You didn’t address the fact of whether the examples in Tahoe and Vegas have worked in protecting the environment. You are proposing a model that has not worked anywhere else, huge profits and developers simply do not equate sensible land use. Again hiding behind qualifications and experience isn’t really helpful, there are plenty of people with ‘experience’ that I have seen who make bad suggestions and generally screw up.

I’m afraid your talk smacks of greenwash and ignorance. Tying climate change into this is farcical. If the sea levels rise then it is the LANDWARD side that needs conserving as habitats and species need space to migrate to in order to avoid the rising sea levels. Besides for a gambling complex why do you need 2000 acres? You admitted the clientele doesn’t really care what the environment looks like, the abandoned race course in Colombo should provide more than enough space, revitailize a neglected part of the city and keep Kalpitiya safe from the depredations of climate change.

Also I hate to point out the obvious, but Kalpitiya is a peninsula, hence both the landward and the seaward sides will be affected by rising sea levels.

That said, I have one and only one question for you,

Why Sandals ?

What I saying simply is to limit this scale of development to a few areas (resorts and have it well managed) . Kalpitiya, that has already 4,000 acres of acquired land by the government and has the space at the landward end to have an exclusive facility for gaming can meet part of this objective.

I am a conservationist by training and at heart and one who loves and cares for my country very much. I want Sri Lanka to be in tact with minimum negative impact from tourism. I am also a pragmatist and am strategically seeking ways to ensure that it will be so. We need to think macro and not only micro about regions in a romantic way. Think of the impacts of sea level rises as a result of ill-managed causes for global warning can do to low laying areas. Think of what The Maldivian President told his countrymen when he assumed office about looking for alternative land. Also request everyone to ‘STUDY’ the options we have to balance the ‘development’ needs with careful use of our natural resources.

“Your majesty, the birds that glide the skies and animals that roam the forest have an equal right to live and move anywhere in this country as you have. The land belongs to the people and all other living beings. You are only its trustee.”

– Mahinda Thero (not our Mahinda) to King Devanampiya-Tissa, ~250 BCE

I applaud all your initiatives, including the idea of a casino in Kalpitiya. I appreciate your forthright and practical approach to casinos, particularly with regards to how they may boost a certain segment of the tourism industry. I see nothing contradictory in this because casinos are, after all, part and parcel of the modern world in which we live.

In the country in which I was brought up, people abhor terrorism and suicide bombings, but no one objects to people having a little fun at a casino. Democracy is the freedom to choose, and you have demonstrated this with your open, inclusive plans for the future.

Congratulation, sir, you are on the right track.

Well someone has to care for those that don’t have a voice in this world.