‘Civil Society’s Role in Conservation' - this month's Wildlife and Nature Protection Society Lecture

Features

Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, former Director General, Department of Wildlife Conservation will deliver this month’s Wildlife and Nature Protection Society Lecture on ‘Civil Society’s Role in Conservation.’

Sri Lanka, with the highest biodiversity per unit area in Asia, is considered a global biodiversity hot spot. A recent survey finds that 33% of inland vertebrate fauna and 61% of its flora are nationally threatened. Around two-thirds of the threatened biodiversity is endemic to Sri Lanka. Twenty one species of endemic amphibians have not been recorded during the past 100 years and these can be presumed extinct. One in every 12 species of inland indigenous vertebrates is currently facing an immediate and extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Statistics suggest that Sri Lanka had the 5th highest rate of deforestation (15%) in the world during the period 2000-2005.

There is a lack of political commitment for conservation. Meaningful action is rarely seen. As a result, development pressures are leading to irreversible loss of these valuable natural resources which are economic assets of the country.

The lecture will be on September 22 at 6.p.m at the Dutch Burgher Union (DBU), 114, Reid Avenue, Colombo 4 (Thunmulla Junction).

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