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Policy to protect mountains

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

A national policy will be formulated to preserve mountains in Sri Lanka including those which have been identified as the objects of religious and cultural importance.

This decision was taken at a seminar organised by the Agriculture Department under the sponsorship of the World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) held at the Abaluwawa Bio Diversify Complex recently.

The seminar was conducted as the initial step of the national level program implemented by the FAO in collaboration with the Agriculture Department in connection with the International Year of Mountains, a spokesman for the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry told the Daily News.

" According to UN reports 1 in 10 of the world population live in mountain areas and 24 per cent of the Earth is mountainous. Almost 80 per cent of mountain peoples live below the poverty line."

The United Nations has highlighted several key strategies as the major objectives of the International Year of Mountains.

The spokesman said the International Year of Mountains has laid emphasis on the sustainable development and conservation of mountains for present and future prospects. Attention has been focused on preserving the cultural heritage of the people living in mountainous areas.

Initiatives will be taken to educate the public on the function of the environmental systems in mountains. Special attention will be focused on the food safety and water supply of the mountain peoples.

Peace efforts will also be promoted in society to avoid and overcome the conflicts which can been seen in mountains. 

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