Sajith's vision for Sri Lanka's environment sector: The National Green Initiative

11 Dec 2021

Sajith's vision for Sri Lanka's environment sector: The National Green Initiative

11 Dec 2021

Main Parliamentary Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa unveiled a new environmental policy statement titled “National Green Initiative” last Tuesday (7) in Colombo, fulfilling the vision of the SJB as the first-ever green political party in Sri Lanka. The policy statement is reproduced below: We stand at a critical moment in the Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future holds great peril and great promise, at the same time. To move forward, we must recognise that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms, we are one family and one community with a common destiny. We must join to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the people of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. The choice is ours; form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another, or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realise that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all, while reducing our impact on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.

People need nature

Nature is essential for every aspect of human living. It enhances our lives, helps us feel better, has positive impacts on our social skills, and therefore lays the launch pad for us to become environmentally responsible citizens. It gives us food, air, and water that we need to survive. But we are taking more from nature than it can provide, and we are putting our own lives on the line.

Nature ‘needs’ people

We live on a planet of finite resources. We can’t continue to consume our stocks of natural capital because there will be nothing left for our grandchildren. So while people need nature, increasingly, nature needs people in order to be nurtured and protected, so that the benefits we get from it continue to flow. For that, people and nature must work as players in the same team. Policy on environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change Not only do we live on an island with finite resources, but we live on a planet with finite resources. Therefore, we can’t continue to consume our stocks of natural assets in an unsustainable manner because there will be nothing left for our future generations. We have an expanding human population and a declining natural resource base within a finite land area. It is obvious that this model cannot be sustained in the long term. The country is currently confronted with the serious degradation of its ecosystems and the biodiversity it hosts. This will no doubt have a detrimental effect on the provision of ecosystem services. It is well established that a reduction in ecosystem service provision will adversely impact economic development. Reversing the current trend of ecosystem degradation should be a priority for every Sri Lankan, regardless of our political affiliations. The SJB, as the first-ever officially declared green political party, will ensure that environmentally sustainable development will be the central goal of our future government’s policy. We are fully committed to mainstreaming the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) throughout the decision-making and operational processes so that development under a future SJB-led government will truly be sustainable. The national environmental policy, under our future government, will adhere to the following principles:

Protection, conservation, and judicious management of critical ecological systems and resources which are essential for economic growth and livelihoods
Efficient use of environmental resources by reducing the consumption of environmental resources per unit of economic output
Strict adherence to the principles of good governance in environmental management (transparency, accountability, and regulatory independence), including institutional rationalisation to eliminate conflicting mandates so that conservation and development will be separated at the ministerial level
Resource allocations (financial and human) to conservation agencies will be commensurate with improved environmental outcomes

Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss Despite decades of conservation efforts, deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss continue. Considering that biodiversity influences the quality of ecosystems services, which in turn affects the country’s development and human wellbeing, conservation of biodiversity including the ecological processes that sustain ecosystem services will be a priority under the future SJB-led government.

National priority on environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change

Environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change were a national priority under the Environmental Charter placed before the public by me as the presidential candidate in 2019. This was the first time in Sri Lanka that any presidential candidate had placed an environmental charter before the public. As the Leader of the SJB, I have commenced a process of consultation with environmental experts to update the Environmental Charter to address the unprecedented threats posed to Sri Lanka’s natural resources from the misguided and short-sighted decisions made over the last two years. The Environmental Charter will be revised to take pragmatic action to address the current threats and to accommodate the “new normal” conditions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Considering the crucial role Sri Lanka’s natural assets play in the country’s development, our future Government will consider proper management of the environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change as a national priority. With an outcome-oriented programme with tangible targets, the following key aspects and series of special projects and programmes will be spearheaded, signifying the high level of commitment of our future government. The first step will be to end the fragmentation of institutional mandates and eliminate conflicting responsibilities by introducing an effective institutional mechanism for inter-ministerial co-ordination to mainstream conservation into the development process. National priority programmes on environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change under our future government will have clearly defined outcomes and targeted goals to be achieved. An effective, new mechanism for timely follow-up and monitoring of implementation progress of the proposed national priority programmes will be introduced to ensure the timely achievement of outcomes. Ensuring that Sri Lanka’s development is sustainable Our future Government will ensure that the country’s development pathway is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Sri Lanka joined all UN member states in 2015 to adopt the UN’s SDGs, which are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The SDGs will form the cornerstone of our national sustainable development programme, but we will be taking a pragmatic approach to ensure that Sri Lanka’s development is sustainable. Sri Lanka has been promoting sustainable development for decades, but the approach taken to ensure sustainability of the development process has been and still is suboptimal. Sectoral development plans are designed first by the sector agencies and retrofitted with environmental and social safeguards at the Environmental Impact Assessment stage, resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Our approach is to ensure that all planning units in development sector agencies are upgraded to include environmental and social planning expertise so that the principles of sustainable development are internalised within each sectoral agency from the conceptual planning stage. This will be a paradigm shift in development planning in Sri Lanka where environmental and social safeguards are an integral part of the sector agencies planning process. International experience shows that this is a much more effective way of ensuring sustainable development. Wildlife and ecosystem conservation and mitigation of the human-elephant conflict Sri Lanka’s natural assets have the potential to contribute significantly towards the national economy, not through extractive use of our natural assets but through conservation for ecosystem service provision for development and nature-based tourism. National priority will be given for wildlife and ecosystem conservation and mitigation of the human-elephant conflict (HEC). Our Government is committed to the long-term conservation of keystone species. Special emphasis will be given to long-term conservation of three keystone species; the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), and blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Focused conservation and management programmes will be initiated with the following special projects for protection of these species.

