National Environment Week to commence tomorrow ahead of World Environment Day

The National Celebration of World Environment Day, themed “Let it Sprout” (Dalu Lanna Ida Denna), is scheduled to be held on June 5, 2026, under the patronage of the President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 

In line with this year’s global World Environment Day theme, “Urgent Climate Action,” Sri Lanka is implementing a series of practical island-wide programmes under the vision “Sustainable Biosphere - Evergreen Life” and the national theme “Let it Sprout “, according to the Ministry of Environment. 

To mark this significant occasion, the period from May 30 to June 5 has been declared as “National Environment Week.” 

Throughout this week, daily programmes have been organized across multiple sectors, focusing on attitude development, cleanliness, air pollution control, biodiversity conservation, water conservation, and coastal clean-ups. 

Drawing lessons from the recent ‘Ditwah’ cyclone disaster, special attention has also been directed towards restoring the upper catchments and ecosystems of the central highlands to build resilience against future climate shocks. 

As a precursor to these events, the “Atavisi Bodhi” (28 Bodhi Trees) distribution programme, aimed at leveraging religious concepts for environmental conservation, will commence tomorrow, May 30, at 9.30 a.m. at the Sri Vapikarama Temple in Malkona, Pethiyagoda, under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody. 

Following this, on June 1, an awareness programme focusing on the impacts of climate change and air pollution will be held at the Ministry of Environment, the statement said. 

On the same day, under the theme of biodiversity conservation, a stakeholder awareness programme on the protection of the Diyawanna Oya will be held under the patronage of the Minister of Environment, where the first batch of tractors purchased for infrastructure development will be officially handed over to the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The focus will shift to water and source conservation on June 3, featuring the opening of the Hambantota District Water Resources Board Office at the Hambantota District Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Environment. 

Concurrently, the opening of the Butterfly Garden and its official website launch will take place at the Ridiyagama Safari Park. Inspections for the conservation of the Kudababula spring in Weeraketiya and a specialized water clinic—aimed at clinically verifying regional water quality, distributing analytical reports, and raising awareness—are also scheduled for June 3. 

On June 4, a medicinal plant exhibition and an Electric Cart distribution programme, jointly organized by the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens and the Pallekele Department of Ayurveda, will be held at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Environment. 

On the same day, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed at the University of Peradeniya in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Centre for Water Technology (JRDC), the Ministry said.

Furthermore, the “Vanaspathi” National Programme, which was initiated during the 2025 World Environment Day under the “Let it Sprout” national initiative, will achieve a historic milestone this year by recording the highest number of forests declared as reserves in the country’s history. 

To date, 81 forests covering an area of over 63,000 hectares have been protected as reserves, and to commemorate World Environment Day, 5 additional forests will be newly designated as protected reserves. 

The active collaboration of the public and private sectors, youth, and civil organizations remains vital to fulfilling these national responsibilities. 

National Environment Week will actively drive environmental conservation through practical measures such as tree planting, promoting renewable energy adoption, minimizing plastic usage, and embracing digitalization, the statement added. 

The Ministry said it looks forward to the active contribution of the entire community towards fostering an environmentally sensitive generation for the future, inviting everyone to unite to protect the environment by transforming mindsets in line with the Government’s green vision.