Sri Lankan president unveils tropical belt initiative to address global warming

COLOMBO, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled a tropical belt initiative aimed at addressing the challenges of global warming and securing sustainable development for nations within the tropical belt, the President's Media Division (PMD) said on Sunday.

In his address at COP28 in Dubai on Saturday, the president highlighted the urgency of the initiative, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in climate funding and a multilateral approach to achieve meaningful results, according to the PMD.

He proposed an approach that involves both tropical and non-tropical countries, as well as collaboration between the government and the private sector.

The tropical belt initiative focuses on harnessing commercial investments in vital natural resources within the tropical belt, such as forests, swamps, and mangroves, according to the PMD.

Wickremesinghe highlighted the initiative's potential to attract private sector involvement, contributing to the ambitious goal of securing trillions of dollars annually.

The president also unveiled plans for the International Climate Change University, a joint project between Sri Lanka and Maldives.