Climate Reality Forum
Dilmah Conservation, in collaboration with UNGC Network Sri Lanka and Biodiversity Sri Lanka, initiated a national dialogue on the threats, responses and opportunities a changing climate presents. The event was held on the 31st of July at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo.
Expert Sri Lankan and international speakers emphasised the alarming climate predictions that confront our nation, and how best businesses and individuals can adapt whilst also benefiting from opportunities in climate smart innovation in agriculture and other sectors.
The forum brought in like-minded individuals from the government, private and academic sector for an open discussion on the alarming aspects presented by climate change and finding new solutions by merging the collective capacities of entrepreneurial and start-up networks engaged in climate change adaptation and innovation, the organisers said in a media release.
The speakers and panelists revealed some telling facts on climate change – the visible threats, impacts, opportunities and the economic potential available for private sector in active engagement in climate response.
The inaugural forum featured eminent speakers explaining the climate reality that Sri Lanka is witnessing, presenting forecasts for the next three decades and options for building resilience to adapt to the new reality.
Keynote speaker:
Dr. A. Nambi Appadurai
Director – India Adaptation Strategy Head for the Climate Resilience Practice and WRI India
Speakers and Panellists:
Mr. Dilhan C. Fernando
CEO – Dilmah Tea
Chairman – Global Compact Network Sri Lanka
Dr. B. V. R. Punyawardana
Climate Change Specialist, Department of Agriculture
Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda
Former Deputy Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
Dr. Sunimal Jayathunga
Additional Secretary, Environment Policy and Planning – Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment
Mr. Anura Sathurusinghe
Conservator General of Forests, Forest Department
Moderator:
Ms. Yasangi Muditha Randeni
Assistant General Manager of Business Development and Sustainability – Aitken Spence PLC
In the keynote address, Dr. A. Nambi Appadurai shared his experience in climate risk management and adaptation in Asia and Africa and his work on participatory approaches to support climate risk mainstreaming. Dr Appadurai works with communities and government officials on climate risk planning and up-scaling best practices and he is currently exploring ways to integrate adaptation into development processes at the national and community levels.
One of Sri Lanka’s most respected naturalists and authors, Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda spoke on the nature of the changing climate and adaptation options for Sri Lanka, including reference to his pioneering work on the restoration of montane forests, for which he earned the Rolex Award for Enterprise. His work is critical to understanding the process of restoration which is now as critical in building climate resilience as adaptation.
Comparing the atmospheric carbon dioxide level to ‘the pulse of planet’, Dr. Pethiyagoda pointed at the catastrophic impact it could have on marine and terrestrial ecosystems- ocean acidification, disrupted food chains, canopy diebacks, species displacement and migration is predicted to increase at the current rate of rise in greenhouse gases and global warming.
The compounded effect of intense droughts, floods and heat waves is increasing food insecurity and pushing already vulnerable populations further into poverty. Rural to urban migration has also intensified as farmers seek new sources of income and as a result, cities are also required to adapt to the influx of rural populations and to the influence of future rises in temperature due to global warming.
