Climate change is one of the pressing environmental issues globally and it is already here among us. However, there is more to climate change than rising sea levels. It affects our livelihood and destroys precious biodiversity. The below presentation was delivered by the Chairperson and Director of EFL, Dr. Eric Wikramanayake on ‘Why biodiversity makes good business sense’. The presentation was delivered to the members of the Colombo Club which included leading business professionals in the country. [wonderplugin_pdf src=”https://efl.lk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Colombo-Club-Presentation.pdf” width=”100%” height=”600px” style=”border:0;”]
An Ecosystem Based Adaptation Plan against Climate Change and Natural Disasters The weather patterns we are now experiencing is the new ‘norm’; climate change is here to stay. It’s the present, not in the future. Climate projections show that we can expect more severe, unpredictable weather patterns now and in the future. Gone are the days when farmers, businesses, and people could plan their lives and livelihoods based on relatively predictable seasons. Instead, the ‘new norm’ will be erratic and heavy bouts
A video made by Zaineb Akbarally on plastic pollution, in relation to World Environment Day 2018 and its theme. In 1950, the world’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic; in 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2034. Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans. There are many things we can do
World Pangolin Day falls every 3rd Saturday in February to celebrate and develop conservation efforts of this beautiful animal, who in recent years has become the most trafficked mammal in the world to the extent that it is nearly extinct. Pangolins are nocturnal mammals spread over Asian and African continents, comprising eight species. Their diet contains ants and termites which they eat with the help of their long tongue. They also have large protective keratin scales to cover their skin which
Last week, I took a short day trip to the charming little forest patch, the Bodhinagala Forest Reserve. Also home to a monastery, there is an abundance of people around it and plenty of edge habitat. I realized just how sub-urban it is only when a motorcycle hurriedly drove past while I was photographing a pair of Sri Lankan Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis), who did not seem to bat an eyelid at the noisy diminutive vehicle revving beneath them. Despite this,
Given the recent calamity at Meethotamulla and the ill-advised decision to dump garbage in Muthurajawela, a wetland sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Ordinance, it is useful to consider the background to waste management in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka generates 7000MT of solid waste per day with the Western Province accounting for nearly 60% of waste generation. Each person generates an average of 1-0.4kg of waste per day. According to the Waste Management Authority and the Central Environmental Authority, only half
Last week saw the first UN Ocean Conference, where heads of states, civil society organizations, private corporations and scientists came together to reiterate the importance of the ocean and to facilitate actions for the protection and conservation of oceans, seas and other marine resources. The need for large scale intervention and action to save oceans is pressing. From ocean acidification to mismanagement of marine protected areas to exploitation of fish resources, the threats that this vast vital system faces are
Henderson Island, a tiny remote island in the far flung reaches of the South Pacific Ocean, should bear no trace of human civilization. Instead, the tropical island is covered by a staggering 38 million pieces of plastic trash. Marine debris is mostly made up of plastic, from waterproof sheets to plastic bottles to miniscule micro-plastics found in cosmetic products. Buoyant and durable, plastic is dispersed over vast distances and is found in the most impenetrable corners of the ocean: even
Funded by the Japan Biodiversity Secretariat, Environmental Foundation Limited generated 16 maps based on biodiversity and socio-economic data as well as development plans of the government of Sri Lanka. These maps include existing protected areas, proposed gaps in protected areas, forest areas important for erosion and flood control, habitat suitability and corridor models, as well as areas identified for commodity agriculture and large scale infrastructure. The purpose of this project was to understand where biodiversity targets will conflict with
