5 June marked World Environment Day 2021, under the theme of “Ecosystem restoration”. The day, which has been observed every year since 1972 across the globe, is considered important for environmental action and to create awareness among people.
While we celebrate the importance of ecosystem restoration, the past two years have brought to light some pressing concerns with regards to how the global majority has been behaving – that is, with general disregard towards the environment. And with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic still very much an issue, increasingly affecting communities, Mother Nature has shown us that she really doesn’t owe us anything, definitely not enough to let us rest.
Despite the pandemic, we’ve also had to deal with multiple environmental disasters, however while we may refer to some as “natural”, scientists may argue that there is a man-made root cause to it all. Looking back on 2020, Sri Lanka has certainly experienced her fair share of disasters; here are some key highlights, hopefully by looking back we can move forward and avoid making the same mistakes.
Five incidents of environmental disasters we experienced during the pandemic:
4 June 2020 – The effects of the Beach Nourishing programme 
Researchers provided that the Rs. 110 million-worth Mount Lavinia beach nourishment project had “no tangible outcomes”. A report compiled by researcher Prof. Charitha Pattiaratchi of the University of Western Australia, and Marine Biologist Dr. Asha de Vos and Nadiya Azmy of Oceanswell Sri Lanka Marine Research and Education, said that erosion takes place in the beach during the south-west monsoonal season from May to September and is a natural phenomenon.
They explained that “rocks and boulders”, a “shallow reef parallel to the coast”, and a “headland” – a piece of land sticking out into the sea – protect the sand across the entire beach. “It is clear that no erosion is occurring over this stretch of the coastline,” they said.
More recently, retired medical doctor Dr. Malik Fernando, who leads a WNPS Marine Committee study group on the re-establishment of biodiversity in this Mount Lavinia area, stated that the additional sand supply could possibly have an impact on the coastal reef systems and affect the siltation patterns of the Dehiwala and Wellawatte canal outlets. However, he also shared a positive observation that from the research they had gathered: when compared to the previous years, the animals that were already situated there were not affected, as the sand had been washed away.
2 November 2020 – 120 Pilot whales beached on Lankan shores 
In what is now remembered as “Sri Lanka’s biggest mass beaching”, on 2 November, a large school of short-finned pilot whales began coming ashore in Panadura, with the numbers swelling, reaching up to 120 whales being beached.
It was theorised that while pilot whales are a species known to strand, and the reason why they strand is not yet fully known, marine biologists assume it’s because of their highly social nature. If one animal strays too close to the coastline and gets pushed onto the beach by the waves, there is a high chance the others will follow.
However, according to Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) General Manager/CEO Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, while it is a different phenomenon, if we are to speculate on what makes this yet another manmade disaster, we can take into consideration the theories that discuss the way in which these marine mammals communicate, which is through echolocation by emitting sound waves; and marine biologists have suggested that with submarines and large shipping vessels in the oceans using sonar and high-powered radars, it can cause pain to these animals, which then drives them to swim away from these disturbances, causing them to dive much deeper beyond their normal depths.
This could lead to a number of complications inducing the increased concentration of nitrogen in their blood, as well as disorientation and other difficulties which could lead to stranding such as this.
5 March 2021 – Forest fires in Ravana Ella
Forest fires have been a cause for concern since early 2020, said Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka Co-Founder (Founding Member) Jayantha Wijesingha, referring to the fires in Hanthana that happened in January 2020, the fire which broke out at the Singamale forest reserve, the multiple fires reported in the Rambukkana and Alagalla mountain areas, and the more recent one in Ravana Ella forest.
Fires erupted at the Demodara Mountain in the Ravana Ella forest reserve in Bandarawela on 5 March continued till the next morning, and an area of close to 200 acres was destroyed as a result of the fire. Considering the severity of the incident, a Bell 212 helicopter was deployed to douse the fire.
It was later confirmed by a forest conservation officer attached to the Haputale Forest Department office that the fire at the Ravana Ella Forest Reserve had broken out due to human activity.
17 May 2021 – Heavy rains, flooding, landslides
Due to the recent storm “Tauktae”, Sri Lanka experienced heavy rainfall with high winds from early morning on 13 May till 14 May. Most parts of the South Western region received more than 250mm of rainfall within 24 hours, and the maximum reported was 336mm in Agalawatta, Kalutara.
The effects of the rains have continued on throughout the month of May into June, and most recently, it has been reported that flash floods and mudslides triggered by these heavy rains have killed at least six people, leaving five missing, while more than 5,000 are displaced and being moved to temporary shelters.
In an Initial Environmental Examination Report Prepared by the Project Management Unit for Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project, stated that flooding in the low lying areas usually takes place during the North East monsoon, particularly where there are no clearly defined streams or large catchment areas to assist the populated zones. When there is more rain than the soil can absorb, the excess water quickly runs into rivers and creeks, overwhelming storm drains and ditches causing a flash flood.
20 May 2021 – Burning of feeder vessel MV X-Press Pearl 
The fire erupted on May 20 when the MV X-Press Pearl ship was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 km) northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port.
The ship has already caused one of the worst marine environmental catastrophes in our history. Chemicals from incinerated containers have entered surrounding waters and plastic pellets have washed ashore on the beaches near Negombo.
Experts have said that it will take at least 20 years for the sea to recover from this unfortunate situation. Environmentalists have stated that one of the primary concerns is the debris, mostly comprising tiny plastic pellets. They noted that the danger of these pellets is that as they float and eventually break up in the sea, they would release a lot of microplastic fragments that would be detrimental to marine life, affecting even small creatures and their eggs.
It has also been reported that according to locals, well over 4,300 families have been displaced due to the environmental damage from the ship.
It is also important to remember that while isolated events such as these are of note, many experts reiterate that they pale in comparison to the cumulative impacts of day-to-day activity, and that the effects of your daily harmful activity is significantly higher in comparison to such singular incidents.
