In Sri Lanka over millennia, we have maintained a careful and close distinction of preservation of natural habitats of Man and Nature.
by Victor Cherubim
I visited the Aboriginal land of Uhuru National Park near Alice Springs, Northern Territories during my short tour of Australia, some two decades ago and was taken aback by what I saw and how the native people gelled and greeted me because of my colour, not knowing that I was a citizen of Sri Lanka.
It was not a strange moment in my life, as my ancestors had drilled into my psyche that the Land called Lemuria was once linked and connected with our island nation many, many million years ago when Dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Fact or fiction, I never contemplated then, but it remained buried in my mind that perhaps, in my previous birth, I may have been an Aboriginal.
Today, we are drilled about Climate Change, about the deforestation of Vedda habitat around the Rambakou Oya. It may be presumed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa may have read the controversy surrounding Climate Change.
Professor Chris A. Williams of Clarke University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA has claimed that cutting of trees might have the opposite effect on global warming. He says, “more trees don’t make for a cooler planet”. He argues, that instead of warming up the earth, deforestation can actively cool it down. He further maintains that this postulationis not automatic permission to continue deforestation, which it indeed, is not intended.
He continues that “our existing forests are a vital carbon sink and reforestation areas already lost has become necessary”.
He further stresses there are two significant criteria must be observed in relation to deforestation.
The first is the location of the forests and the so called,” Albedo effect”. In layman’s language, the Albedo effect is the “process in which forests retain heat, absorbing more sunlight and holding on to heat, thus contributing to global warming.” This he states was observed in his study by satellite remote scrutiny.
The second factor is about putting or planting the trees, (de-forestation) in the right place where the potential for cooling is greatest.
Environmentalists the world over have been clamouring for planting trees over years as it does a lot of good for climate change as well as for the environment. But now we are told it would be counterproductive if placed in the wrong areas. Who among us can know which are the “right and wrong areas” to reforest?
What about the indigenous communities which call these forests home?
We know the tribes of the Amazon Rain Forest, including what we call our Veddas, or even “Wanniars” who have a pre-emptive claim to these forests as their native homeland.
I would here vouch more than a guess that protecting indigenous communities in our homeland as well as around the world is more than a trust of our ancient heritage. In my opinion, it is the safest way to make ALL climate change.
Research continues but now the verdict is awaited.
The natural habitats of Man and Nature have been displaced?
In Sri Lanka over millennia, we have maintained a careful and close distinction of preservation of natural habitats of Man and Nature. This is a natural widely acceptable recognition of the links between the destruction of Nature and destruction of Man’s Health.
I need hardly state that recent scientific research has warned us that we may soon, in the years ahead,witness the next pandemic, thanks in large measure due to the trade and consumption of high-risk wildlife, our land use change, leading to deforestation and conversion, together with the expansion of agricultural land and unsustainable intensification and animal production.
As seen in COVID-19 pandemic, it is one of the key drivers behind the emergence of new zoonotic diseases.
Zoonotic diseases are caused according to scientists, by germs that spread between animals and humans.
Wuhan, China where many had assumed was the origination and spread of COVID-19, has been challenged by recent reports of the visiting experts from World Health Organisation, that there may have been earlier evidence of this virus reported from Italy. It is debatable whether the virus was spotted before in Italy or was that a mutation?
But one thing is certain to us today is that 70% of all new diseases that have emerged in humans in the past 30 years had zoonotic origin.
During this same period over 178 million hectares of forests have been cleared around the world and converted to food and/or livestock production, presumably to support the human species.
Land conversion for agriculture, research states, has caused 70% loss of planetary bio-diversity loss.
The Vedda of Sri Lanka have a place in our history, more so in our biodiversity.
In Sri Lanka today has less than 17% of true rainforests remaining. These forests were the home and the livelihood of our Veddah community. “They also are the home of 7800 species of flora and over 15,000 species of fauna”.
We have seen a claim from Rukshan Jayewardene, a Sri Lankan Environmentalist that “the President of Sri Lanka is providing leadership for environmental destruction”. This opinion is also echoed by Jayantha Wijesingha of the Rainforest Protection Trust.
Veddha Leader, UruwarigeWannil a Eth tho and the Centre for Environmental Justice have both sought a restraining Order from the Courts “against a move to take over aboriginal Veddha lands for the cultivation of maize in Rambakeu Oya”.
The Human-Elephant Conflict
Over recent years, many have noted the plight of villagers and the destruction of crops, perhaps livelihoods and even lives by wandering elephants in their villages.
It may be understandable that President Gothabaya Rajapaksa is in the horns of a dilemma, on the one hand seen to solve the human-elephant conflict ordering Dahaiyagala Wildlife Sanctuary, a 27 sq. metre Elephant Corridor, allowing the movement of wildlife out of Udawalawe National Park and sheltering the villagers from harm’s way.
The Environmentalists on the other hand are in force understandably so, to stop unrestricted “minting by mining” and transportation of sand and gravel by re- introducing the permit system.
Managing the danger posted to and by humans.
As a Sri Lankan Citizen without a British identity, my concern, is more than only environmental protection.
Living in UK, however, I am aware that UK has made a bold decision and banned products limited to illegal deforestation.
Having said that, I consider Our Country (The Sri Lanka State) has a moral obligation to protect. To protect Villagers from Wild Elephants as well as to protect Wild Elephants from extinction. If by default we lose either, we lose our identity as a State.Both species are an added attraction for our tourist industry. My other concern for agricultural land use is, the importation of fertiliser and the hidden enemy, bugs?
I am all for a space for all creatures “great and small,” both the Elephants and Humans to survive in each of their habitats, as they have over time. We need a balanced approach instead.
During my youth, I recall the “Elephant Kraal” in the Fifties which controlled the animal population in my opinion an ethical way. Now I hear in Namibia, South West Africa, some 170 high value wild elephants are due for auction due to the increasing conflict with humans and the long running drought in that part of the world. They will be solso to anyone, either in Namibia or abroad, who can meet the criteria which includes quarantine facilities and organise proof of fence certificate for the property they are held. Further, Wildlife Authorities also culled at least 10 elephants to protect farmers and their harvests.
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