Sri Lanka Tourism joins Lion’s Club to protect environment

The Lion’s Club International, Sri Lanka is currently hosting the 44th ISAAME (India, South Asia, Africa, and Middle East) Forum 2016 from 30 November to 3 December. This spectacular event is expected to attract a minimum of 2,000 foreign delegates from over 63 countries from the regions above with delegates representing 20 guest countries from Europe, America and Asia. 

This is the fourth time that the conference is taking place in Sri Lanka. The forum will focus towards the challenges facing the Lions of the world during the 2 centuries of humanitarian service, based on the theme ‘Towards the new century of service’.

In order to mark this occasion, Sri Lanka Tourism collaborated with the Lion’s Club International and other government sectors, to conduct a tree plantation campaign on 1 December, in parallel to the forum. It was held on 1 December, at 7 a.m., nearby the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (near Peliyagoda Interchange) amidst the participation of a large number of distinguished guests, environmentalists, and dignitaries.  The objective of the Tree Planting campaign was to encourage people, communities, organisations, business and industry, civil society and the government, to collectively plant at least one thousand trees at the event. The event highlighted the dedication of the Lions Club members to do a good deed to the society, as they always do. 

Some objectives of the event also included helping to reduce greenhouse gases and fight climate change, increasing property value and adding variety landscape, decrease carbon emission nearby Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, and organise community awareness activities about weeds / feral animals/ bio diversity to protect the planted trees. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Paddy Withana, Lions Club International President, past International President Mahendra Amarasuriya, officials of the Lions Club and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau participated in this event.