Right to healthy environment: A human right

Recognizing the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the United Nations Human Right Council passed the clean-environment resolution recently. This calls on countries to boost their abilities to improve the environment. Deputy Director for UN advocacy at Human Rights watch, Lucky Mckernan called the clean- environment measure a significant advance to help address the global environmental crisis.the resolution also empowers local communities to defend their livelihoods, health and culture against environmental destruction. Besides, another resolution creates a special three-year post rapporteur to monitor how the adverse effects of climate change would hamper the full and effective enjoyment of human rights.

Sri Lanka once topped the list of best travel destinations in 2019 for its unique beauty and bio-diversity. But ongoing development projects have caused an irreversible damage to the environment posing a threat to sensitive ecosystems.

Such and similar thoughts come to mind when we think of whether Sri Lanka is on the right track in terms of protecting our natural resources, which if destroyed, cannot be reversed.the resolution becomes so relevant to people in power, especially to those dealing with issues pertaining to the environment. In

Sri Lanka hundreds of thousands of cases of wanton destruction of forests reserves and other important areas are being reported daily. Even the Government has silenced certain environmental activists who spoke against people who get involved in destroying forests and other natural resources.

Sri Lanka once topped the list of best travel destinations in 2019 for its unique beauty and bio-diversity. But ongoing development projects have caused an irreversible damage to the environment posing a threat to sensitive ecosystems. This has given rise to the humanelephant conflict as well.according to study Sri Lanka is one of the countries that has a higher death rate of elephants and humans due to human-elephant conflict.

In addition to the environmental degradation in the country, food security is at risk because of the Government’s mismanagement of the economy. Many ruling-party politicians attribute the economic crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. On one hand, farmers cannot cultivate as the required amount of fertilizer is not duly supplied because of the Government’s strong adherence to the organic fertilizer policy. On the other hand, farmers claim that it is not feasible to cultivate with organic fertilizer because certain weeds and insects species are not resistant to organic fertilizer.this has put the entire economy in trouble. It is no doubt that foreign currency reserves get depleted when we have to depend on imports of inputs necessary for the agricultural production.the Government should now at least listen to the experts and make appropriate decisions pertaining to the environment and agriculture.