Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has urged Sri Lankan authorities to mobilize youth activists, environmentalists, and local scientific experts into a unified national movement for ecosystem and wildlife protection.
Speaking in Colombo at a meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus on Climate Change, which he co-chairs alongside Professor L. M. Abeywickrama, the opposition leader advocated for an inclusive conservation strategy to safeguard the country's biodiversity.
The event brought together diplomats, academics, and international organization representatives, including Australian High Commissioner Mathew Duckworth and officials from the UN International Organization for Migration.
Premadasa stressed that effective elephant conservation requires involving Gen Z environmentalists and independent wildlife photographers who track individual tuskers alongside security forces and state institutions.
He pointed out that the current government initiatives to protect 17 specific elephants fail to include the animals that are genuinely at risk across the island.
Critical operational shortages within state wildlife management also require immediate attention, with only 17 active veterinary surgeons currently serving in positions that require a staff of 33 officers.
Premadasa cautioned that future elephant censuses must be carried out with extreme vigilance, recalling past instances where census data was used by influential figures to capture wild calves from Minneriya National Park for domestic display.
The parliamentary caucus intends to shift national climate strategy from post-disaster relief toward proactive prevention, institutional accountability, and policy enforcement across terrestrial, aquatic, and marine environments.
Meeting attendees emphasized the urgent need to integrate scientific research into state policymaking to build long-term resilience against escalating climate threats.
Integrating youth activism with scientific oversight remains essential for Sri Lanka to establish an effective defense against environmental degradation.
