In response to public interest, the World Bank in Sri Lanka chose to host a dialogue, offering an opportunity for anyone to meet the World Bank team and directly ask questions related to environment protection, disaster risk management and the economy.
In fact, the engagement began with a Twitter chat earlier in the week that saw participation from across the region, before moving on to a public discussion. In attendance at the latter were close to a hundred people, including members of the conservation community, academia, sustainability advocates, consultant companies and, perhaps most encouragingly, young people who were interested in discussing critical issues facing the environment.
Both events were also linked to an online campaign marking World Environment day with the theme “Connecting People to Nature”. The goal of the campaign was to draw people in, inviting engagement and promoting transparency and awareness of the Bank’s work in this field.
As part of the public dialogue in Colombo, everyone was invited to participate in a fun quiz organised by the environment team that tested the audience’s knowledge of Sri Lankan landscapes, flora and fauna. Structured as a poll, the questions evoked laughter and promoted discussion.
It was also a moment to celebrate the winners of the #StoriesfromLKA, with each picture being a tribute to the island’s distinctive biodiversity and awe inspiring landscapes. The three young photographers won on the basis of online votes and stepped up to claim their prizes.

Photo Credit: Sasanda Kaluarachchi