Ministry of Environment Archives

April 3, 2024

SLT-MOBITEL partnered with the Ministry of Environment to commemorate the National Celebration of World Seagrass Day 2024 and the UN Restoration Flagship Award held on March 1, 2024, at the Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negombo. The event acknowledged Sri Lanka’s achievements in the restoration of mangroves, emphasizing the importance of ongoing conservation efforts to safeguard these crucial blue-carbon ecosystems.

By hosting this landmark event, SLT-MOBITEL reinforced its position as a corporate leader in promoting environmental protection through environmentally friendly corporate policies and initiatives in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka received the prestigious UN Restoration Flagship Award at the United Nations Environment Assembly held on February 27, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Anil Jasinghe, former Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, and Prof. Sevvandi Jayakody, Chairperson of the National Expert Committee on Mangrove Conservation and Sustainable Use accepted the award on behalf of the nation. Prof. Jayakody ceremonially presented the accolade to the secretary of the Ministry of Environment at the World Seagrass Day event. The award recognizes Sri Lanka’s innovative restoration of mangrove ecosystems.

During the event, SLT-MOBITEL’s 2024 calendar themed ‘The Mangrove Ecosystems in Sri Lanka’, featuring 12 stunning artworks, each depicting a different aspect of the mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka, was unveiled. Mr. Anuruddha Suriyaarachchi, General Manager-Marketing Services, SLT, addressed the gathering.

At the ceremony, SLT-MOBITEL announced the disbursement of three research grants, each worth Rs. 250,000, to university students with special Mobitel data packages to support their education. Mr. Rohana Ellawela (Deputy Chief Marketing Officer/ SLT) , Mr. Charaka Perera ( General Manager Marketing /Mobitel) together with Mr. Anuruddha Suriyaarachchi (General Manager-Marketing Services/SLT) were present to award the grants.

Importantly, students from any university in Sri Lanka are eligible to apply for the scholarships via the SLT-MOBITEL website. The recipients will be chosen by a panel of experts following a thorough evaluation process. The scholarships aim to support the sustainability of Sri Lanka’s blue-carbon ecosystem. It also aligns with the company’s interests in supporting education and research related to environmental sustainability.

The keynote speech was delivered by Prof. Mike Van Keulen, a seagrass expert and former president of the World Seagrass Association. The event also featured addresses by dignitaries, including Mr. Prabath Chandrakeerthi (Secretary/Ministry of Environment), Hon. Janaka Wakkumbura ( State Minister of Environment) and Hon. Lasantha Alagiyawanna (State Minister of Transport). Foreign ambassadors,heads of stakeholder organizations, university students, and youth groups, also graced the occasion. Theatrical performances, music, art displays, and activities celebrating seagrass meadows contributed to a colourful evening.

June 5, 2023

[COLOMBO, 3 June 2023] – Sri Lanka is taking a significant step towards addressing its environmental issues as the Ministry of Environment and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently signed an agreement on the Green Climate Fund Readiness Initiative.

Sri Lanka is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, consistently ranking among the top ten nations at risk of extreme weather events according to the Global Climate Risk Index. These climate impacts have had severe consequences on various economic sectors, affecting people’s lives and livelihoods.

The signing of the Green Climate Fund Readiness project document marks an important milestone in Sri Lanka’s efforts to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The proposal aims to enhance the technical capacity of the Ministry of Environment and its partners, including the private sector. By working together, the project will help identify and implement the necessary measures to address climate challenges in priority sectors. The project also aims to attract public and private investments to promote climate-smart agriculture through scientific planning.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, expressed his commitment to building a sustainable future for Sri Lanka and contributing to the global fight against climate change. He stated, “Together, we can adapt to the effects of climate change and secure a better future for our country. We will work hand in hand with FAO and other key stakeholders to ensure Sri Lanka’s climate resilience.”

Vimlendra Sharan, FAO’s Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, highlighted the importance of climate-smart agriculture. “To become a food-secure nation and adapt to climate change, Sri Lanka must embrace climate-smart agriculture. FAO is committed to supporting the government in bridging the current gap between climate policies and action,” he said commenting on the partnership.

The collaboration underscores the commitment of FAO and the Ministry of Environment to safeguarding the environment and building a sustainable future to create positive change and ensure a greener, more resilient Sri Lanka for generations to come.

