The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in charge of environmental protection and of the study, planning, and management of the Sri Lanka's natural resources had been able to turn tables from being a Ministry that is a debt to the government coffers to a Ministry actually contributing to the income of the country.

The Ministry comprising the Central Environmental Authority, State Timber Cooperation and Geological Survey and Mines Bureau was able to contribute Rs. 7931 million to the state coffers during the period of February 2007 to February 2010.

The Ministry has taken steps to implement 10 pilot projects varying from waste management to protecting elephants.

'Pilisaru' Waste management programme is based on the capacity building of Local Government authorities with enhanced methodologies to serve in large scale garbage management processes and fifty seven waste management projects are already underway and twenty more such plans have already been approved.

Green cities or 'Piyakaru Purawara' programme was initiated with the objective of maintaining a pleasant urban environment in urban and semi-urban areas.

The 'Ran Derana' programme was launched with the objective of giving a maximum local value addition to the minerals, which are currently being exported. Another was implementing an action plan for 2007-2011 to maintain a stable price for sand while the price of other commodities increased, by introducing options such as sea sand.

The objectives of the 'Wana Senasuma' (Forest Heritage) programme are to encourage the cooperation of Buddhist Bhikkus and devotees in the protection of forests with cultural and historical value, minimise the illegal actions that take place within forests and convey the message of the importance of forest conservation, through Bhikkus and pilgrims.

The 'Haritha Gammana' or Echo Village programme was introduced to minimise the damage to the environment while simultaneously improving the socio-economic condition of rural areas. More projects were implemented with the participation of the general public. These projects include, developing two catchments areas, implementing 400 solar power plants in 17 villages, initiating 65 bio-gas units, implementing eco-friendly agriculture in 112 villages and establishing village forest gardens and herbal gardens with the involvement of the public.

The 'Haritha Niyamu' programme was aimed at creating an environment friendly future generation. Awareness programmes were carried out to educate school children, teachers and the general public. More than 16,500 students were recruited for a Green Brigade to create awareness.

Jeeva Jawaya programme was initiated with the objective of reducing the foreign exchange cost on fossil fuels and other environmental damage caused by fossil fuels. The initiatives carried out under the programme are, introducing renewable energy sources, encouraging the private sector and regional public to use 'Weta Endaru' (Jatropha cureas) to generate bio fuels, establishing a gene pool plant species that can be used to obtain bio fuel in Kandy, encouraging the public sector and regional public to cultivate Weta Endaru, conducting research into the cultivation of such plants and implementing the findings to obtain better results.

Under 'Dewa Jawaya' programme several initiatives were taken to improve the efficiency of the State Timber Cooperation.

The 'Hela Thuru Viyana' programme was aimed at re-establishing destroyed eco-systems and converting them into forests of indigenous trees. Selecting land to re-establish natural Sri Lankan forests, replacing existing exotic plants such as pinus, Acacia with indigenous plants were also among the goals.

The 'Gaja Mithuru' programme was implemented to transform the human-elephant conflict to a human-elephant co-existence.

Recently two famous wildlife parks were opened for the public after four years. Kumana National Park and Lahugala National park have been closed since 2005 due to the presence of the LTTE terrorists in those areas.

In 2007 the Ministry launched a hotline numbered 1991 for the public to report the environmental problems including matters related to wild elephants, illegal sand mining, illegal timber felling etc.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his extended version of Mahinda Chinthana presents policies and programmes to be initiated to make Sri Lanka green.

(Photo courtesy: Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources)