Sustainable City Planning & Sri Lanka: A Comparative Study

Picture via www.uda.gov.lk/

By Dr. Kokila Konasinghe and Samya Senaratne –DECEMBER 24, 2020

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) make up the blueprint to achieve a better and a more sustainable future by 2030, addressing socio-economic issues like poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. However, recent incidents in Sri Lanka have cast serious doubts on whether Sri Lanka is geared up to meet the challenges encountered on the way to achieving the national commitment to the SDGs.

It is with dismay and shock that the public hear that vested business interests have destroyed a section of the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary using heavy machinery with the aim of constructing prawn farming tanks; that the 110 million rupees worth Mount Lavinia beach nourishment project with no tangible outcomes was conducted without undertaking an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) or an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to the project; that poor solid waste management led to man-made disasters such as the collapse of the Meethotamulla garbage dump claiming the lives of 32 people; and that a section of the Assembly Hall of King Bhuvanekabahu II in Kurunegala had been demolished without any inquiry into its historical significance. The SDGs on climate action, life on land and on water as well as peace, justice and strong institutions (SDGs 13, 14, 15 and 16 respectively) have come under serious threat due to such disastrous and short-sighted actions, which unless remedied, could hamper Sri Lanka’s journey towards sustainable development. 

Historically, following the changes brought about by the industrial revolution, many socio-economic changes took place in human society. Transition from predominantly agrarian economies to more industrial-based economies, implementation of mass-scale development projects, and the migration of population from rural to urban settings are some of the significant changes during this era.  As a result, rapid urbanisation was inevitable. The world became increasingly urban, and by 2008, more than half of the world population or 3.3 billion people lived in urban areas. Local environmental problems arising out of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and a polluted biosphere started to increase, and these were mainly related to industrial and municipal water, air and sound pollution, disposal of toxic and other waste into waterways and land; and overuse of pesticides- the effects of which upon the food chain was explored by Rachel Carson in her ground-breaking publication, ‘Silent Spring’. 

Sri Lanka – as an emerging economic power in South Asia, is holding a prominent place within the trade and investment agenda in Asia and under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. With economic growth, and resultant increase in urbanisation, urban city planning is an inevitable topic assuming significance in the governance agenda of future Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is high time to revisit Sri Lanka’s sustainable city planning and look into the way forward on how to make a balance between environmental and development agendas to meet with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The government of Sri Lanka will need to focus on achieving its new development agenda, giving much attention to the Paris Agreement obligations and the Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Sri Lanka will certainly need to focus on a strategic implementation of these two areas in the city planning policies for the next decade. The United Nations assessment of SDGs and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, set a target of achieving certain levels of progress by 2030 and 2020 respectively.  However the questions remains; is Sri Lanka up to the task?  

Agenda for Sustainable Cities in Sri Lanka and the “Rata Hadana Saubhagyaye Dekma”

It must be noted that reference to both of these components has been made in the Presidential manifesto ‘Rata Hadana Saubhagyaye Dekma’ (A Vision for a Resurgent, Prosperous Country). The strategies of facing climate change challenges and achieving sustainable cities and communities are mentioned in the ‘introduction’, as well as under chapter 7- ‘new approach in national spatial system’ and chapter 8 on ‘a sustainable environment policy’. Therefore, this commitment in the Manifesto can be utilized to promote the adherence to Paris Agreement Commitments and Sustainable Development Goals, as well as ideas for the promotion of the eco-city concept.

There have been success stories in terms of the implementation of climate standards and SDGs in creating sustainable cities. These lessons might provide guidelines for the proper integration of international standards at the national level for the sustainable city planning in Sri Lanka.  However, the authors are of the view that these may be used as lessons for improvement, while Sri Lanka should focus on finding suitable and realistic methods of implementation of sustainable city planning that will appeal to the Sri Lankan ground realities and lived experiences of its citizens.   

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