• The Political Authority behind Environmental Destruction Has Been Removed – Now It’s Time for Officials to Change
• Let It Sprout – Make Peace with the Earth
– President Says Addressing World Environment Day Commemoration
COLOMBO – President Anura Kumara Disanayake declared that the restoration of Sri Lanka’s natural environment is a civic duty that transcends generations, asserting that ecological preservation can serve as a powerful unifying force for the nation. He made these remarks while attending the national ceremony to mark World Environment Day, held at Nidahas Mawatha in Kegalle.
The President emphasised that environmental restoration must begin with the removal of the damaging political culture that enabled destruction in the first place. “The political authority behind environmental degradation has been dismantled,” he said, issuing a stern message to public officials: “The time for change has come.”
The national campaign for World Environment Day this year, aligned with the global theme Beat Plastic Pollution, is operating under the sub-theme Let It Sprout. The President explained that this is not a mere symbolic observance, but a call to action, with programmes designed to create room for the environment to recover and regenerate.
Among key decisions announced at the event were: the declaration of Bandula Pethiya’s (Bandula Barb) habitat as a protected sanctuary; the gazetting of four new nature reserves along with the Nilgala Conservation Area; the designation of three schools as Eco-Friendly Model Institutions; and the launch of an evaluation system for Green Railway Stations. The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, its affiliated bodies, all state institutions, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat and environmental organisations.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake further stated;
“Today is a momentous day. I have addressed many gatherings before and spoken on numerous occasions and voiced many opinions. But what I have to say today is not just another speech. It is a deep expression of commitment and responsibility towards our motherland and our natural ecosystem. I don’t see this as merely a ceremonial event, but as a declaration of our collective feelings and obligations towards environmental protection.
Foreign visitors often tell us how beautiful our country is. And it’s true, we are fortunate to possess an ecological legacy that has shaped our landscape and heritage. That same environment continues to enhance the beauty of our nation even today.
However, beneath this apparent beauty lies a tragic reality. We must ask ourselves: is the beauty we see truly reflective of a healthy ecosystem? Or is it a deceptive surface covering deep-seated environmental destruction? I believe we are facing a profound ecological tragedy.
In our youth, we knew a country free of landslides. But in our lifetime, we have witnessed the devastation of landslide disasters. We knew a Sri Lanka that was not plagued by severe floods or extreme droughts. Yet, we now experience these calamities all too frequently. The human-elephant conflict has reached crisis levels. A nation once known for its vibrant biodiversity now suffers from growing discord between nature and its inhabitants.
We who live in the present have a duty that we simply cannot ignore. We must restore our ecosystems. If this degradation continues unchecked, we will leave future generations with an irreversible catastrophe. Therefore, it is our moral responsibility to safeguard and rehabilitate the environment for our subsequent generations.
Sri Lanka already possesses some of the strongest environmental laws. We have a robust state apparatus capable of enforcing them. Yet, political patronage has been a significant barrier. Many of the coastal sand mining operations are owned by politicians or their close associates; you know this as well as I do. Even forest destruction has taken place under political protection.
Let me say this clearly: do not be agents of ecological destruction. Be agents of life. We will provide the political support needed for you to do so. The political authority has undergone reform, but elements of the bureaucracy remain trapped in outdated practices.
We have discovered officials in the Department of Immigration forging passports. We have found customs officers smuggling goods. There are even mining officials involved in enabling illegal exploitation. These are not isolated cases. That is why I say, let go of the old ways. Embrace change. The time has come. And I will repeat this again and again, either you change, or we will change you.
