Sustainable development

The topic of sustainable development and the importance of maintaining harmony between progress and nature has once again come to the fore following a letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the President of the Oxford Indian Society praising his efforts in this regard.

One of the highlights of President Rajapaksa's speech to the Oxford Union was the emphasis he laid on maintaining the right balance between development needs of a country and the protection its natural resources and the environment. This drew accolades from the packed Oxford Union audience.

In his letter to President Rajapaksa the President of Oxford Union Indian Society A. Shukla said "what I like most about your speech was the fact that you talked about sustainable development and the need for paying attention to strengthening the rural economy, since energy and food are two of the key questions".

His drawing attention to this topic in a setting of intellectuals and the elites in one of world's hallowed seats of learning it is hoped would receive wide attention at a time much damage is being done to the world's eco system and environment by certain countries driven by a frenzied industrialisation policy.

Sustainable development is a coinage that came into vogue with the juggernaut of industrialisation that swept many a Third World nation in recent times with the onset of liberalisation and the market economy. Sri Lanka too was caught up this whirlpool of 'progress" with scant heed to the environment and the danger posed to our natural resources.

Today Sri Lanka like many of its neighbours is faced with the consequences of this indiscriminate modernisation process that has seen encroachment of its unspoilt rural outback by marauding industrialisation and other forms of 'development'.

President Rajapaksa hailing from a rural milieu who had lived and breathed the village air quite naturally wants to reverse this trend and maintain the right equilibrium between development and environment protection.

His recent project to use up all available land for an ambitious food production drive it is hoped would check the dangerous inroads into unspoilt rural territory in the name of "progress" which would not only cause immense damage to the environment but also destroy the serene beauty of the village which is part of the country's heritage.

The Government of course is in a dilemma. On the one hand it has to undertake gigantic projects that are vital for the country's development and future progress. On the other hand it has act with care in not disrupting the country's eco system, natural wealth and resources.

Besides, global environment has become a buzzword and there are many environment lobbies in many countries clamouring for the protection of the environment. Certain powerful nations have also tied up aid to environment standards of a country. One cannot ignore this factor when considering the larger picture.

Already we are feeling the backlash of indiscriminate encroachment of 'development' in the form of unseasonal rains and frequency of natural diasters like earthslips. There are also other maladies that have sprung up from the construction boom such as a dwindling of land space and rapid urbanisation.

There is today even a lack of space for playgrounds and other forms of recreation due to the indiscriminate filling of land. The juggernaut of 'progress' has also threatened our valuable flora and fauna with large tracts of forest cover being denuded to make way for construction projects.

It is praiseworthy that the President had taken steps to confront this problem head on and prevent further damage being inflicted on the country's eco system due to unplanned urbanisation.

The Mahinda Chintana has dedicated a substantial passage towards environment protection.

We hope its contents will be implemented to the letter so that the country's slide into a wasteland would be prevented.