Says Sri Lanka – Pakistan joint paper on nitrogen pollution
January 26, Colombo / Pakistan: The prevalence of excess nitrogen in the soil, water and air in South Asia arising from dominant fertilizer related agriculture practices and unchecked use of fossil fuel to drive farming and economies is hurting the region and contributing to an exacerbation of climate crisis, highlights a report published by a Sri Lankan think-tank. It further stresses that the issue is serious in South Asia and stakeholders need to combat nitrogen pollution better when national and regional strategies are fleshed out and prioritized at both national and regional levels.
The briefing paper titled “The role of Nitrogen Pollution in Aggravating South Asia’s Climate Crisis” had a soft launch on Saturday, January 25, in Colombo. Authored by Dr Gothamie Weerakoon and Adnan Remat, under the aegis of Factum, an Asia-Pacific focused foreign policy think-tank based in Colombo, the paper provides a critical insight into the issue, its root causes and recommendations for mitigation.
According to the UN Environmental Program, nitrogen pollution is one of five distinct causes of climate change. In South Asia, there is currently no framework that regulates nitrogen management. While there has been much talk of economic integration, no effort has been taken at a regional level to combat the effects of nitrogen pollution, even though there is some consensus as to priorities and actions, as outlined by the Colombo Declaration, Delhi Declaration, and UN Environment Assembly Resolution. Yet there needs to be a clear effort towards greater youth and scientific mobilization in these areas.
Dr Gothamie Weerakoon, Senior Curator at the Department of Science of the Natural History Museum in London, UK and also Climate Advisor to Factum, and Adnan Remat, a veteran media and communications strategist and science advocate based in Islamabad, Pakistan, are the co-authors of the briefing paper, which provides insights on using bioscience, communications, and collaborative actions to address issues of nitrogen pollution and climate crisis in South Asia.
South Asia’s dilemma, as one of the leading contributors to but also one of the biggest victims of climate change, is no longer up for debate. Changing climate conditions may diminish living conditions for close to 800 million people, a number that is set to grow as temperatures rise. While the Global South is set to suffer the most from climate change, research suggests that South Asia will be one of the hardest hit regions.
Against this backdrop, a multidirectional initiative is needed to address nitrogen pollution. The report traces the growing nitrogen footprint in South Asia from the time of the Green Revolution, which released excess nitrogen into soils, water, and air.
The key question that the report tries to address is what needs to be done to prevent further deterioration and human suffering from nitrogen pollution in the region. Laying bare its economic and ecological cost, the report advocates a stronger scientific approach to the problem, mobilizing regional cooperation to resolve what it calls a “functional link” between nitrogen pollution and tropical lichen bioindicators.
Conducting monitoring across four countries – Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka – it measures the response of lichens to atmospheric quality to monitor the impact of nitrogen pollution on the region.
The report suggests that while different countries sustain different levels of nitrogen and pollution, the situation is dire across the region and needs immediate responses. To this end, it outlines six recommendations, including encouraging youth and tech diplomacy and promoting much more academic collaboration on nitrogen research and advocacy.
The briefing paper is available on Factum (www.factum.lk).
For more details, contact Uditha Devapriya, Chief International Relations Analyst at Factum, at uditha@factum.lk.
