Watch This | Sri Lanka holds traditional grand ceremony to welcome HK environmental experts for exchange

A series of high-level symposiums and workshops focusing on water technology, climate change, and sustainable development were recently held in Colombo, strengthening the collaboration between China and Sri Lanka. 

On July 2nd, The Sri Lankan hosts organized an elaborate welcome ceremony for the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese representatives, featuring traditional dancers in vibrant local attire.

Upon arrival at the venue, the program commenced with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp ceremony. This was followed by a Welcome Speech delivered by Mr. Venura Fernando, the Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka. Mr. Fernando emphasized the imp

ortance of the collaboration between Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, expressing his hope for the people to have access to healthy drinking water, and for enhanced cooperation with universities and students to nurture future environmental protection talent.

Dr. CHUI Ho-Kwong, Samuel, the Director of the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong, then took the stage. He highlighted the significant progress made under the MOU signed last year and shared Hong Kong's expertise in areas such as seawater flushing and the latest water quality modeling technologies and smart applications.

Dr. Chui expressed his desire to engage in deeper exchanges with local environmental professionals to understand their daily work and challenges better. He stressed the critical importance of improving water quality for public health and noted Hong Kong's comprehensive systems for deep-sea monitoring and extreme weather response. He concluded by stressing the mutual benefits of learning from each other to create a better environment for all.

The event also featured a signature ceremony for the MOU between CEA and JRDC. 

The program culminated with the Hong Kong delegation's donation of Environmental Management Software to Sri Lanka, underscoring the continued collaboration and knowledge-sharing between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka on environmental protection and sustainable development.

"The knowledge and expertise shared by the Hong Kong delegation provided valuable insights that can help Sri Lanka address its own environmental challenges," a representative from Sri Lanka said, "We are eager to further strengthen our partnership with Hong Kong and China under the Belt and Road Initiative framework."

The events featured presentations and discussions on various environmental topics, including pollution control and bioremediation, beach water quality monitoring, bacteriological water quality monitoring, water resource management, and the application of smart technologies in water quality management.

The symposiums and workshops underscored the importance of cooperation in tackling environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development along the Belt and Road.