Payments for Ecosystem Services mooted
Disna MUDALIGE
The government anticipates to establish and operationalize a scheme
of Payments for Ecosystem Services next year, Environment Minister Anura
Priyadarshana Yapa said.
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Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa |
Addressing the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11)
to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on Thursday in Hyderabad
in India, the minister noted an innovative project titled ‘Pricing the
Biodiversity of the Island’ has been started last year with the aim of
valuing country's biodiversity and ecosystem services relative to the
livelihood context.
‘The project objective is to identify ecosystem goods and services
values for each of the key ecosystems in the biodiversity priority zones
for the entire country. Economic valuation of environmental impacts and
benefits is an essential component of this project.
This is a collaborative effort with the Community Based Organizations
and civil society involved in the most primary livelihoods such as
farming and fishery.
‘It is expected to integrate such values into national planning
process for sustainable development. It will open a new arena for
sustainable biodiversity business in Sri Lanka,” he said. The project is
implemented by the Biodiversity Secretariat of the ministry with the
support of local universities.
The minister also stated reaching the target to become the emerging
‘Wonder of Asia’ while conserving the country's unique biodiversity and
ecosystem services for future generations too is a challenge ahead of
us.
He noted the behaviour of the people must be changed to reduce the
pressures on biodiversity through human activities.
“We have realized the livelihoods need to be addressed critically.
Making livelihoods more sustainable is the task to be achieved” he
noted. Sri Lanka ratified the International Convention on Biological
Diversity in 1994.
The high level segment of the COP11 was inaugurated by Indian Prime
Minister Dr Manmohan Singh last Tuesday.
In his inaugural remarks, Dr Manmohan Singh urged all parties to
formalize commitment to the Nagoya Protocol, adding that concerted
global action is imperative and cannot brook delay.
He also observed that unfortunately it has become increasingly more
difficult to find common ground on environmental issues.
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