Photo courtesy of Mongabay Whenever President Gotabaya Rajapaksa embarks on a “discussion with the villagers” visit, Sri Lanka’s environmental defenders shudder in anticipation of yet another verbal executive order resulting in the destruction of more trees, more wetlands, more wildlife and more plants. They lay the ongoing pillage of the country’s natural resources squarely at the President’s door. “The President is providing leadership for environmental destruction,” said environmentalist Rukshan Jayewardene, an opinion echoed by Jayantha Wijesingha of the Rainforest Protectors Trust. “The country is heading for disaster because of a lack of vision, a lack of understanding and a lack of wisdom. Those close to the president should educate him on what a conservation strategy should be,” he said.