Natural disasters and one-dimensional economies

AT a time when Sri Lanka and a few countries in Southeast Asia are struggling to recover from a post-cyclonic devastation it is worth spending some thoughts on an issue that lies fundamental to understand why natural disasters have become so frequent in this age of scientific and technological domination over human life.

- By Dr. Ameer Ali

Perhaps because of the increasing frequency of cyclones and other natural disasters that meteorologists and climatologists had started naming these events to differentiate one from the other. Hence the name Ditwah in Sri Lanka.

The number of deaths caused by Ditwah had exceeded 600 and the counting has not stopped. According to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a total of 5,165 houses had been destroyed completely with another 57,312 partially destroyed. But the total cost of repairing the infrastructural and associated economic damage has been estimated to be around $7 billion, a colossal sum to an economy which only recently recovered from decades of bad economic management and financial bankruptcy and hoping to achieve around 5% growth rate by the end of 2026. Yet, with determination and dedication from every branch of State machinery, with assistance from neighbouring governments and foreign aid agencies, and above all with support from the local people AKD is confident that the country would recover from this calamity sooner than expected.

There is no shortage of critics and pundits from inside and outside the country busy with fault finding with the Government and with alternative suggestions. Some argue that the authorities ignored early warnings and failed to take adequate measures to minimise the damage. Few argue with some truth that Sri Lanka has a history of neglecting the environmental aspects of development projects. One frustrated leader from the Opposition has gone to the extent of challenging the President and asking him and the Government to resign for the Opposition to take over and do a better job. But the power to prevent or to reduce the frequency and severity of natural disasters lies beyond the capacity of any single Government and lies in the pecuniary relationship between humans and nature.