Third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies was on September 07, 2022. We’re bound to commemorate this day along with the global community. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment held a ceremony to celebrate this day on 07.09.2022 at the Ministry auditorium.

Realizing the importance of clean air for human health and daily life. The United Nations’ General Assembly declared September 07 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

This Years’ theme; ‘the Air We Share’ focusses on the transboundary nature of air pollution, highlighting the need for collective accountability and action.

Air pollution is the largest contributor to environmental diseases and a leading cause of death and diseases globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that 99% of the worlds’ population is currently breathing polluted air. Air pollution kills 7 million people every year, 90% of them in low and middle-income countries, according to WHO data.

Air pollution knows no national boundaries and is ubiquitous. Moreover, it is strongly linked to other global crises such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, other forms of environmental pollution, social and gender inequality as well as economic collapse.

We all collectively bear any damage to our atmosphere or actions that contribute to exacerbating these critical issues as mentioned above and highlight this as the theme of this day.

The Air Resources Management & National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Environment held an expert discussion at the celebration ceremony and the discussion was moderated by Dr. Thusitha Sugathapala of the University of Moratuwa.

Mrs. Inoka Suraweera, Community Medicine Consultant of the Ministry of Health, Mr. R.M.S.K Rathnayake, Deputy Director General of the Central Environmental Authority, Mr. H.D.S Premasiri, Director of the National Building Research Organization and Mr. Akila Fernando, Deputy General Manager of Brandix Private Company were the panelists participated in this discussion and ‘inclusive and effective contribution of stakeholders for air resources management’ was the underlying theme.

Public and Private stakeholder organizations directly and indirectly related to air pollution participated in this program and the support of media organizations was remarkable publicizing key messages.

We can reduce the air pollutants released into the atmosphere by changing our lifestyles and improve the quality of the surrounding air by implementing the suggestions and ideas aroused in the discussion.

Let’s make this International Day a milestone to improve the air quality around Sri Lanka and step towards a blue sky by contacting all relevant stakeholders and encouraging them towards collaborative action.