By Ifham Nizam

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa says the country is currently confronted with the serious degradation of its ecosystems. “It is a well-known fact that a reduction in the ecosystem will have an adverse impact on the country’s economic development. Reversing the current trend of ecosystem degradation should be the priority of every Sri Lankan regardless of our political affiliations, Premadasa said.

“The government will worsen deforestation and cause irreversible damage to biodiversity. It is time we adopted an apolitical approach to environmental issues.”

The Leader of the Opposition said that he was following up with the Environmental Charter on environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change which he had placed before the public in the run-up to the presidential election of 2019.

“At the time, I undertook to implement this Environmental Charter if I was elected. I did so not only because of my passion for the environment and wildlife but because I realised that Sri Lanka’s economic future lay in our natural capital. The resources of not only this country but also the entire planet are finite, and we should use them carefully so that our future generations will not be affected.

He said he and his team were in the process of updating the Environmental Charter and wanted to seek public views and suggestions to make them relevant to address today’s environmental concerns and issues.”Please do not consider this to be a partisan political request because the state of our environment and the future of our natural capital transcends political boundaries. I therefore wish to invite you to be a non-partisan stakeholder and contribute to developing the Environmental Charter to help us reverse the current trend of environmental degradation in Sri Lanka. It is time for all Sri Lankans to collectively contribute towards improving the state of the environment in our country.”