Sri Lanka: Govt launches Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment for the N. Province

Source(s): Sri Lanka - government

Disaster Management Center press release

The concept of Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) involves improving the understanding of the landscape, natural resources, ecosystem, economic opportunities, disaster potential and vulnerabilities of populations in a given region and taking action to promote sustainable development by incorporating environment conservation and disaster risk reduction into the development process. Adoption of Eco-DRR is expected to promote healthy economic growth opportunities while ensuring safety of people and wise use of natural resources.

UNDP Sri Lanka promoted the use of Eco-DRR approach to support sustainable development envisaged under “Uthuru Wasanthaya (Northern Spring)” after the ending of conflict, in late 2009. As such Central Environment Authority of the Ministry of Environment and Disaster Management Centre of the Ministry of Disaster Management partnered in the effort to carry out an Integrated Strategic Environment Assessment for the post-conflict Northern Province of Sri Lanka (ISEA-North) to understand the natural resource base after 30 years of conflict. UNDP also supported new data generation such as mapping of water resources, mineral resources, archeological resources and boundaries of forest and wild life to facilitate the process. In addition to the financial and coordination support, UNDP partnered with UNEP post-conflict branch to obtain technical assistance for ISEA-North.

The ISEA process is totally owned by government departments and included extensive briefing and coordination with district secretaries of the five districts. More than 25 Government Agencies covering multiple sectors (water, mineral, archeological, forest, wildlife, marine, tourism, telcome, power, roads, investments etc.) participated actively in the ISEA-North. Number of key findings of ISEA has been already incorporated in decision making.

ISEA- North is almost completed nearing completion and now it is time to start training and operationalizing the recommendations. To facilitate the next steps, UNDP and IUCN Sri Lanka propose to hold the first international training programme on Eco-DRR developed at the global level by a number of agencies, including UNDP, UNEP and IUCN. This course includes technical and non-technical modules to train managers and improve the awareness of policy makers and senior staff on concept and use of Eco-DRR.

Launching of ISEA-North and Eco-DRR training course

To bring the ISEA-North and Eco-DRR course together, CEA and DMC along with IUCN, UNDP and UNEP is organizing the launch of ISEA-North and the course module on Eco-DRR on May 26th, 2011 at Hotel Galadari, Colombo.

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