Sri Lanka goes green with an urban focus

Work on a major project that aims to promote environmental protection in Sri Lanka is likely to begin within days, and it is a timely initiative that will encourage sustainable urban living in the country, observers say.

Michael Edesess, an adjunct associate professor in the division of environment and sustainability, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the Model Urban Green Zones project makes sense for Sri Lanka because undertaking such projects later will become more difficult as the country "gets bigger and more heavily populated, more industrialized and urbanized and more polluted".

One advantage in launching the project now is that the country's urbanization rate is still relatively low, with about 20 percent living in cities compared with 36 percent in India, and more than 80 percent in the United States, Edesess said. In addition, Sri Lanka's cities are relatively small, with none having populations of more than 1 million.

"(Sri Lanka) is likely to get more urbanized, so it is good for them to try to keep the environment as clean as they can before it gets worse."

The Model Urban Green Zones project is part of the Clean Sri Lanka program, set up in January, which aims to foster cultural, ethical, social and environmental revival, the government said last week.

The project aligns with the green city concept and will be executed as an urban planning initiative with the participation of both the public and private sectors, the government said.

By replacing concrete-dominated areas with lush green environments, it aims to provide residents with a healthier and more nature-friendly urban lifestyle, fostering both physical and mental well-being, it said.

Edesess said implementation is more important than setting a target. That said, the program reflects "an ambition or desire to do well", he said.

"Like many other similar countries, (Sri Lanka) needs to develop cleaner methods to dispose of waste and to avoid pollution."

Derek Hung Chiu-wah, Sri Lanka's honorary consul in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, said he was impressed with the amount of land covered by lush green trees in the cities of Colombo, Kandy and Sigiriya when he traveled to Sri Lanka this month.

Clean energy push

The Sri Lankan government is gearing up to promote the adoption of electric cars and clean energy, he said. "Besides providing more public car-parking spaces, they have to also provide more electric charging facilities."

Hung, who is also a board member of the Hong Kong Association for External Friendship, has visited an ecological park in the city of Habarana that is popular for guided safaris to observe elephants and various other animals in the wild.

Animals live in harmony in the park, he said, and clean water, soil and air are essential to preserving wildlife in the country.

There is huge potential for Sri Lanka's tourism industry to rebound after taking a heaving blow during the pandemic, and environmental protection efforts will be critical to the country in this regard, he said.

In addition to a clean environment, friendly atmosphere, rich natural resources and cultural heritage are the most valuable assets for attracting overseas travelers, Hung said.

Priantha Fernando, former chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, said: "Sri Lanka's economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Axioms such as reducing carbon footprint, sustainability, etc, should not be confined to buzzwords but need to be practiced at every level and by all."

Xinhua contributed to this story.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com