by Melani Manel Perera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking at the UN summit on climate change. The world is facing a "current emergency that must be addressed in a collective and multi-dimensional way."

New York City (AsiaNews) - An increase in forest cover; an expansion of renewable energy sourced for the national grid; restoration of estuaries, lagoons, mangroves and marshes to protect the coast. These are just some of the strategies Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse pledged to put in place in the country - known as Mahinda Chintana - in an address to the UN Summit on Climate Change.

Speaking yesterday, the head of state stressed that "the danger posed by climate change is a current emergency, and must be addressed collectively and multi dimensionally. The Clean Development Mechanism to reduce carbon emissions is imperative." In this regard, he stated, "developed countries should increase their efforts to provide financial and technological development to less developed countries."

"According to the disciples of the Buddha - said Rajapaksa, who is Buddhist - the land and its vegetation does not belong to those who live here. We are only temporary custodians and have to protect the environment for future generations".

 

• sri
• lanka
• un
• summit
• climate
• change
• enviornmental
• protection