August 19, 2021

Colombo, 18 August 2021: In a bid to address the urban food waste challenge in Sri Lanka, a National Roadmap on Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction for Households, Food services, Retailers, and Wholesalers was prepared by FAO for the Ministry of Environment. The roadmap maps out an evidence-based strategy and vision to effectively tackle the country’s urban food waste.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provided funding and technical assistance to formulate the National Roadmap through an FAO Technical Cooperation Project that was launched in June 2019 and implemented in partnership with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The Roadmap to Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction in Households, Food Services, Retailers and Wholesalers was launched in Colombo under the patronage of the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Dr Anil Jasinghe and Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The National Roadmap is based on new evidence generated by the project and past research. One of the project reports reveal that Sri Lanka generates 7 000 tonnes of solid waste per day, out of which 65 – 66 percent (by weight) consists of perishable organic material. Accordingly, the average value of total food waste generated per day in the country is approximately 3 963 tonnes. The FAO and IWMI analyzed data gathered from three major waste disposal centers in the Colombo region (namely Kerawalapitiya, Karadiyana and Kaduwela). The total daily solid waste generated in the Colombo Municipal Council area is 706 tonnes of which 50 percent, approximately 353 tones, is food waste.

Commenting on the National Roadmap, FAO Representative Vimlendra Sharan said: “Urban areas in Sri Lanka need substantial state and non-state interventions for not only managing food waste quantities, but also working towards a national shift towards food waste prevention and reduction. A ‘food use-not-waste’ approach would significantly reduce the impacts of food waste on climate change; support raising incomes for food supply chain actors (from wholesale to households), and ensure food and nutrition security for all. Knowing more about food waste will enable people to adopt more resourceful and conscious approaches to food consumption and production. Hence, FAO developed a series of tailored multi-language awareness raising material targeting the food supply chain actors. The awareness raising package also includes the translation of the FAO food waste reduction materials designed for children from 5 to 14+ years.”

“Food Waste is a global challenge, and here in Sri Lanka, we need to work together to navigate this challenge effectively. A number of factors such as storage and transport capacities, rapid urbanization, expansion of retail chains, overstocking and unsustainable consumer behaviour contribute to food waste,” stated Dr Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment; “The problem is complex and we need a comprehensive and multi-faceted matrix of solutions to overcome the status quo. I am confident that the Roadmap which is in line with the National Policies on Waste Management and Sustainable Consumption and Production will help us to initiate action and move ahead to get all stakeholders involved in preventing and reducing food waste in Sri Lanka.”

The National Roadmap introduces a set of well-defined multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaborative actions that can lead to a range of positive impacts. As such, its implementation will contribute to minimizing recurring climate change impacts such as Green House Gas emissions and loss of valuable environmental resources like land, water and soil that go into food production and processing. Actions include recovery and redistribution of safe and nutritious food for human consumption.

“The National Roadmap invites private sector and civil society to join forces towards creating new sustainable business opportunities with high Returns On Investment, including social and technological innovations such as Artificial Intelligence technology to track food waste and calculate its economic impact” advised Anthony Bennett, Senior Food Systems Officer from FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok.

It also calls for improving quantification (i.e. data availability and quality) to better comprehend social, environmental, and economic impacts of food waste. The research community of Sri Lanka is invited to coordinate and contribute to this dimension of the Plan in collaboration with state and non-state actors, including through joint projects at international level.

The National Roadmap details a coordinated approach facilitated through joint actions and partnerships between governmental agencies, municipalities, the private sector actors, and civil society organizations. The successful implementation of Sri Lanka’s Roadmap to Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction in Households, Food Services, Retailers and Wholesalers, urban Sri Lanka contributes also to the global Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 on halving food waste by 2030.

August 2, 2021

The Ministry of Environment together with the Tokyo Cement Group recently kicked off the ‘Ivura Rakina Pawura’ programme at the Mahaweli Riverbank in Manampitiya. The far-reaching initiative was launched by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment, with the participation of a few key government officials and representatives of the Tokyo Cement Group.

