Sri Lanka is calling on Asia-Pacific countries to back a shared framework for blue carbon financing and integrated climate action. Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody made the case at a UNESCAP session in Bangkok, highlighting that coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass can absorb carbon faster than rainforests and store it for centuries. He also noted mangroves cut wave energy by about 66 percent, citing the 2004 tsunami as evidence. The country is already working through its NDCs 3.0 and National Adaptation Plan to reach net-zero and restore coastal ecosystems. Sri Lanka also hosts the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme and uses platforms like IORA to push regional cooperation on mangrove mapping, carbon stock assessments, and shared measurement methods. The Deputy Minister framed blue carbon investment as a strategic necessity for the region's socio-economic stability, not just an environmental add-on.
