Sri Lanka has the advantage of a unique bio diversity footprint and ecological advantages yet over time, as a result of short term goals that border on fast gains, the eco balance has shifted, causing considerable harm to the environment around us.
We need to rediscover the manner in which our ancestors were able to co-exist in harmony with nature; as a country, every one of us must be conscious of the need to address ecological and environmental concerns as we travel the path to progress. It is the challenge that faces every individual and the Government in achieving an optimum balance between development and managing the environment the right way.
If we do not pay adequate attention to the eco systems and address environmental erosion, needless to say that there would be drastic consequences which the world has witnessed time and again.
As we celebrate the International Environment Day, we must come together as a nation to rediscover the respect and the consideration for nature, while inculcating a wider consciousness of the environment in everyone.
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime Minister
