World Environment Day 2021: Reimagine, recreate and restore nature

The tipping point 

We are in the Anthropocene and our planet is in a critical state. Scientists have declared our actions in the next 10 years to be catalytic in bringing the Earth back within its planetary boundaries—bending the curve on biodiversity loss, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C, and preventing climate change. 

The anthropogenic mass, which consists of human-made inanimate objects such as houses, roads and plastic – is doubling its weight roughly every 20 years. As of 2020, anthropogenic masses have begun to exceed global living biomass. This means, we have used up nearly 50% of the world’s natural resources as raw materials for our existence. Humanity today uses the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to provide resources for our use and absorb waste. We use more ecological resources and services than nature can regenerate – and added with the increase in rates of pollution and ecological degradation, we are now at a tipping point. 

Future of our civilisation at risk 

Global warming is leading to the premature collapse of vital ecosystems necessary for our survival. Since our existence and the Earth’s resources are intrinsically intertwined, these planetary changes will have catastrophic impacts on life as we know it. Advancing development while erasing such planetary pressures is the next frontier for human development. 

Amidst the torrential monsoon rains increasing risks of flooding, and heavy winds from ‘Cyclone Yaas’ – the second cyclonic depression in the Indian Ocean for the month of May – tearing through the island, while battling the third and the worst wave of COVID-19 that Sri Lanka has seen thus far, it has never been more evident that the time to act is now. 

Our little island is one of 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world and has one of the highest rates of biological endemism. It is home to a rich ecosystem because of its climatic diversity and coastal influences. Our ecosystems act as our lifeblood; it recycles nutrients, provides clean water and energy, sustains the country’s water production, and sequesters carbon and slows the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution. 

Ecosystems: A natural climate solution

As Sri Lanka’s climate vulnerability and extreme weather events increase, apart from providing essential services, these ecosystems are also the solution to the climate crisis. Specifically, our ecosystems are capable of providing nature-based solutions to reduce climate vulnerability and impacts on communities. Forested watersheds sustain water supplies to people experiencing water stress, while feeding economic development and biodiversity. Mangroves, other coastal vegetation, sand dunes, wetlands, and offshore coral reefs protect our coastline from the impacts of wave surges and extreme storms, while our forests are essential for flood, erosion control and headwater protection. 

Beyond this natural buffer, our ecosystems are the ‘natural climate solution’ providing us with cleaner air, reduced CO2 in our atmosphere, climate resilient livelihoods, sustainable economic benefits and green growth, all through nature-based solutions to development. 

While climate change threatens our ecological integrity, we too are threatening our ecosystems. According to the Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in 2019, overfishing, destructive fishing methods, coastal zone development, pollution, unregulated and unsustainable tourism practices were some of the key drivers of degradation in Sri Lankan coastal ecosystems. The 2018 UNREDD National Action Plan and Investment Framework affirmed that habitat fragmentation, encroachment, urbanisation, irrigation development, resettlement, transportation development, and private agriculture ventures were some of the key threats to our forests, grasslands and wetlands. 

UNDP in Sri Lanka Policy Specialist and Team Lead for Climate and Environment Dr. Buddika Hapuarachchi asserts the severity of the potential and novel risks communities and environment may be subject to. He notes, “The recent fire on the cargo ship carrying hazardous substances; X-Press Pearl, and the heavy pollution of our coastline that followed was unexpected – but is evidence to the fact that additional and potential threats to our environment are exponential and compounding, and will require significant recovery time and resources.” 

At the heart of developmental progress

Although Sri Lanka has been pursuing ‘low-carbon development’, cross-sectoral policy inconsistencies, and structural issues have decreased the country’s environmental sustainability. The increase in disaster losses and damages have also led to decelerated economic growth. According to the World Bank, in 2018, the economic growth of Sri Lanka reached a 16-year low of 3.3% due to the prolonged disaster losses over the years, especially those in 2017. This has resulted in an increase in food insecurity and multidimensional poverty from 11.9 % in 2019, to 14.3% in 2020, which is above three million people. 

Five years after the ratification of the Paris Agreement, it’s clear that conserving, restoring and financing nature remains imperative, and as a nation, it is imperative that we avoid creating new risks. We must place policy and legislative changes, multisectoral collaboration and innovative financing approaches at the heart of all developmental progress in the next 10 years if we are to reverse the effects of these disasters.

At this critical juncture of COVID-19 recovery, the policy and fiscal choices made at this point will lock in the country’s economic and developmental future. “This is an ideal opportunity for Sri Lanka to push long-overdue climate and environmental sustainability actions, delink economic growth from fossil-fuel dependency and emissions, and promote climate-and nature-based solutions,” says Dr. Hapuarachchi. 

Sustainable public-private partnerships must be encouraged, while transforming agriculture to a carbon sink, and ensuring that the ‘whole of system’ approach is applied when adapting, mitigating and eliminating vulnerabilities. Dr. Hapuarachchi sums up, “In short, balanced inclusive green growth [is what we need]. Development that is socially inclusive and drive economic growth, employment and poverty reduction, while maintaining the healthy functioning of our ecosystems.”

A decade of hope

World Environment Day 2021 calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems as we kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). Ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking at massive scale. It means repairing billions of hectares of land – an area greater than China or the USA – so that people have access to food, clean water and jobs. It means bringing back plants and animals from the brink of extinction, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of the sea. But it also includes the many small actions everyone can take, every day. 

Sri Lanka has already taken a step in the right direction, making significant progress affirming these green commitments by setting ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement; through the development of sectoral development plans, relevant policies, strategies and guidelines to fulfil these climate commitments. These efforts are now being supplemented by the Government and development agencies pushing towards a ‘systems shift’ for green-centric development in the country.

The moment is now

While the impending risks and threats are daunting, Sri Lanka has always adopted a culture of resilience and collective action. When in need, we step up to the task, ensuring that no one is left behind while we build forward better. 

This is our moment. We cannot turn back time – but our actions today will determine our future. We are the generation that can make peace with nature. Let’s restore, regenerate, renew, reuse, regreen and rewild our environment for a better and more sustainable future. Together, we can be the generation of restoration!