Project Elephant

The project will develop a landscape-based conservation and management plan to implement a comprehensive five-year programme to transform the HEC to one of human-elephant co-existence which mitigates conflicts over natural resources to benefit both humans and elephants. Sri Lanka suffers from being among the countries with the highest HEC in the world. HEC is one of the greatest economic, social, conservational, and political problems faced by every government over the last 40 or more years. Our future government will rely on expert advice and scientific data to govern the decision-making process. The project will co-ordinate between national and sub-national agencies as well as monitor the implementation of the plan. An International Centre for Elephant Conservation and Research will be established to spearhead research so that Sri Lanka becomes the knowledge centre for the Asian elephant.

Project Leopard

A landscape-based conservation and management plan will be developed to ensure that the Sri Lankan leopard is conserved and managed within protected areas and forested landscapes outside the protected area network. An International Centre for Leopard Conservation and Research will be established to undertake research on the species to ensure that conservation measures are effective.

Project Blue

A comprehensive plan to protect and conserve the blue whale in the seas off Sri Lanka will be developed. An International Centre for Whale Conservation and Research will be established so that Sri Lanka becomes the knowledge centre for the blue whale.

Protect Sri Lanka’s endemic and endangered species

While the three keystone species are used as indicators to popularise the conservation agenda, special attention will be given to protect Sri Lanka’s endemic and endangered species and their habitats. Many of the endemic species are small and cryptic, but if they are lost, they are wiped off the face of the Earth. Endemism is very high in the Wet Zone, where the forests are fragmented and habitats threatened. Saving the remaining Wet Zone forests and habitats of endemic species are critically important to sustain ecosystem services.

Ecosystem connectivity

Ecosystem connectivity is critical for wildlife conservation. Highways, expressways, and other large-scale infrastructure development projects will be designed to ensure that ecosystem connectivity is maintained by avoiding habitat fragmentation with the provision of wildlife overpasses, underpasses, eco-ducts and eco-links, and wildlife corridors. The National Physical Plan will be updated to provide due emphasis on ecosystem connectivity including the provision of wildlife corridors.

Marine protected areas

Marine protected areas, which have been largely neglected in the past, will be given the prominence they deserve and new marine sanctuaries will be declared and protected accordingly. The ocean surrounding Sri Lanka is rich in biodiversity. Several species of whales and dolphins, including resident blue whales, live in Sri Lankan waters. A small, highly endangered population of dugong clings for existence in patches of seagrass beds. Several mega-fish species, including the whale shark, large manta and eagle rays, and large reef fishes such as groupers, parrot fishes, and wrasses, are found on offshore and nearshore reefs. Five of the seven marine turtles nest on Sri Lanka’s coasts. Inshore and offshore reefs support highly species-rich ecosystems.

Community participation

Community participation in wildlife and ecosystems conservation programmes as well as community-based wildlife tourism opportunities will be introduced in buffer zones of the protected areas to ensure that wildlife become an economic asset to local communities. Priority programmes for increasing awareness and training on biodiversity, wildlife conservation, and wildlife tourism will be introduced to communities as well as into the school curriculum. Special vocational training institutes will be established for skills development of wildlife safari guides/naturalists, safari driver guides, and whale watching boat operators in Lunugamwehera, Wilpattu, Minneriya, and Mirissa.

Wildlife damage, compensation/insurance for the farmer

My government will give special attention to the mitigation of agriculture crop damage caused by wildlife and expand the current crop compensation scheme to include crop damage by wildlife and explore introducing an insurance scheme for farmers.

