Reinforcing a commitment to environmental conservation, SLT-MOBITEL, the National ICT Solutions Provider proudly unveiled its much-anticipated 2024 calendar themed ‘The Mangrove Ecosystems in Sri Lanka’.
The calendar celebrates the beauty and invaluable ecological significance of the country’s vital mangrove ecosystems and the intrinsic value of the country’s natural heritage. As mangrove ecosystems disappear rapidly across the globe, SLT-MOBITEL has carefully chosen its 2024 calendar theme to highlight the mangroves’ unique biodiversity and climate resilience capacity for Sri Lanka.
Chief Marketing Officer, SLT Prabhath Dahanayake, said, “As pioneers of accelerating the nation’s digital transformation, SLT-MOBITEL recognizes its responsibility surpasses business goals.” “We have highlighted the mangroves ecosystem in our annual 2024 Calendar to create awareness on sustainability and initiate a dialogue for action. We believe mangroves represent a delicate balance of livelihoods and climate resiliency similar to our robust networks and innovative solutions that aim to uplift society.”
The calendar features 12 stunning paintings, each depicting a different aspect of the mangrove ecosystem in Sri Lanka. The interconnectedness of life within the mangrove ecosystems is beautifully portrayed by the calendar’s talented artists, Pulasthi Ediriweera, Parami Vidyarathna, and Piumi Maheshika.
Professor Sevvandi Jayakody, the Chairperson of the National Mangrove Expert Committee and the Chair Professor of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries of the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, served as the Resource Person for the calendar, offering valuable advice.
Prof. Sevvandi Jayakody stated, “As the Champion to Commonwealth Blue Charter’s forum on ‘Mangrove Ecosystems, Livelihoods Action Group’, Sri Lanka has taken very positive steps in both conserving, restoring and creating public awareness about mangroves. However, we are dealing with a very fragile ecosystem that we have ignored and treated very badly for many decades. Sri Lanka is home to 21 true mangrove species, each uniquely adapted to specific habitats along the island’s coastal wetlands.
Mangroves are considered ‘blue carbon ecosystems because they store carbon not only in their aboveground biomass but also in their extensive root systems and surrounding sediment. Importantly, for Sri Lanka, the mangroves sustain coastal communities by providing food, fuel, timber, and medicinal resources, in addition to creating fertile fishing grounds.
For 18 years, SLT-MOBITEL, through the annual calendar,has captured the essence of Sri Lankan nature and culture andshowcased themes reflecting the country’s beautiful natural abundance.
