Sri Lanka on OneWorld
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| © New Internationalist |
Prospects for sustaining Sri Lanka's creditable progress in human development have faded since the 2006 collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Subsequent government success on the battlefield is compromised by its apparent lack of vision on a future template for reconciliation. Potential reconstruction donors are further unsettled by the government’s tolerance of human rights violations and an unprecedented campaign of violence against critical journalism.
updated May 2009
Poverty in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a middle income country which prides itself for possessing the most advanced development indicators in South Asia. The government presents its progress as on target for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In particular, an effective network of community health workers has contributed to almost universal immunisation against measles and polio, leading to reduced levels of maternal and infant mortality. The net enrolment ratio in primary education is above 95% ensuring close to 100% literacy levels for both sexes.
However, swathes of the country have been largely cut off to government agencies for over 20 years and reliable human development data for the conflict regions in the north and east is not yet forthcoming. In non-conflict areas, the proportion of the population living below the poverty line has fallen from 23% in 2002 to about 15% in 2007, close to the 2015 MDG target of 13.1%. This poverty threshold is determined by the cost of essential food and non-food items.
Despite the strong track record, there are deep regional disparities. Much of the country's wealth and economic activity is concentrated in the Western Province where growth is more than double the rate elsewhere. A 2008 World Bank poverty assessment report states that rural areas account for 88% of the poor. Poverty has been increasing rather than falling in the estates sector which accounts for about 5% of the population.
The immediate outlook for poverty reduction appears grim. Tourism has collapsed due to the conflict. The global recession threatens commodity prices and the value of overseas remittances which have in the recent past contributed as much as 10% of GDP.
Food Security in Sri Lanka
The World Food Programme (WFP) has listed Sri Lanka as one of "hunger's global hotspots". This is partly because the country is unable to grow enough rice to feed itself, and partly because of poor internal infrastructure for food distribution. Escalation of the fighting creates the worst possible environment for dealing with a potential food crisis, especially as the rice surplus regions in the north coincide with the conflict zone. A recent WFP report states that the conflict presents a "serious threat to overall food security".
Half of the population consumes less than the recommended daily calorie intake and malnutrition affects 29% of children. The price of rice and wheat rose sharply during 2008, creating further hardship. The government concedes that critical levels of acute malnutrition could undermine Sri Lanka's reputation in health and education. Import duties on rice were removed during the height of the food crisis in 2008 with Sri Lanka becoming dependent on Burma to make available sufficient supplies.
Climate Change in Sri Lanka
Climate change is adding to fears about food security which is vulnerable both to gradual changes in temperature and to extremes of flooding, drought and storms. Sri Lanka's paddy farmers have already adjusted the timing of the planting cycle in response to changing monsoon patterns and are experimenting with rice varieties that can cope with less water and higher levels of salinity. Serious flooding destroyed 2.5% of harvests in early 2008 and again, later in the year, forced major displacement in the troubled northern region. These volatile conditions also increase the risk of malaria and chikungunya fever.
There are inevitable worries about the impact of rising sea levels on a coastline already battered by the 2004 tsunami. The irony of the more serious projections is that the Jaffna Peninsular, over which so much blood has been spilt, faces the risk of being submerged as it is the most low-lying coastal region.
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| An ethnic Tamil tea picker in the estate region © G. Amarasinghe / United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
However, swathes of the country have been largely cut off to government agencies for over 20 years and reliable human development data for the conflict regions in the north and east is not yet forthcoming. In non-conflict areas, the proportion of the population living below the poverty line has fallen from 23% in 2002 to about 15% in 2007, close to the 2015 MDG target of 13.1%. This poverty threshold is determined by the cost of essential food and non-food items.
Despite the strong track record, there are deep regional disparities. Much of the country's wealth and economic activity is concentrated in the Western Province where growth is more than double the rate elsewhere. A 2008 World Bank poverty assessment report states that rural areas account for 88% of the poor. Poverty has been increasing rather than falling in the estates sector which accounts for about 5% of the population.
The immediate outlook for poverty reduction appears grim. Tourism has collapsed due to the conflict. The global recession threatens commodity prices and the value of overseas remittances which have in the recent past contributed as much as 10% of GDP.
Food Security in Sri Lanka
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| An Action Against Hunger project in Sri Lanka © Benoit Mirabel / Action Against Hunger-USA |
Half of the population consumes less than the recommended daily calorie intake and malnutrition affects 29% of children. The price of rice and wheat rose sharply during 2008, creating further hardship. The government concedes that critical levels of acute malnutrition could undermine Sri Lanka's reputation in health and education. Import duties on rice were removed during the height of the food crisis in 2008 with Sri Lanka becoming dependent on Burma to make available sufficient supplies.
Climate Change in Sri Lanka
Climate change is adding to fears about food security which is vulnerable both to gradual changes in temperature and to extremes of flooding, drought and storms. Sri Lanka's paddy farmers have already adjusted the timing of the planting cycle in response to changing monsoon patterns and are experimenting with rice varieties that can cope with less water and higher levels of salinity. Serious flooding destroyed 2.5% of harvests in early 2008 and again, later in the year, forced major displacement in the troubled northern region. These volatile conditions also increase the risk of malaria and chikungunya fever.
There are inevitable worries about the impact of rising sea levels on a coastline already battered by the 2004 tsunami. The irony of the more serious projections is that the Jaffna Peninsular, over which so much blood has been spilt, faces the risk of being submerged as it is the most low-lying coastal region.
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