Sri Lanka Argues Climate Change Needs Private Sector
“Sustainable development - these are two words that the existence of all (the) human race depends on. It (climate change) is becoming a calamity that we have to turn our attention to,” Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena told the 5th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, hosted by his government in Colombo this week.
Sri Lanka, like many other developing nations is increasingly being knocked back by climate extremes. Heavy rains in May this year led to flooding and landslides, killing over 100 people. Drought has also taken hold in much of the country, affecting more than 1 million people and leaving a quarter of Sri Lankans without access to drinking water.
“It is the women and small children who have been hit the hardest,” Maithripala said. “They now have to walk 10 to 15 kilometres to find water.”
But with so many pressing issues on the desks of government ministers around the world, is climate change really getting the attention it needs?
Jandro Martinez