Dr Jasinghe was addressing a meeting on Zoom held at the Ministry of Environment last Wednesday (22).

The Ministry of Environment has launched a program to identify sensitive environmental zones. Manawa, Gangewadiya, Eluwankulama and Galnewa have already been identified as such sensitive environmental zones.

At the same time, the ecosystem will be protected by the conservation of Manik Ganga under the Conserve River project. In addition, steps would be taken to declare and develop the stretch between Seethawaka to Peliyagoda on River Kelani as a special environmental conservation zone.

The current Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has drawn special attention to environmental protection. We have drawn special attention to implementing the UN recommendations to maintain the increase of global warming below two per cent by the end of 2021.

Sri Lanka does not claim massive industrial plants therefore our country does not emit greenhouse gas on a large scale to the atmosphere. Therefore, our decision to cooperate with the UN International programs to protect the environment should be hailed.

Although we are a small country, we are immensely contributing to the UN Ecosystem Restoration project through our Conserve Rivers – Surakimu Ganga project and the Identification of special sensitive ecosystem zones.

Therefore we will be able to protect the entire ecosystem as 103 major rivers are included in the Conserve Rivers National program, Dr Jasinghe said.