Human activities should not threaten the regeneration capacity of nature - President

President Maithripala Sirisena said that human activities should not threaten the regeneration capacity of nature and it is the sole responsibility of mankind to implement activities which will strengthen the regenerative capacity of nature.

Delivering the Keynote address at the Third Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, in Singapore today (25), he said that being a follower of the Buddhist philosophy, he firmly believes that we are responsible for securing the sustenance of, not only mankind, but also the life on earth as a whole.

“It is our prime duty to assure the right to live in a safe environment and introduce environmentally sound economic trends that build upon sustainable global economic indices. Therefore, it is important to strengthen our regional cooperation in order to fulfill all environmental responsibilities and our obligations,” he said.

Referring to Sri Lanka’s proud agricultural civilization, he said that he would like to share Sri Lankan experiences with other countries for the betterment of the whole world.

“Our ancestors were blessed with food security as they respected nature. While reaching for innovative dimensions towards global food security and encouraging sustainable consumption patterns, Sri Lanka has proposed a resolution on managing food waste at the forthcoming UN Environment Assembly.”

President Sirisena proposed to establish a system which encourages member countries to successfully achieve the expected commitments under environment conventions.

He said a strong funding mechanism to assist countries like Sri Lanka, which are severely affected by adverse impacts of climate change, has to be established for achieving sustainable development goals.

He also emphasized the need for the support of developed countries and cooperation among the regional countries in order to strengthen the sustainable industries to reap the benefits of blue green economies.

The president called on the regional countries to stand together to protect the eco-systems, especially wetlands from chemical pollutants. Sri Lanka is always committed to play our role for global environment conservation, he said.

Championing the mangrove conservation in Commonwealth Blue Charter, is a promising effort in this regard. As a way forward, and to implement a comprehensive programme on global scale, Sri Lanka has proposed a resolution on mangrove conservation for the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly, he said.

He pointed out that despite all the challenges of adverse impacts of climate change, Sri Lanka has commissioned the Moragahakanda and Kaluganga multipurpose water resources projects as one of the largest recent green investment. This was introduced to combat the adverse effects of climate change.

The Third Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific is being held in Singapore today at Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Conference Centre and the keynote address was made by President Sirisena. It is attended by ministers and senior environmental officials from 40 countries in Asia and Pacific region.

-PMD