COSSAT proposals handed over to Govts

The final collective recommendations of the Consortium of South Asian Think-Tanks (COSSAT), an informal organisation of SAARC think tanks, on Energy and Environmental Security in South Asia were handed over to the governments of the regional countries last Friday.

The Sri Lankan event was held in Kandy where the collective recommendations were handed over to the Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. The COSSAT is a regional network and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi serves as the Secretariat. The Colombo based Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) is the Sri Lankan member of the COSSAT. In coordination with the Central Environment Authority, the RCSS organised a public event in Kandy to release the final recommendations.

"SAARC is a highly environmentally sensitive area which includes number of forest reserves and water resources. A agreement in the region with regard to environment issues is the need of the hour and we hope that this step will promote such a union among the countries of the region," said Chairman Central Environment Authority Charitha Herath. As the COSSAT explains this is to address the two primary challenges in energy and environmental protection in this developing region.

The COSSAT recommends to create an integrated energy market in South Asia, a regional gas corridor, building a regional electricity grid, signing a South Asian Energy Charter and moving on to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. DY