Animal welfare

Prevention of cruelty to animals defines the character of a nation. An Animal Welfare Bill will be enacted to strengthen the laws on the prevention of cruelty towards animals and secure the welfare of all animals. Environmental conservation and climate change National priority will be given for environmental conservation and climate change. Our government will introduce special programmes for formulation of adaptation and mitigation plans and strategies on environmental conservation and climate change, including biodiversity, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems conservation. We will provide necessary co-ordination between national level and sub-national level institutions as well as monitor the implementation of the plans and strategies. The Ministry of Environment will be renamed the “Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, Environment, and Climate Change” to emphasise the institution’s main mandate which is environmental protection, signifying the high level of commitment of the government while ensuring that the Ministry plays a necessary and important role in integrating climate actions with the country’s development agenda. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) will be renamed the Central Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to emphasise its environmental protection mandate. CEPA will be strengthened and empowered as an independent environmental regulator, free from political influence. Post-project monitoring will be accorded the priority deserved to ensure mitigation measures of development projects are fully implemented and anticipated environmental outcomes achieved. The “polluter pays” principle will be applied for the benefit of industries and society. Our future government will facilitate carbon credit for corporate companies, encouraging them to limit greenhouse gas emissions to offset their carbon (environmental) footprints. Special focus will be given to renewable energy and green building codes for energy conservation and efficiency under the climate adaptation strategy. Air pollution and water pollution will be recognised as a national public health emergency and accorded priority in investments for pollution mitigation. The (our future) government will give special focus to plastic waste management and waste management in urban areas. Measures will be taken to mitigate per capita plastic consumption to protect what mother nature has given us. Forest conservation and reforestation Forests are the lungs of our land. The national goal of Sri Lanka should be to have one-third of the total land area of the country under forest and tree cover. Maintaining environmental stability through preservation and restoration of the ecological balance where needed, is a priority for (our future) government. A comprehensive programme for reforestation will be initiated, while taking all possible measures to mitigate deforestation. Sustainable management of forest resources in Sri Lanka will focus on the following policy goals:

Protection of forests
Watershed conservation
Afforestation and land restoration
Forest sector institutional development
Community participation in forestry development
Development of a private sector business environment for forest conservation

National priority, signifying the high level of commitment of (our) government, will be given for forest conservation and reforestation through a special project to develop a comprehensive programme based on the identified policy goals. This special project will be responsible for the formulation of deforestation mitigation plans, reforestation and strategies on forest conservation, maintaining environmental stability through forest cover, and providing necessary co-ordination between national level and sub-national level institutions as well as monitor the implementation of the programme. Controlling erosion and denudation in the catchment areas is a priority to ensure that soil and water are conserved, siltation in reservoirs is reduced, and extreme climate events are mitigated. Our government will initiate a special mechanism to investigate and resolve all problems related to unauthorised deforestation issues and ensure strict law enforcement. Our government will introduce a National Policy on Land Utilisation which will rationalise the use of land. Emphasis will be given to protect critical ecosystems so that the country’s economic development will benefit from much needed ecosystem services. Eliminate conflicting mandates All agencies with a conservation mandate such as the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Department, Department of Coast Conservation, etc. will be placed under the “Ministry of Environment and Climate Change”. Government and environmental organisations to work hand-in-hand Most importantly, our future government will introduce a new mechanism to enable representation from the environmental organisations that are signing the Environmental Charter to be involved with the formulation and implementation monitoring process of national priority programmes on environment, wildlife conservation, and climate change. This initiative to include representatives from environmental organisations that are signing the Environmental Charter will make them stakeholders of the respective national priority programmes, while ensuring the creation of a platform for environmental organisations to have a direct link with the Presidential Secretariat to engage in a dialogue related to environment, wildlife conservation, and climate change. We hope that this platform will enable us to develop a sincere and fruitful partnership between the non-governmental conservation organisations and our government, to promote a genuine conservation agenda in Sri Lanka and ensure that the country’s development is truly sustainable. National Green Initiative Vision: Mainstreaming environmental sustainability into the National Development Agenda. Mission: Environmental conservation to be mainstreamed across all sectors as a pre-condition for achieving sustainable development. Core principles

Environmental vision (wisdom)

We acknowledge that human beings are only a part of the natural world, and we respect the specific values of all forms of life, including non-human species. We acknowledge the wisdom of the indigenous people of the world, as custodians of the land and its resources. We acknowledge that human society depends on the ecological resources of the planet, and must ensure the integrity of ecosystems and conserve biodiversity and the resilience of life supporting systems.

Environmental sustainability

We recognise that there are limitations to material expansion of human society within the biosphere, and the need to conserve biodiversity through sustainable use of renewable resources and responsible use of non-renewable resources. We believe that to achieve ecological sustainability, and in order to provide for the needs of present and future generations within the finite resources of the Earth, continuing growth in global consumption, population, and material inequity must be halted and reversed. We recognise that sustainability will not be possible as long as poverty persists.

Political leadership in environmental sustainability

We recognise the significance of providing necessary political leadership and requisite political commitment. Through the National Green Initiative, leadership will be provided for a new political culture in Sri Lanka to mainstream environmental sustainability into the National Development Agenda to boost the country’s ability to provide sustainable ecosystem services for its development.

Participatory environmental conservation

We strive for a democracy in which all citizens have the right to express their views, and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social, and political decisions which affect their lives; so that power and responsibility are devolved to local and regional communities, with ascent to higher tiers of government only where essential.

Four pillars

We fervently believe that there are four pillars that are of paramount importance for maintaining ecological balance in our motherland – Sri Lanka.

Environmental sustainability
Community participation in environmental conservation
Economic benefits from environmental sustainability
Political leadership in mainstreaming environmental sustainability into the National Development Agenda

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Sajith's vision for Sri Lanka's environment sector: The National Green Initiative

Sajith's vision for Sri Lanka's environment sector: The National Green Initiative

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