Sri Lanka_ Climate change- an inevitable and rapidly progressing phenomenon, heading toward the ultimate destruction and collapse of human civilization, as we know it. When strung into a single sentence, the idea of these words becoming a reality one day may send a chill down your spine, but is it enough for you to take action? Are humans truly worried about the future of the world, or is it just another one of those anxious thoughts that settle in their brains for a couple of minutes, only to pass and be momentarily forgotten?
Addressing the 10th Environment Pioneer President’s Medal Awarding Ceremony 2020-2021 in Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that steps are underway to establish the world’s first environmental university in Sri Lanka to contribute towards the global objective of tackling climate change.
The President further attributed that although efforts have been made in the past and in recent times, they have all proven to be insufficient in preventing climate change and are a mere act of procrastination to the problem at hand. Highlighting a noteworthy observation, the President added that there is no central research hub to study the scope of climate change even though it is a significant challenge for the world.
Recognizing a gap in the education system to incorporate the study of climate change at both school and university levels, the President announced that a plan was devised to establish an International University of Climate Change in Sri Lanka. The President further noted that the proposed center for climate change and environmental studies hopes to offer opportunities for post-graduation and research work on climate change.
Extending an invitation to other countries to join hands with Sri Lanka in an effort to initiate the world’s first environmental University, President Ranil Wickremasinghe said that the country expects to collaborate with many nations and hand over memberships of the governing board to those respective countries and organizations in the future.
Speaking at the event the President stated, “We believe that 2,000-3,000 people will enroll in this university every year, get the necessary training, and build a great relationship with the world. We hope this will be a support that Sri Lanka can provide to face climate change. Therefore, we have discussed this with a number of governments and will be presenting information on this at the conference on climate change in Dubai this year.”
