National Policy on Environmentally Sensitive Areas in Sri Lanka.

The vision of this Policy states: “A healthy, safer, and conserved environment and economy across Environmentally Sensitive Areas for socioeconomic wellbeing and livable habitat for all. The mission of the Policy is: Enabling platforms at all levels for a participatory and conscious decision-making process for the public and private sector, and communities in land use planning and sustainable land management in Environmentally Sensitive Areas, as nature-based solutions to enhance the integrity of conservation, resilience to climate change, and wise use of natural capital in development. The goal of the Policy is: Creating an enabling environment at all levels by providing visionary directions for effective conservation and management of Environmentally Sensitive Areas, and their socioeconomic, environmental, and bio-cultural services and values, with the public, private, and community participation. Objectives of the Policy are: to promote a conceptual and regulatory framework in conservation and management of Environmentally Sensitive Areas with public, private, and community participation; to enhance the local and sectoral economies that are bound with the biodiversity and use of natural resources, through promoting and facilitating for management of Environmentally Sensitive Areas sustainably; to ensure social equality and environmental justice through enhancing access to resources and opportunities for all equitably in sharing socio-economic benefits and burdens at Environmentally Sensitive Areas; to facilitate research, innovation, education, and knowledge sharing initiatives in Environmentally Sensitive Areas.