| MESSAGES #51-100 | MESSAGES #1-50 | MODERATOR NOTE |
I am Vickneswaran Anojan, Final year graduating student, Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna. My fields of interest are taxation, accounting, liquidity & capital structure management, effective production, working capital management and comparing the financial performance If we take GDP performance and sector’s performance and contribution to GDP of Northern Province during war and post war scenarios of Sri Lanka. Every sector is much be needed to the county for the development. Here 2006, 2007, 2008 considers as during war period and 2010, 2011, 2012 as post war period. After the civil war of the country the number of development activities are taking by the respective authority to develop the country and Northern Province specially here we may consider the infrastructure such as road development, rail way road development, engineering faculty for Jaffna university, garments(MAS Holdings-Killinochchi, Omega Line-Vavuniya and etc…) new factory in the region, opening the number of banks, companies and financial institutions branches, development of the telecommunication sector, development of professional studies such as Chartered Accountancy, CIMA, CMA and AAT, reopening the factories, new building and other development to schools, micro finance to the business, residence to the displace people, resettlement to the war effected people and etc. Here the government of Sri Lanka and respective authority should know about the sector wise performance of the province to take the future successful development. The mainly the particular province needs employment opportunity through the business development. Accordingly to the my descriptive analysis confirmed that post war period has high mean value contribution to the GDP than during war period from the Northern Province and the sector wise the agriculture, industry and service have the high contribution to GDP in the period of post war. Here the service sector contributes highly than other two sectors in the both period as well as the industry achieved a rapid performance in the period of post war than during war period. From the findings it can be seen that post war contributions to GDP by the Northern Province is very good and high level. The Northern Province’s contributions to GDP continuously increasing than other province however Northern Province contributes at low level that mean least percentage contribution to GDP than other province which is not good remarks for the province due to that the government, NGOs, INGOs, respective authority, private sector and researchers should find the actual facts for low level contribution and the ways to increase the contribution from the sectors. The industry contributes a high level however the Northern Province has adequate, wealthy, and good resource for agriculture so the respective authority should try to take the necessary steps to develop and increase the agriculture production than other two sectors. Finally as a researcher it can be suggested that to the business people and investors to avoid to build the buildings as luxury which is not good investment if they invest in the agricultural related business specially agricultural farms, developing fishing activities and introduction of the new cultivation that will be the good investment. The government and financial assistance providers should try to give the low interest rate loan to small business, agricultural based business and diary business with minimum requirement, the government should try to give the more productivity seeds to the farmers from the foreign and the respective authority should try to give adequate training to the Northern Province business people specially about protection of post harvesting loss training should be needed to the farmers in the particular region. After the civil war the foreign tourist are much visiting to the Northern Province and also the province has much of tourist point so the business people also can give much consideration tourist business also like better transport, hotels and other related business. The Province has much resource and potential to increase their contribution to the GDP in the future. Vickneswaran Anojan, Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
a) 30 August 2014 17:21 Going by many messages, particularly #Message 147, there is a crying need for at least one local NGO (with branches in the North and the East) on environmental matters. There are several NGOs on environmental matters in the South some of which are linked to international environmental organizations like Friends of the Earth and International Union of Conservation of Nature. b) 30 August 2014 19:49 Referring to the Message # 142 by Dr Ethir and Message # 145 by Dr. Sivayokan are raising very important issues for our community. Both are front line workers and understand the ground situation. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Effective management of Irrigation tanks In order to protect the irrigation tanks, mainly four measures have to be taken. (1) Proper update of the tank related information by the relevant departments The information regarding major and medium tanks are frequently updated by Department of Irrigation and the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) is responsible for the minor tanks but the frequent and proper update of minor tank cannot be successfully accomplished by them due lack of man power and number of tanks are innumerable. It can be solved by assigning village level inspectors by DAD and the information can be effectively managed and analyzed using computer based software like GIS and remote sensing. So they avoid encroachment in tank bed and command area. (2) Modeling the cascade system: cascade system of interconnected small irrigation tanks influence the surface and subsurface hydrology in Vavuniya. From a sustainable consumption and production perspective, this cascade system function as recharging mechanisms that helps to maintain sustainable and optimum stocks of fresh groundwater for human and agriculture utilization (Shanmuganathan et al, 2010). There are number of cascade systems in Vavuniya. The modeling of this total cascade system would provide a clear perspective/ vision aids the effective management of water. (3) The researches related with the irrigation tanks, Cascade system, tank based socioeconomic activities and other researches related with these water resources should be encouraged by responsible departments and universities which would be helpful in decision making and effective management strategy in irrigation tank management. (4) Moreover, the awareness should be created among public regarding the value of the irrigation tanks by researchers and departments. All the valuable steps without the participation of general peoples will end up with failures. So these measures should be immediately taken to protect this resource effectively. Roshan akther, Temporary demonstrator, Department of Bio Science, Faculty of Applied science, Vavuniya Campus
