The Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Provincial Adaptation Plans and Sri Lanka's Third National Communication on Climate Change for the Southern Province

September 28, 2018

The Third National Communication (TNC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is presently being developed by the Ministry of Maheweli Development and Environment. The TNC is submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat as part of the reporting mechanism on the actions taken by Sri Lanka to address the climate change impacts.

The TNC includes information on sectors related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, a green house gas inventory for Sri Lanka,  gaps and constraints to address climate change impacts, technical and financial needs to implement climate action in the country.

As part of the TNC process, stakeholder consultation workshops are being held at provincial level  by the Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, in collaboration with the TNC Consortium members Sri Lanka Press Institute, SLYCAN Trust, Janathakshan Gte Ltd and Integrated Development Association.

The Stakeholder Consultation workshop on Provincial Adaptation Plans and Sri Lanka’s Third National Communication on Climate Change for the Southern Province was held on the 27th of September at Aradhana Hotel, Galle. The participants for the workshop consisted of government authorities from the Southern Province (from provincial, district and divisional level) as well as academics from the university of Ruhuna, civil society 0rganisations operating in the Southern Province and media personnel.

The Deputy Chief Secretary of the Southern Province, Mr. Gamini Weerawickrama, welcomed the participants to the workshop and provided an introduction to climate change and to the purpose of the gathering.

Dr. Sunimal Jayathunga, Director of the Climate Change Secretariat, presented the objectives of the workshop. He defined climate change and it impacts, and how human activity such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation has contributed to accelerating this phenomenon. He further highlighted the need for immediate action, and adaptive measures to address climate change.

Among the key objectives of the workshop were the creation of awareness and capacity building of provincial, district and divisional level officers and stakeholders on climate change; developing the provincial level adaptation plan; identifying the data needs for developing national communications and initiating a discussion on how best to identify data sources and manage data on climate change related fields and sectors.

Mr. Ranga Pallawala, CEO of Janathakshan pvt Ltd, Ms. Dakshi Perera, Assistant Director of the Climate Change Secretariat of Sri Lanka, Ambika Tennakoon, Environment Management Officer of the Climate Change Secretariat,  and Mr. Jagathdeva Vidanagama, Techinical Coordinator of the Third National Communication (mitigation) also spoke at the event.

The next provincial workshop is scheduled to be held on 8th October, 2018 in the Northern Province, in Jaffna.

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