SL sustaining Ozone Layer

Lanka complies with Montreal Protocol:

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

Sri Lanka is one of the most successful countries in phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), complying with the Montreal Protocol, Environment Ministry senior technical advisor and Professor of Physics W L Sumathipala said.

“Ozone depletion is one of the major global environmental issues. During the 1970s and early 1980s, scientists observed the stratospheric ozone layer was getting thinner due to emissions of man made chemicals referred to as ODSs,” he said.

He said substances used in industrial and agricultural sectors such as Chlorofluorocarbon, Carbon Tetrachloride, Hydro Chloro Flouro Carbon and Methyl bromide are mainly responsible for ozone depletion.

“Thinning of the ozone layer leads to many health and environmental consequences. Overexposure to Ultra Violet rays causes skin cancer, cataract and immunity suppression,” Prof Sumathipala said. He said the ozone layer depletion leads to an increase in the surface Ultra Violet B levels significantly, which could cause damage to the ecosystem as well as the physiology of plants affecting plant growth and crop yield, threaten the survival of certain species such as amphibians and larvae, leads to destruction of phytoplankton affecting aquatic food chains.

“The international community realised the necessity of protecting the ozone layer and established the Vienna convention for ozone layer protection in 1985. It is considered as one of the most successful international agreements addressing the global problem of atmospheric ozone depletion.

As a legal instrument, the Montreal Protocol was adopted in 1987. As a party to the Montreal Protocol, Sri Lanka is bound to implement the protocol provisions including phasing out ODSs,” he said.

Sri Lanka has been a party to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer since 1989.

The government has to comply with obligations coming under the protocol. Sri Lanka is categorised as an Article 5 country under the Montreal Protocol where the annual per capita consumption of ODS is below 300g.