I am Tharani Gopalakrishnan working as a Demonstrator in Vavuniya Campus. [My field of interests are organic farming, cleaner production and water management] WHO ranked Sri Lanka as the highest in NCDs (Non Communicable Disease) in Southeast Asia. Especially in Northern part of Sri Lanka, the incidence of cancer was increasing in an alarming rate. Meanwhile the CKDu cases were constantly reported. One of the major inevitable truths behind these chronic diseases is mainly the accelerated usage of chemical fertilizer and pesticide. A few decades ago inorganic fertilizers were not used in cultivation and only organic fertilizers such as green manure and animal waste were in use in this region. But at present these chemical usage is common practice in crop production. From 2009 to 2011 the use of Urea, Triple Super phosphate (TSP), Muriate of Potash has increased four times in Northern Province (National Fertilizer Secretariat, (2013). However, considerable farmers were taught with the importance of organic farming through various government and Non Governmental Organizations. The major obstruct in enhancing the organic farming nowadays is the prevailing issue of water scarcity. Significant farmers have abundant using organic fertilizers and pesticides. As the North lies in dry zone and the effects of climate change have imposed extended drought period. Thus, the adaptation of current technologies/ alternative farming techniques should be adapted to increase agricultural production. Hydrophonic system is one of the current trends in agriculture field which will be the ideal solution for enhancing organic farming practices with high food security. Hydrophonic system is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient water without soil. This has proven to be successful large scale commercial farms in countries like Thailand. Hydroponic plants grow larger than soil plants because they receive all the nutrients they need. The right amount of nutrients can be given to the plants without wasting fertilizer. It has been proven that hydroponic plants grow faster than soil plants and hydroponic farming is easier to maintain because no soil related physical work is needed from start to end. There would be less fertilizer needed than conventional agriculture because right amount of nutrients can be given to the plant without wastage. The requirement of pesticides will be minimal because the hydroponic system is elevated above the ground surface and protected, thus there won’t be any soil based pests. Thus this reveals that hydrophonic system would be more suitable for organic farming practices than conventional agriculture. In addition to that, almost any plants can be grown using hydrophonic system. Water can be sufficiently utilized without wastage. The water losses from soil such as percolation, run off and evaporation are minimized. In a nut shell hydrophonic system would decrease the water requirement, need for fertilizers and pesticides and also the seepage and bio accumulation of these synthetic agro chemicals in to water bodies and soil can be avoided. Thus, the hydrophonic system is the best feasible technique to overcome major issues like cancer, CKDu and water scarcity for cultivation G.Tharani Temporary Demonstrator, Department of Bio Science, Faculty of applied Science, Vavuniya Campus
I would like to post the below message in the conference under the sub theme of "Agriculture and Health. Farm pond and Azolla cultivation for enhancing food security Climate change is posing major challenges for rain fed agriculture and crops often suffer from water stress during dry period. Construction of farm pond capture and store rain water for future use and also it reduce the usage of ground water. Establishment of farm pond in every farming community is important to increase the food security of farming community as well as recharge of ground water. Cultivation of Azolla in farm pond provide nitrogen fertilizer to farmers field and also provides feed for live stock. The mats of Azolla can be a form of biological mosquito control, preventing mosquito larvae surfacing for air. Azolla reduces evaporation from water surface and increases water use efficiency. The symbiosis with cyanobacterium–Anabaena azolae is involved in processes of photosynthesis and through that capture the solar energy and production of energy rich carbohydrates (carbon sequestration) so Azolla is contributing to lowering atmospheric CO2 level. Hence Construction of farm bond and Azolla cultivation should be encouraged in every farmer's field in northern and eastern province by Providing construction methods for farm bond with less cost and some financial support. Awareness about farm bond and Azolla cultivation and their importance in house hold level to National level. This project is success in many countries. Therefore faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Irrigation department, Department of Agriculture extension and other related institution have to concentrate on this subject to develop our country for following things To reduce ground water pollution by using of bio fertilizer To increase ground water recharge by establishing farm pond To increase production/ food security during drought period and reduce poverty. To reduce global warming/ green house gas P.Loganathan Senior Lecturer Gr I Vavuniya Campus of the University of Jaffna
I am glad that Dr. Ethir has raised an important issue towards the end of this e-conference. This conference has given us an opportunity to come out with wonderful developmental plans. However, for any development to take place and to sustain, there is a need to look at the attitudinal side of us. As we may all aware of, much has been changed now. A onetime hard working, responsible community with fairly good moral standards has changed its values and now that is reflecting everywhere. Further, the familial and social support system has become dysfunctional. These are badly reflected in various indices like the per capita income, per capita alcohol consumption, suicide rate, divorce rate, the amount of violence both at home, schools and at communities, increasing number of child abuses... There is a need to involve in-depth sociological and anthropological studies and find the reasons and remedies for these "changes" in the communities. Though the local communities are praised for their resilience, substantial proportion of people has been suffering from severe psychological trauma, which comes out in various forms. And there is the concept of collective trauma. We need to work towards