The project aims to plant Kumbuk and Mee saplings on the banks of 335-kilometers long path of the Mahaweli River, under the patronage of Tokyo Cement Group. Mr. Salinda Kandapola, Manager Corporate Sustainability of Tokyo Cement Group and Mr. A. G. Madduma Bandara of Madduma Distributors, Polonnaruwa, representing the Tokyo Cement Group Dealer Network presented the first batch of Kumbuk saplings to Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera at the inaugural tree planting event. The minister also distributed tree saplings among a few community representatives in the area, who will support the sustainable management of the sensitive water catchment areas of the Mahaweli River.

The Ivura Rakina Pawura grand endeavour by the Ministry of Environment is an extension of the National Tree Planting Programme ‘Husma Dena Thuru’, that aims to add 2 million trees to the country’s natural forest cover. Tokyo Cement Group sponsors the initiative as part of its forest tree planting programme, which propagates native forest trees with medicinal value such as, Kumbuk, Karanda, Mee, and Ingini via the two Tokyo Cement Forest Tree Nurseries situated in Trincomalee and Mahiyangana. As such, in addition to sponsoring the 3-year project, Tokyo Cement Forest Tree Nurseries will supply Kumbuk and Mee saplings required for the Ivura Rakina Pawura initiative.

Propagating native forest trees to be used in the national reforestation efforts is among the many sustainability initiatives Tokyo Cement Group is passionately involved in. The Company is also leading a distinctive Coral Reef Conservation program and a Mangroves Reforestation initiative. The company’s commitment to social responsibility breathes life through initiatives such as this, by which they successfully integrate social welfare and environmental conservation into its corporate DNA as part of their continuous mission to enrich the country, its people, and the environment.

May 14, 2021

Tokyo Cement Group stepped forward to fulfil its National duty by signing a far-reaching MOU with the Ministry of Environment. Through this memorandum of understanding, Tokyo Cement Group will fully sponsor a program by the Ministry to plant 200,000 Kumbuk and Bamboo trees in the Mahaweli River basin, with the objective of conserving this invaluable natural gift of national significance.

The program “Ivura rakina Pawura” was symbolically kicked off recently at the Ministry of Environment under the auspices of Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment and Mr. S.R. Gnanam, Managing Director of Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC, in conjunction with the National Tree Planting Program “Husma dena Thuru”. The national program is directly linked with the Government’s manifesto to increase the forest cover by planting 2 million trees, with a focus on sustainably managing sensitive river reservations.


	A media briefing was held at the Ministry of Environment to announce the launch of Ivura Rakina Pawura to plant 200,000 trees on the Mahaweli Riverbanks

The 3-year project aims to plant Kumbuk and Bamboo saplings sourced from regional plant nurseries on the banks of Mahaweli River along its scenic path of 335 kilometers, under the full patronage of Tokyo Cement Group while the Ministry will overlook and coordinate on-ground activities. As part of the plan, the two Tokyo Cement Forest Tree Nurseries situated in Trincomalee and Mahiyangana will contribute the required number of Kumbuk saplings each year during the project. The Ministry will garner the support of provincial state institutions and the Sri Lanka Army for the tree planting operation. The project partners also undertake to protect and look after the plants that will eventually form an intrinsic part of the water catchment areas of the Mahaweli River.

Tokyo Cement in this long-term engagement looks forward to getting the support of local farming communities and school children in the respective areas to become patrons of the trees that are planted. By engaging the local community groups the Company envisions creating a forest belt comprising of native flower and fruit-bearing trees that benefits our farming culture and will boost the natural biodiversity in each climate zone.

The two plant nurseries of Tokyo Cement have been propagating native forest tree plants with medicinal value such as, Kumbuk, Karanda, Mee, and Ingini over the last several years, with the objective of conserving the country’s unique biodiversity. These plants are distributed among various community and state organizations, who use them for reforestation programs across the island including the Mahaweli zones. These nurseries produce plant varieties that are widely in demand and can be planted in all climate zones of the country. As such, the request from the Ministry of Environment to partner them in their grand endeavour to protect the riverbanks of Mahaweli was received with much enthusiasm as yet another opportunity for Tokyo Cement to expand its National Duty as a proud Sri Lankan.


Tokyo Cement Group’s forest tree nurseries in Trincomalee and Mahiyangana will provide the Kumbuk saplings required each year for the Ivura rakina Pawura project

Being one of the most treasured natural gifts our beautiful island, Mahaweli River shares a unique bond with Tokyo Cement in the form of their connection to the Bay of Trincomalee. Mahaweli River with its starting point at the Horton Plains National Park, winds its way across the island as Sri Lanka’s longest river to reach the Indian Ocean at the Trincomalee Bay, also home to the Company’s manufacturing hub. Protecting the riverbanks along this path across all climate zones with a strong forest cover that will further enhance the majesty of the Mahaweli River is Tokyo Cement’s gesture of recognizing this unbreakable link.

