Lanka welcomes Green South Asia proposal

DHAKA: Agriculture and Environment Minister Maitripala Sirisena said that responsibility towards ensuring environmental sustainability in the economic development process goes beyond national boundaries.

The Minister made these observations at the Seventh meeting of the SAARC Environmental Ministers held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 24.

He said the Sri Lankan Government welcomes the draft proposal for nominating 2007 as the Green South Asia Year. "We will be committed to undertake national programmes towards the success of this regional effort. We also will collaborate in any regional activities to be agreed under this programme."

He said: "While we are embarking on our national environmental management programmes, we are also required to be mindful of regional and global needs as well.

On one hand there are international treaties, conventions and protocols to address global environmental issues through national programmes. On the other hand each country has its national policies and action plans to address national priorities.

The South Asian region is unique in many ways. We have a wealth of resources and rich cultural and natural heritages. Our problems are also unique to the region. While we are having some fast growing economies in the world, as a region we are also being recognised as a group of poor. We all share the common goal of achieving economic prosperity.

During the recent past, our region was faced with two major natural disasters in the form of South Asian tsunami of 2004 and the South Asian earthquake of 2005.

Although these were catastrophic events, the affected countries have taken them as challenges and opportunities for planning for better preparedness. The regional collaborative efforts over the last two years in this regard have further brought us together.

The regional plans and strategies that have been agreed for disaster management and diaster preparedness are already showing promising results in the affected countries.

As a follow up to these regional deliberations and recommendations, Sri Lanka has already prepared the National Disaster Management Strategy."