At this occasion, President Maithripala Sirisena awarded prizes to the best artists selected from the national art competition on ‘Drawings of Wetlands - 2016’. The preliminary competitions were held at school level and the finals at Bolgoda Lake Moratuwa on 7 January 2016. Awardees were selected out of 130 students and 15 professional artists.
Wetlands either man made or natural, has been the lifeline of Sri Lankans. The man-made wetlands, which are known as “tanks”, play a vital role in Agriculture and the economic development of the country. However, at present a majority of the wetlands in Sri Lanka are adversely affected by human activities such as unauthorised filling, waste disposal, effluent discharges, clearing of natural vegetation in and around wetlands and spreading invasive alien species. SLWP joined hands with the Central Environment Authority and WLA on national wetlands conservation.