Propagating native forest trees is among the many sustainability initiatives Tokyo Cement Group is passionately involved in. They include a distinctive Coral Reef Conservation program and a Mangroves Reforestation initiative. The company’s commitment to social responsibility breathes life through initiatives such as this, by which they successfully integrate social welfare and environmental conservation into its corporate DNA as part of their continuous mission to enrich the country, its people, and the environment.

April 8, 2021

Secretary-Ministry-of-Environment-Dr-Anil-Jasinghe-launching-the-National-Biosafety-Clearning-House-website.jpg

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has been a party to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) since year 2000 and has committed towards ensuring biosafety in the country. Countries which are parties to the CPB must adhere to this international agreement ensuring the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) also known as GM organisms (GMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity and human health.

The National Biosafety Framework (NBF) and the National Policy on Biosafety, both of which were approved by the cabinet of ministers in 2005 demonstrate the proactive approach taken by the government of Sri Lanka. Further, drafting of a specific law to deal with GMOs was definitely an important step towards fulfilling the obligations under the CPB.

However, Sri Lanka was in need of technical support towards strengthening regulatory, institutional and technical capacities for the effective implementation of the NBF in conformity with the CPB. To fulfil this need, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) as the focal point to the CPB is implementing the National Biosafety Project “Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework in accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety” with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The National Biosafety Project is, strengthening policy, institutional and regulatory frameworks for biosafety, enhancing the system for Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Risk Communication of GMOs, developing technical capacity for the detection and identification of GMOs and supporting knowledge development, public awareness, education and participation.

Public participation is integral for the implementation of the NBF. Article 23 of the CPB requires that the public must be consulted in the decision-making process regarding GMOs. “To make the public aware and get them to participate in decision-making, it is essential that a versatile portal of communication is established,” stated Ms Pathma Abeykoon, Director, Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment. “For informed decision making, it is important that accurate and reliable information on biosafety is available to the public,” reiterated Ms Abeykoon. To fulfil this need, a specific website for biosafety in Sri Lanka titled the “Sri Lanka Biosafety Clearing House (BCH)” was established by Ministry of Environment through the National Biosafety Project.

“Sri Lanka BCH, which is a tri-lingual website is a national resource fulfilling commitment to the CPB,” stated Mr. Shanaka Gunawardena, the Project Manager, National Biosafety Project. “This has information related to biosafety in terms of authorities, regulations, guidelines, experts, databases of GMOs, risk assessment, awareness and whom to contact. Further, this provides linkage to the global BCH (http://bch.cbd.int/) and thus serves as a gateway to global information on Biosafety.”

The Sri Lanka Biosafety Clearing House (http://lk.biosafetyclearinghouse.net/) was launched by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) in Colombo with the attendance (virtual and in-person) of key stakeholders. As stated by the Secretary of the MoE, Dr Anil Jasainghe, “launching of the Sri Lanka BCH demonstrates continuous commitment of Sri Lanka towards ensuring biosafety in the country.”

November 5, 2020

Colombo, November 5, 2020 – Atlas Axillia Co. (Private) Limited has announced its partnership with the Ministry of Environment to support its special environmental initiative “Not a rule but a discipline – නීතියක් නොවෙයි විනයක්”. The initiative aims to inculcate the habit of protecting the environment in school children, and adults by encouraging them to recycle used plastic pens and toothbrushes, instead of discarding them as garbage. A special recycle bin prepared for the project was presented to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the 26^th of October in a simple event to launch the project held at the Presidential Secretariat, with the participation of Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment; Asitha Samaraweera, Managing Director, Atlas Axillia; and senior officers of the Ministry of Environment.

This initiative started along the theme of ‘Let’s discipline ourselves before we build the nation’ – අපි හැදිලා රට හදමු to reduce plastic consumption in Sri Lanka, especially among the school children. It was envisioned that the society will benefit when the next generation is disciplined and inculcated with the thought process of being environmentally friendly and will help to keep the country less polluted in the future. It was also considered important that children understand how a habit created today can build up to a bigger initiative in the long run.

