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Mindspark by Thehan Wanasinghe

07 Feb 2021

By Thehan Wanasinghe IMAGINE!
  1. A country without forests – its children would never get the chance to look at the lush emerald trees, the fascinating mammals that lurk around searching for dinner, or birds chirping at the top of their voices. 
Countries without forests: Haiti – a victim of deforestation Greenland – a land without green Qatar – the desert with skyscrapers 
  1. A country without mountains – its children would only ever dream of gazing at a waterfall, hang-gliding off a summit, or experiencing the sunrise from a peak thousands of feet above the ground.
Countries without mountains:                     The Maldives – a country with 1,000 islands                     Kuwait – land of hot sand dunes                     Belarus – a landlocked country
  1. A country without rivers – its children would never be able to experience the thrill of swimming against the glossy darting currents, listening to the rushing water crashing against the boulders, or the amusement of going on a boat ride.
Countries without rivers:                      The Bahamas – only creeks, no rivers                      Kiribati – relies on rain for fresh water                      Malta – the island with temporary waterways ADMIRE! The country on the co-ordinates of 7.8731° N, 80.7718° E, has over 100 rivers, 12,000 irrigation tanks, over 20 breathtaking mountains, 382 magical waterfalls, and a coastline that spans across 1,620 km. It also exhibits remarkable biological diversity. This island is considered to be the richest country in the Asian region in terms of species concentration. This phenomenal country’s children are extremely fortunate to have all of these wonders within close reach. Well guess what? Those “children” are us, the children of Sri Lanka! According to the National Red List (2012): Sri Lanka counts 126 species of mammals, 253 land snail species, 245 species of butterflies, 240 species of birds, 211 species of reptiles, and 3,154 flowering plant variants. In addition, more than 1,300 species of marine fish lurk in Sri Lankan waters. Important ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds support 208 species of hard coral and 756 species of marine molluscs. No other island of comparable size in the world is as diverse. Additionally, Sri Lanka hosts one of the most unique biodiversity hubs in Southeast Asia: The Sinharaja Rainforest. CONSERVE! The Sinharaja Rainforest was originally declared a forest reserve in 1875. The forest was said to be formed in the Jurassic era (from 200 to 145 million years ago). Since then, around 139 endemic plant species have found refuge. Sinharaja encloses a span of around 85,000 acres and within that area, some of the endemic species are the Sri Lankan leopard, Sri Lanka spotted chevrotain, red slender loris, and golden palm civet.   Unfortunately, Sri Lanka’s forest density is significantly decreasing. In 1882, we had an amazing forest coverage of 82%. Fast forward to 2019, it stands at a shocking 16.5%! To be particular, one of Sri Lanka's flagship species, the Sri Lankan elephant, has been affected by a population decline (in 2000, the population of elephants was at 10,000, but now, it’s at a critical 3,000). As for flowering plants, nearly half have been identified as threatened. If we don’t make a difference in how we do things from now itself, the next generation would never get the chance to look at the lush emerald trees, the fascinating mammals that lurk around searching for dinner, or birds chirping at the top of their voices.


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