developed countries must commit in meeting GHG emission reduction targets.