“As the market leader in pens, and a company with sustainability as part of its ethos, Atlas is the first in the stationery industry to focus on collecting discarded pens. We started the “Atlas Haritha Pasela” initiative in February of this year, to collect used pens at school level and trialed the project out in 6 schools in the Western Province. The collaboration with the Ministry of Environment to support its efforts to recycle used pens and toothbrushes all over the country, is therefore a natural progression for us. It is essential that we step up today, for our future generations.” Asitha Samaraweera, Managing Director, Atlas Axillia stated, commenting on the partnership.

As a first step, the collection bins for the project designed to contain up to 2000 pens, will be placed at every school in the country. The collected pens and toothbrushes will be recycled, in order to reduce addition of new plastic to the circulation. The Ministry will also launch the initiative to offices and workplaces parallel to the project being launched in Schools. According to estimations by the Ministry of Environment, the quantity of carbon pen tubes discarded from schools per day is around 80 kg and is estimated to exceed 29,000 kg per annum, while the quantity discharged from public and private institutions is yet to be calculated.

Atlas Axillia Co. (Private) Limited, formerly known as Ceylon Pencil Company (Private) Limited, was founded in 1959 and has since grown to become Sri Lanka’s market leader in school stationery manufacturing. Fuelled by a passion for making learning fun, “Atlas” has created a strong connection with Sri Lankan consumers, being voted No. 1 School Supply Brand of the year 2020 at the People’s Choice Awards and has also recently won many national and international awards for excellence including the National Quality Award 2018 and the Global Performance Excellence Award 2019.

November 4, 2020

INSEE Cement Sri Lanka, the leading provider of cement in the country, has inked two vital memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of Environment and the Central Environmental Authority to support the government’s sustainability agenda particularly towards the national crisis on waste management recently.

INSEE Cement, under the patronage of Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment, has been successful in formalising two Private-Public Partnership (PPP) projects supporting the government’s sustainability agenda under the theme ’Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor‘ specially targeting circular economy based sustainable waste solutions in the country.

The MoUs were signed by Nandana Ekanayake, Chairman, INSEE Cement and Sanjeewa Chulakumara, Director INSEE Ecocycle on behalf of INSEE Cement whilst Minister Amaraweera signed on behalf of the Ministry. Chandana Nanayakkara, Head of External Affairs and Channel Development, INSEE Cement and senior government officials were present during the event.

Under this MoU, discarded waste material such as carbon pens and toothbrushes will be collected and repurposed by INSEE Ecocycle, the country’s largest premium waste management solution provider under the INSEE brand. This initiative was launched based on the shared theme ‘Discipline, not Law’, to promote discipline in daily routines as well as to encourage citizens to contribute to build the nation.

Marking the commencement of the partnership, INSEE Cement, the Ministry of Environment and Central Environment Authority, presented a symbolic waste bin to His Excellency, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka recently. Minister Amaraweera, Nandana Ekenayake and senior officials were also present on the occasion. Similar bins will be placed in schools and public places across the island for collection of the discarded items.

Additionally, another MOU was formalized under the project titled ‘Soba Ama’ envisioned by Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, where INSEE Cement is to provide 5,000 plants on a monthly basis to the Ministry to be distributed among the public.

Elaborating on the agreements signed, Nandana Ekanayake said, “Signing these MoUs offer significant opportunities to reduce waste in a sustainable manner while contributing towards the well-being of citizens and having a positive impact on the environment.”

SLT-MOBITEL hosts National Celebration of World Seagrass Day 2024 and UN Restoration Flagship Award ceremony

Ministry of Environment and FAO Join Hands to Tackle Environmental Challenges in Sri Lanka

FAO supports the Ministry of Environment on a National Roadmap to tackle the Urban Food Waste challenge in Sri Lanka

Ministry of Environment kicks off ‘Ivura Rakina Pawura’ in Manampitiya with Tokyo Cement Group

Tokyo Cement Partners the Ministry of Environment to plant 200,000 Trees on Mahaweli Riverbanks

Biosafety website launched in Sri Lanka

Atlas Axillia Joins hands with Ministry of Environment

INSEE Cement reaches another milestone promoting circular economy based sustainable recycling solutions with Ministry of Environment