In the three months alone since the easing of duties on motor vehicle imports, Sri Lanka has witnessed an increase to 30,000 motor vehicles registered from 10,000, according to Dr. D.S. Jayaweera, Director General of the Development Finance Department of the country's Ministry of Finance and Planning, who implied that this situation did not bode well for the country in terms of its environment. He also noted that as the country moves towards its target per capita level of $4,000 by 2016, there would be a shift to more personal motor vehicles from buses, the current means of travel for the majority.
Dr. Jayaweera also suggested that the country's regional and urban developments were highly sensitive to sea rise, flooding and natural disasters and that, while the environment was publicly indicated to be an area of focus for the government, road developments in the country to date had excluded paths for bicycles, the most environmentally friendly means of transport in existence.
Further, he also revealed that Sri Lanka's Vision 2020 document, which had already been finalised and was due to be made public soon, did not consider climate change.
Dr. Jayaweera said that while Sri Lanka's current per capita income would likely double to $4,500 by 2014, its per capita purchasing price parity in 2008 was $4,000. He also noted that the Western province, responsible for 49% of the Gross Domestic Product of Sri Lanka's $43.86 billion economy in 2009, would have a per capita income of $6,000 by 2014, while the North and Sabaragamuwa provinces were responsible for the lowest per capita figures as of 2009.
Dr. Jayaweera's comments were made at a presentation of the final draft of the "National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Sri Lanka 2011 to 2016", a document created jointly by the Asian Development Bank and the country's Ministry of Environment. Prepared to help the country's negotiations at COP 16, the United Nations Climate Change conference to be held in Mexico starting this week; this draft outlined a roadmap for the next five years which had been the result of exhaustive dialogue between local stakeholders in the public sector as well as tourism, transport, power, agriculture, etc. The document laid out a plan whereby Rs. 47.7 billion would be allocated over the next six years, with the "vast majority of these financial resources" channelled directly through a broad base of agencies and stakeholders. It also pointed out that while Sri Lanka was a negligible contributor to climate change, it was highly vulnerable to its impacts.
Additionally provided were findings of a public perceptions survey on climate change done in early to mid 2010.
Tapping 1,000 Sri Lankans above 18 years of age across all 25 districts of the country, with the majority from rural areas, this research suggested that "a vast majority of Sri Lankans - nearly 9 out of 10 across the country - have heard of climate change or global warming" and that "36% are 'strongly concerned', while another 57% are ‘somewhat concerned’ about how climate change can personally affect themselves and their families.
The impacts they most fear are water and food shortages, and the spread of diseases due to weather anomalies." Those surveyed also revealed that they thought "tree planting, forest conservation and proper disposal of waste" were the "most favoured" actions to combat climate change. |
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