(MENAFN- IANS) Colombo, Aug 12 (IANS) Emphasising the island nation's commitment to environmental conservation, Sri Lanka on Monday launched an ambitious initiative to conserve the country's unique biodiversity while promoting sustainable economic prosperity.
Launched by Sagala Ratnayaka, the Chief of Staff to the Lankan President and Senior Advisor on National Security, the '30×30 – Conservation and Prosperity for Nature and People' programme showcases Sri Lanka's commitment to supporting local communities and contributing to global conservation efforts.
Designed to attract over USD 1.5 billion in investments between 2025 and 2030, the launch event witnessed the participation of over 95 government entities, local and international non-governmental organisations, and corporates, all unified in their support for this ambitious initiative.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Ratnayaka highlighted Sri Lanka's commitment to nature conservation, sustainable development and also dedication in ensuring a healthy planet for future generations through sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
He noted that Sri Lanka's mangrove restoration programme has received international acclaim for its success with the government implementing several such projects aimed at protecting sensitive ecosystems.
"The implementation of these projects, overseen by Ratnayaka, remains a top national priority," stated the Lankan President's media division.
The initiative is coordinated by the Presidential Secretariat Climate Change Office with involvement of key government departments, including the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Department, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, etc.
The programme aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted by Sri Lanka and 195 other countries in 2022 at the COP-15 biodiversity conference in Montreal. The GBF outlines 23 targets focusing on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, aimed at benefiting both nature and people.
The Lankan government has identified nine national priority conservation programmes, each designed to address critical environmental challenges and promote sustainable practices.
These include improving the protection and connectivity of wet zone ecosystems; halting forest loss in the dry zone by increasing protection; restoring degraded forest and mangrove habitats; sustainably develop and enhance protected area tourism to fund conservation; improving human-elephant coexistence; enhancing the health and productivity of river systems, starting with the Kelani River basin; enhancing conservation of marine ecosystems for the benefit of nature and people; strengthening sustainable fishery management practices and reverse the ensuring sustainable use of fish stocks and reversing the decline of key commercial species; and, protecting marine megafauna by reducing disturbances to whales caused by whale watchers and ships.
"Sri Lanka's dedication to nature conservation and sustainable development is unwavering. We have embraced the 30×30 programme, a global initiative aimed at protecting 30% of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. Some of these initiatives are already underway, with the mangrove development programme receiving international recognition as a very successful effort," said Ratnayaka.
Ananda Mallawatantri, Advisor to the Lankan President on Environment, Climate Change and Green Finance, highlighted the financial and environmental benefits of the programme.
He labelled the project approach as "ambitious" but added that, with careful planning and a clear timeline, it could pave the way to reach the broader goal to integrate biodiversity conservation into green economy efforts, be it in agriculture, energy, waste or water management.
"By protecting critical ecosystems, ensuring the quality of ecosystem services and promoting the environment, we could support the Lankan exports and establish Sri Lanka as a green destination. For example, the EU Green Challenge require export projects to come from unpolluted river basins that require cleaning of the Kelani River where three key export zones are located," mentioned Mallawatantri.
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