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President launches Tropical Belt Initiative at COP28, proposing a paradigm shift in climate funding
President Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled the ground-breaking Tropical Belt Initiative, a visionary plan aimed at addressing the challenges of global warming and securing sustainable development for nations within the tropical belt at COP28 held in Dubai, UAE
The President’s speech highlighted the urgency of the initiative, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in climate funding and a multilateral approach to achieve meaningful results.
President Wickremesinghe began by addressing the uncertainties surrounding the 2030 target for peaking global temperatures. He stressed the 50-50 chance of meeting this crucial goal and questioned the feasibility of expecting substantial financial contributions from governments. Instead, he proposed a bold approach that involves both tropical and non-tropical countries, as well as collaboration between the government and the private sector.
The Tropical Belt Initiative focuses on harnessing commercial investments in vital natural resources within the tropical belt, such as forests, swamps, and mangroves. President Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of making these investments commercially viable, unlocking the funds needed to combat global warming. He highlighted the initiative’s potential to attract private sector involvement, contributing to the ambitious goal of securing trillions of dollars annually.
Furthermore, President Wickremesinghe shed light on the collaboration with the Indian Ocean Rim Association to promote the blue economy and create a sustainable Indian Ocean. The combination of the tropical belt initiative and efforts in the Indian Ocean is envisioned to become the world’s largest global sink for carbon.
The President also revealed discussions with world leaders, including Maldivian President, Kenyan President, President Lula of Brazil, and French President Macron, showcasing widespread interest in the initiative. He proposed the establishment of a panel of experts to report on the initiative, with plans to present the findings at COP30 in Brazil.
Additionally, President Wickremesinghe unveiled plans for the International Climate Change University (ICCU), a joint project between Sri Lanka and Maldives. The ICCU aims to foster capacity building and central research, acting as a stakeholder university with contributions from interested parties.
The President concluded his address by emphasizing the need for a break from conventional thinking to mobilize the funds required, expressing optimism that the Tropical Belt Initiative and ICCU will lead the way for similar initiatives worldwide. As nations strive to meet climate goals, President Wickremesinghe’s proposals mark a significant step towards a sustainable and resilient future.
Former Prime Minister of Australia Malcom Turnbull was also in attendance at the event.
Prime Minister Turnbull congratulated Sri Lanka on the launch of the initiative, saying that the protection of the region is one of the biggest challenges.
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
at 3.30 p.m. on 22 March 2026, valid for 23 March 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in
Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
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Trump says US will ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if Strait of Hormuz not open before 48-hour deadline
President Donald Trump says the US will “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not open within 48 hours – the waterway is vital for global oil shipping.
Iran warns it will retaliate against all US-linked energy infrastructure in the Middle East if its power plants are attacked.
Trump also says he has achieved his war aims “weeks ahead of schedule”, adding: “Iran wants to make a deal. I don’t”
More than 100 people have been injured after strikes on southern Israel. The target appears to have been a nuclear facility 13km away from the city of Dimona
Meanwhile, Israel says it launched a wave of strikes on the Iranian capital. It follows an attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, Tehran says
An attempted Iranian strike on the joint UK-US base on Diego Gracia happened late on Thursday night into Friday morning, the BBC understands. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says the UK won’t be drawn into wider conflict
[BBC]
Three weeks after the joint US-Israeli war against Iran began, the conflict has reached a fuzzy state of mixed messages and uncertainty, with Donald Trump’s public comments often seemingly contradicted by realities on the ground.
The war is “very complete, pretty much”, Trump has said, but new American ground forces – including a Marine expeditionary unit – are moving into the region. It is “winding down”, but US and Israeli bombing and missile strikes on Iranian targets continue unabated.
Opening the Strait of Hormuz, the geographic choke point through which 20% of the world’s oil export travels, is a “simple military manoeuvre”, but for now only Iranian-approved ships are transiting the waters.
The Iranian military is “gone”, but drones and missiles are still striking targets in the region and targets have extended as far as the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia.
In a Friday evening Truth Social post published while he was flying from Washington to his Florida resort for the weekend, the US president provided a numbered list of American military objectives for the Iran war, which he said the US was “getting really close” to fulfilling.
The items, comprising his most detailed statement on the subject since the war began, included degrading or destroying Iran’s military, its defence infrastructure and its nuclear weapons programme, as well as protecting American allies in the region.
Not included was the goal of securing the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump said should be the responsibility of other nations that are more dependent on oil exports from the Gulf. The president has frequently noted that the US is a net exporter of energy and does not rely on oil from the Middle East – although such a view glosses over the global nature of the fossil fuel market, where price fluctuations directly impact the price at American gas pumps.
Trump’s Truth Social post also made no call for Iranian regime change. Gone are any references to approving the nation’s next leader or “unconditional surrender”, which Trump had insisted on in the early days of the war.
In Trump’s latest outline of his objectives, it is possible that the US could end its operation with Iran’s current anti-American leadership in power, its oil exports still flowing and its ability to assert some measure of control over the Strait of Hormuz intact.
If that is an unappealing resolution to a war that the president and his aides have said began with the 1979 Iran Revolution and that they would finish, there is an alternative route that involves the US ground forces presently on the way to the Middle East region.
Just over a week ago, US media reported that a Marine expeditionary unit, with about 2,500 combat soldiers and supporting ships and aircraft, had been dispatched from Japan to the Middle East, which it should reach in the coming days. Another Marine force of similar size recently departed its base in California with its arrival expected in mid-April.
Military analysts have suggested that the US could be planning to capture Kharg Island. an 3-sq-km (8-sq-mile) slice of land that contains Iran’s primary oil export terminal. Doing so could, in theory, cut off the nation’s oil shipments, depriving the nation of much-needed revenue and forcing it to make greater concessions to the Americans in exchange for an end to hostilities.
Trump on Friday said that he wasn’t sending ground troops to Iran, but added: “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you”. Clarity, it seems, is not his intention.
The threat of such a move prompted Iran’s state media to report on Saturday that any attack on Kharg Island would lead Iran to cause “insecurity” in the Red Sea, another key global shipping transit point, and “set fire” to energy facilities throughout the region.
Iran’s warning underscores the dangers that would accompany a US escalation that further exposes American military forces to Iranian reprisals.
Earlier this week, US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing to ask Congress for $200bn (£150bn) in emergency funding for the ongoing Iranian military operation. Such a request would suggest that, far from winding down, the White House is preparing for a long, expensive fight.
The initial reaction from Congress, including from Trump’s Republican allies, was cautious at best.
“We’re talking about boots on the ground. We’re talking about that kind of extended activity,” said Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas.
“They have got a whole lot more briefing and a whole lot more explaining to do on how we’re going to pay for it, and what’s the mission here.”
The so-called “fog of war” doesn’t just cloud the thinking of military planners, it also affects the perception of politicians and the public.
The Iran war, it seems, is at a pivot. But which direction it takes from here is a puzzle.
(BBC)
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts
Showers may occur at several places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 2.00 pm.
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Prof. Peiris honoured by International Institute of Rehabilitation
CMC resumes parking fees
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