Need a firm stand on protecting protected national assets

I have chosen to only go down to Colombo once a month for a few days. With no offence meant to any of the full-blooded 'Colombans' I know, I must say that I do not miss much of what's happening out there or the rest of the world by not being there. Out here in the village, you let your mind wander, while taking time to 'listen and see' and not merely 'hear or look'.

With the power of info-communications, I could keep myself busy and be engaged in what to me seem rewarding pursuits while being away from the frills of city life, like the 'small talk' on the cocktail circuit and other lush social events. Since I am into a self-imposed 'mathata titha' for over a half decade now, I do not miss even the intoxicating stuff that is served out by the hosts at these events.

Here, I can productively connect to be kept informed and continue to learn and wander. I now have the 'luxury' of the most scarce and non-renewable resource of 'time' to read 'what I always wanted to, but never got down to it' stuff, watch the various satellite channels of my choice, browse through daily news-wires, engage the various groups on Facebook, Twitter and WAYN and most importantly, carefully listen to those voices, without merely hearing them. I have time now to dissect what I see on what some call the 'idiot box' or on the 'have it as we dish it' newswire stories, or comments of those who haul party-lines and make my own judgment. As for the intoxication, I serve myself a dose of Arishta, a wine made with many different herbal sources before a meal. A certain enhancement of the imported wines served at the social functions, made just of one fruit or a few of them or the stronger ones that have a malt base.

The past few days were spent on observing the civic movement of Anna Hazari gaining rapid ground on their campaign against corruption in governance, politics and business in India. He seems determined to have the Jana Lok Pal bill in place sooner than later and to have the Prime Minister and the Judiciary also under the watchful eye of the Lok Pal, on matters involving wrongdoing. It is claimed that more than 150 members of Parliament in India will have to face charges brought by the 'Lok Pal' against them, if the Jana Lok Pal bill is made an act of Parliament. Some incentive it is, for those in power to pass the bill as demanded by Anna-ji and his civil society followers.

Lessons to learn there for us in not waiting till it all gets to you, but to take solid and serious action to curb and end corruption before its dark shadows come haunting you.

Interesting developments

I also observed how Colonel Gadaffi and his loyals' were battling it out to resist the attacks of NATO forces. The opposition forces claimed they captured Gadaffi's son Saif and Obama was quick to express support to an interim administration even before one was firmly in place. All were very interesting developments, one no better than the other we have seen before, where everyone was interfering with everyone else's affairs without taking action to resolve their own.

I also had time to watch our cricketers riding the see-saw against Australia, to loose a series, when we had what it takes to win it. Two of the games were played just 25 minutes from where I live. But I opted to stay home and watch it on television for I would miss the close-ups and the replays of the shots played or the wickets that fell. As a commentator rightly said "Sri Lanka lacked consistency and were not determined enough".

Well, that was on the cricket field. Away from it, we had news of a large portion of the Somawathiya national park land being allocated for a banana plantation, an elephant count which those who entered the data at the university claimed was error free, news of a baby tusker breaking its tusks when being forcibly taken away from her adopted home of the Ath athuru sevena, announcements by tourism promoters that there will be facelifts to the wild life parks with more tourist friendly accommodation and other facilities being built within the buffer zones, and new roads being built around the only natural world heritage we posses of the Sinharaja.

Other side of the fence

What we did not consider or perhaps ignored examining is that the parent company of the banana venture and its subsidiary a chemical fertilizer production company were respondents in a 2007 multi million dollar lawsuit in Nicaragua. Sued by six workers for making them sterile as a result of the use of a pesticide banned in the US for banana farming, first convicted by a jury verdict, it was later turned in favour of the company and led to the alleged closing of the plantation venture in that country.

That the elephant count was carried out by the armed forces for it had to be a rapid response and with little scientific method behind its conduct. That elephants that were meant to be sent back to its habitats after being looked after, were now to be 'gifted' to be domesticated within temples and when not dressing up for pageants to be used for hard labour.

That tourist accommodation too close to the national parks or within them can lead to a further infringement of the habitat of the animals which would lead to the destruction of the very resources that visitors come to see and that it should be our responsibility by the generations yet to be born to protect this rare natural heritage of a virgin rain forest without turning it into a playground for a few.

Sustainability

It is in this backdrop that I agreed to make a presentation at the invitation of the Institute of Environmental Professionals at their Annual Convention and AGM on 'Sustainable tourism in development of Sri Lanka'. Since the date fitted well with my monthly visit to the city and it was the 'environmental professionals' I was to meet, I accepted that invitation with some enthusiasm. Also since I do not like the idea of placing adjectives before tourism such as 'eco' or 'sustainable', I made my own addendum to it to read 'Thoughts and proposals on social profitability and higher yields'.

I updated a paper I had prepared at the request of the Minister of Economic Development in mid 2010 on my thoughts on the way forward for Sri Lanka's tourism to be shared with the audience in soft-copy form, all 30 pages of it. I also prepared a power point presentation where I could discuss some salient points within it and all equipped, set out for the venue.

Substance or style

I had been to many such discussions for over 40 years now on the various aspects of the environment at venues such as the Sri Lanka Association of the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), the Natural Resources and Science Authority (NARESA), the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and other more modest low carbon and low resource waste venues. With likes of John Diandas, Ray Wijewardena, Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, these were sessions where substance was placed above style. On this occasion, I was in dismay to enter a hall at the 'Water's Edge' set up for more like a dealer convention of a company selling consumables, than that suited for a serious discussion session of a group of environmental professionals. Perhaps I am wrong, for today affairs of the 'environment' have taken the same directions of the economy where 'we either sell or get sold' with carbon trading markets, offset support funding schemes and rare plant and other species gene trading markets coming into operation.

During my presentation when I was asked a question as to how Sri Lanka could reduce its foreign exchange leakages in tourism, I told them that we should not be poor imitators of who and what our tourists were, but be proud presenters of what is our own, use our own resources as much as we can, involve our communities in the pursuit and also seek to become a truly Haritha Sri Lankawak to form the backdrop. I also urged the environmental professionals not to fall prey to the dominant culture's gimmicks of 'carbon off sets funds' or 'bio-diversity valuations' in placing our natural assets on false-bottom share markets.

Without compromise

It is from among the environmental professionals that opinions are called upon to make assessments on the impact we make on our natural world, in the course of our seeking economic and social development. One of the tools they have at the initial development investment decision making process is the environmental impact assessment report or the EIA. For larger projects and activities there is also the process of public hearings, where professionals as well as any other persons are allowed to make observations sharing their thoughts on the impact and the value base of natural and cultural resources we have.

These are important tools and processes and compromising on them will only lead to creating ill health for our nation as a whole. Although the short term may look lucrative, long-term damage could be irreversible. As a leadership that cares and loves our motherland, the need of the hour is for them to allow the professionals to act professionally without compromise. It is up to the professionals as well to act with sheer professionalism and maintain their integrity to the fullest.

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