Thilanga places emission onus on rich countries

It is the duty of the developed countries to step up efforts on emission reduction and provide financial and technical support for developing countries, Colombo District MP Thilanga Sumathipala said at the third CPA Asia Regional Conference on "Climate Change and Natural Disaster," at the Colombo Hilton yesterday.

He said that wealthy industrialized countries were mainly responsible for green house gas emissions.

Two thirds of the atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide had come in nearly equal proportions from the United States and Western European countries.

However, the newly emerging economic 'powerhouse' such as China and India too should share the responsibility.

In contrast, Africa counts for less than 3 percent of the global emission of carbon dioxide from fuel burning since 1900, yet its 840 million people who face some of the biggest risks from drought and disrupted water supplies, according to new scientific assessments.

As the oceans swell with water from melting ice sheets, it was the crowded river deltas in Southern Asia and Egypt, along small island nations that were most at risk.

In Sri Lanka, nationwide storms and floods in December 2010 and January 2011, have hit some one million people.

Climate change was not real, but Sri Lanka needs to be well prepared.

Farmers should be trained in how to cultivate weather resistant traditional rice varieties.

People should be removed from vulnerable areas.

Constructions of buildings on hill tops should be totally banned. Sri Lanka, being a small non-industrialized country was unable to prevent climate change, but surely meaningful action should be taken to mitigate harmful effects.

All countries should take steps to curb the growth of the carbon emissions by improving energy efficiency.