Nature-friendly development
It is quite some time
since the more knowledgeable and enlightened sections of world
opinion came to realize that we cannot have economic growth at
any cost. The reservations that such sections have had on the
subject of material advancement are reflected in the changing
conception of development itself. While at one time growth
combined with equity or redistributive justice was considered as
constituting development, today, this criterion of economic
health too is seen as dated.
Now what is seen as essential, and very rightly so, is
Sustainable Development. That is, man is required to tie
material advancement with efforts to preserve his natural
environment. Economic growth cannot be achieved at the cost of
nature and her vital endowments which are central to the
planet's wholeness. This is the new development philosophy
mankind is expected to abide by and none could object to this
eminently advisable guidepost to a safer and greener life on
earth.
The Lankan state, under a far-seeing directive by President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, is currently engaged in the task of planting
some 1.1 million Na saplings right through the land and this is
certain to strike the observer as being entirely in tune with
the new development thinking, which, among other things, is
entirely promotive of the ethic of the Reverence for Life.
Essentially, the ethic of Reverence for Life upholds the view
that all forms of life must be respected and preserved. Needless
to say, this state of affairs is entirely in keeping with the
philosophy of life preached by our major religions and this is
the perspective upheld by our very own 'Deyeta Sevana' programme
too.
Sri Lanka has and is making tremendous progress on the
material plane and one of the pointers to this progress is the
Middle Income Country status we have achieved. It is to be
expected that this news will generate joy all around and many
are bound to be smugly complacent over the fact that in per
capita income and other relevant terms we are in quite an
envious income bracket. But we cannot afford to let down our
defences. Development and material progress cannot be at the
expense of the natural environment and we cannot consider
ourselves as being out of the woods completely in matters
concerning the environment.
The continuing human-elephant conflict, for instance, is
proof that we are entirely not in harmony with the animal world.
Sri Lanka's urbanization and industrialization process is
continuing at the cost of the elephant's natural habitat and
unless and until 'development' could be brought in tune with the
requirements of the animal world, the human-elephant conflict
could be expected to continue. We need hardly say that
phenomena, such as, continuing landslides and excessive flooding
are clear pointers to the environmental costs of material
growth.
Accordingly, our efforts at environmental protection must
continue apace and it is gladdening to note that state
initiatives in this direction are being implemented. Hopefully,
the Environment Ministry would receive substantial financial
resources at the upcoming budget to carry on with its mandated
tasks. Let it never be forgotten that negligence of the natural
environment and its requirements could prove highly
counter-productive.
The costs of such negligence could be enormous and we are
constantly reminded of this through the environmental tragedies
unfurling in numerous parts of the world. There is certainly no
room for complacency.
But we are obliged to do all within our means and power to
preserve and protect our natural environment and the current
state initiatives in this direction are commendable. But more
could be done by the state to prevent environmental destruction
willfully brought about by humans, such as sand, coral mining
and illicit timber-felling, and this needs to be carried out
with redoubled urgency. No quarter could be given to those who
engage in such destructive acts and the law should be
implemented rigorously and consistently.
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