Event: Sri Lanka

Mannar For about a decade now, successive governments in Sri Lanka have sought to tap Mannar’s strong winds to power the island’s transition to green energy. But renewable energy projects — existing and proposed — have left local communities increasingly fearful about the possible impact on their environment and livelihoods. Residents in villages across Mannar district, on Sri Lanka’s north-western coast, report recurring flash floods in recent years, growing demand for land from both the government and private companies, the constant noise from wind turbines near their homes, and a shrinking fish catch. They fear that the growing number of renewable energy projects could be contributing to these changes and impacting the environment. If decades of war meant contending with deaths, disappearances, and displacement, the post-war years have forced another struggle upon the people of Mannar — for development that meets their needs. The renewable energy projects are yet to speak to them. “We are often asked if there is scientific proof linking these changes to the renewable energy projects. Sometimes, everyday lived realities of people reveal more than science does,” said Fr. G. A. Arulraj Croos, Director, Caritas Valvuthayam, the social arm of the Catholic Diocese of Mannar. “It is a survival issue, not merely an environmental concern.”Residents have no scientific evidence to substantiate their claims so far. But they contend that the authorities, too, have not shown them research that rules out any impact on their environment. “We can only tell you what we see and experience. The course of waterways in our village has changed. We can see the coastline eroding,” said a resident of Arippu village who leads a local fishermen’s association. “Following land acquisitions in the district to accommodate wind turbines, rainwater does not drain out like before. We are frequently experiencing floods,” he said,…