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Sri Lanka has demanded a legally binding agreement on trans-boundary pollution prevention among South Asian countries.
Sri Lankan Environment Minister Naser Ahmed demanded this agreement at the ministerial level meeting of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) on Wednesday.
The eight-member regional organization was established in 1981.
Ministers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated in the meeting at Bangladesh Pavilionat Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt where 27th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) is taking place.
The COP27 kicked off on November 6 and will end on 18 November.
However, the ministers from India, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives did not attend the meeting.
“We need a binding agreement on transboundary pollution in the south Asian region and also a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution,” Naser proposed in his written speech along with the demand for legal instrument in some other sectors.
Ban illegal fishing method in the reason and develop relevant legal instrument or mechanism of management of fishing population in the south Asian region, he urged the meeting.
“Sri Lanka can’t solve environmental crisis on its own due to its essential transboundary water. Air polluted by the emission of neighboring countries reduces our air quality.”
The country is facing increasing transboundary travel of plastic materials, products and litter destroying the marine ecosystem, he said.
Illegal fishing destroys fish population, diversity and destroy habitat especially in the northern area, Naser added.
Pakistan Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman also stressed trans-boundary cooperation to tackle the climate change impacts.
Climate knows no boarder, it requires constant dialogue of cooperation across borders, Rehman said.
“No one is going to help us other than ourselves. We need to share knowledge and should have better platform. We need to share these practices.”
She expressed her sadness as Indian minister did not take part in the meeting.
“I am sorry that the India is not in the room. But it is very important to at least to speak to each other,” she added.
Shahab Uddin, the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh stressed the need for reinforcing a sense of urgency to tackle the climate change impacts.
“Our environment is constantly changing and no one is denying the fact.” He also urged for the international climate financing urgently.
“I must say that international commitment on financing needs to be met and delivered to the countries concerned now,” he said.
This story was produced as part of the 2022 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security
