Today is Earth Day:

US and Sri Lanka working together for a cleaner environment

BY JEFFREY J. Lunstead, U.S. Ambassador for Sri Lanka and Maldives

THIRTY-FIVE years ago today, 20 million Americans gathered to celebrate the first Earth Day. They forged a grass-roots movement to clean up the environment and protect it from future harm. Earth Day has no central organization or government behind it, and nowhere is it a national holiday, yet it is observed around the world.

In the United States, the celebration of Earth Day affirms that environmental awareness is part of the country's consciousness and that the idea of protecting the environment - once the mission of a few conservationists - has moved from the extreme to the mainstream of American thought.

A group of young Americans concerned about the environment inspired their nation, and the rest of the world quickly followed suit.

At the 2002 United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, world leaders, including delegates from the United States, committed to work for better water and sanitation, modernized energy sources, improved public health, more productive agriculture and better protection and management of natural resources.

Sri Lankans are no strangers to the environmental movement. Organizations such as the Environmental Foundation Ltd. (EFL), Organization for Resource Development and Environment (ORDE), Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF), Sri Lanka Environmental Congress (SLED), Wildlife and Nature Protection Agency of Sri Lanka (WNPS), Organization to Safeguard Life and Environment (OSLEN) and Worldview Sri Lanka (WSL) have worked towards greater environmental consciousness for two decades or longer.

The Ceasefire Agreement to end an era of conflict in Sri Lanka brings with it many opportunities for economic development. Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to ensure that renewed development is not accompanied by the negative environmental impacts that often result from rapid urbanization and industrialization.

Sri Lanka and the United States actively partner to meet environmental challenges and promote sustainable growth through the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP), a program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

US-AEP partners with Sri Lanka's government, businesses and communities to reduce air pollution, improve access to safe drinking water, manage municipal and hazardous waste, promote efficient energy use and strengthen the participation of civil society in environmental decision-making.

US assistance through US-AEP helped to introduce low sulfur diesel fuel and phase lead out of gasoline that reduced ambient levels of lead in Colombo by 80%.

US-AEP also developed the Sri Lanka Clean Air Initiative (2003-2007), a comprehensive national pollution reduction strategy, improved waste reduction through composting, recycling and biogas generation, and improved energy efficiency in water pumping.

In partnership with Sri Lankan institutions we have implemented pilot projects to demonstrate the financial and technical viability of a number of technology transfers to improve environmental management and established model programs to engage citizens and policy makers in the environmental dialog.

Earth Day celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. What began in 1970 as a protest movement has evolved into a global celebration of the environment and commitment to its protection.

This Earth Day, we should celebrate the remarkable progress Sri Lankans and Americans have made, but we should continue to be mindful of the challenges ahead.

Every nation in the world shares the goal of a cleaner and safer environment, and our continued cooperation worldwide today will result in a more sustainable and healthier future for our children.

For more information about the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership in Sri Lanka, please visit http://www.usaep.org/accomplishments/srilanka.htm.