The once busy streets of Colombo were at a time deserted when it was in lockdown as were countries all over the world. The Coronavirus pandemic brought the fast-paced Colombo lifestyle to a grinding halt leaving the people of Colombo in a situation that many are not used to; stuck in their homes with little to do. However, despite the situation being less than ideal there were quite a few positives to take away from the situation.

In this short period of time; countries all over the world reported signs of improvement for the environment. Venice announced that its birds, such as swans and ducks, as well as dolphins returned to the canals as its water had less sediment due to the absence of gondolas. China reported that its air pollution reduced by roughly 1/4. In our own country we saw for ourselves that the sky became clearer and we also had examples of wildlife entering more urban areas such as the deer in Trincomalee.

If we as individuals take control and make small changes in our own lifestyle, we could further extend the benefits we see of the situation. Eco-friendly products are already a part of Colombo culture and if all of us were to individually make these small changes such as car-pooling or reducing single use plastic, we could all make an impact in our own way and together make a huge difference in the protection of our environment.