improving the psychosocial wellbeing of the communities. This will help the people to realize their own abilities and potentials, to develop better coping strategies and as such people can cope effectively with their day to day life stressors, to improve their productivity (work capacity and work related commitment) and to become responsive and responsible citizens who contribute to their own communities. In turn these will improve the social capital which has been badly affected in the present context. Determinants of wellbeing will start from the basic needs like water, sanitation, nutritional food and shelter. But there are those other determinants; education (both formal and informal), habits, way of life, economic and employment status, level of poverty, social cohesiveness, gender - ethnic - and other inequalities, access to social and developmental resources, the nature of physical environment... and so many other factors. Hope I have brought in a 'missing puzzle piece' into the discussion. The education system, at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, can contribute a lot to develop social wellbeing and in turn increase the social capital. But are we in the correct path? Best wishes for the conference and all the contributors. Dr. S. Sivayokan Consultant Psychiatrist Teaching Hospital, Jaffna
Referring to the message # 143: Very relevant observations. Initial cost and environmental concerns are key factors. In addition, sustainability considering that the majority of intended users may not be able to pay for the use of electricity in their homes. A detailed study is needed. Even in Jaffna there are homes families do not have electric light source for their children to study. Poverty is one reason and along with it go the materials used to erect their homes. The initial cost of installing small Solar Panel for just two small florescent light source is too high for even an NGO to donate to those in need. There is an immediate need. But for the long term small working units of various energy sources need to be erected and studied. ethir
I am Dr. Kandasamy Vignarooban, Senior Lecturer in Physics at the Faculty of Science of the University of Jaffna, [ joined last month after my PhD and Post-Doctoral works in the United States] Comment on Message #77: First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Siva Muthulingasamy, Managing Director, Solar4us Ltd, UK for laying out a very good development plan in the energy sector of Sri Lanka, especially for proposingConcentrating Solar Power (CSP) electricity generation in the Northern Province. It would be a very good idea of launching CSP plants in countries like Sri Lanka, as this technology is currently in rapid growth mainly in Spain and in the United States, the two well-known players in commercializing CSP electricity. As someone who has worked as a Research Associate in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) projects funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and administered by the Arizona State University, Arizona, USA, I think I can make a few detailed comments about this idea of CSP electricity generation in Sri Lanka, especially in the context of Northern Province. Other than the initial installation costs, I have no negative comments about the plan of Mr. Siva Muthulingasamy. Northern region in Sri Lanka, especially the Vanni region is the topmost priority location as far as the required land area is concerned for the installation of several thousands of programmable focusing mirrors. But, we also need to take into account the ecological and environmental impacts of CSP plants. If we consider the World’s largest CSP plant commissioned in February 2014 at Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, USA as an example, there is no doubt that it is producing 392 MW of emission-free electricity powering almost 100,000 homes, especially powering the homes in the southern California region. This was a collaborative billion venture of NRG Energy, Bright Source Energy and Google [slate.com]. But, a few months ago, ecologists and environmentalist have started to raise their concerns about the death of birds due to the concentrated solar rays; it has been reported that birds are burnt or even ignited up in the air and falling down with an average of one bird in every two minutes [abc News - August 18, 2014]. Since, Mr. Siva Muthulingasamy is a solar expert running a solar company in the UK, it would be a good idea to get his opinion about this issue, particularly about the ecological and environmental impacts of future CSP plants in the northern Sri Lanka. Further, parabolic troughs are commonly used in the CSP plants located in Europe, whereas power tower technology is increasingly used in the United States. Is there any specific reason for proposing parabolic troughs for installation in Sri Lanka? Finally, about the heat transfer fluids (HTFs) in CSP systems; molten-salts have been widely used and studied nowadays due to their high working temperature (more than 500 oC) and heat capacity, lower vapor pressure and corrosivity, good thermal and physical properties even at elevated temperatures. But, the cost of currently used nitrate/nitrite based molten salts are in rapid growth due to their shortage in supply, because these nitrate/nitrite mines are located only in Chile and Peru and the supply from these two countries are not enough to reach the target of International Energy Agency (IEA). What about the HTF fluid proposed for the future CSPs in Sri Lanka? Is it just water? or any other cheaper molten-salts which are easily available in Sri Lanka? One important present day concern of global CSP community is to test some other molten-salts, say cheaply available chlorides or molten-metals such as molten-sodium to be used as HTF in future CSPs. Department of Energy of the United States has recently launched two mega projects, one in Arizona and the other in California to develop these kinds of low cost molten-salts and molten-metals for future CSP applications. We need to actually train the work force in this CSP technology at the University of Jaffna and even though the cost of installing CSP plants is very high, $ 232 million for 50 MW plant as suggested by Mr. Siva Muthulingasamy, we are keenly looking forward the funding opportunities from local and international funding agencies as well as solar companies who can afford to fund at least some laboratory scale research projects to develop this CSP technology in northern Sri Lanka, particularly to develop low-cost molten-salt based heat transfer fluids with ternary or even quaternary mixture of cheaply available chlorides. ......................................................................................................................................... Dr. K. Vignarooban [B.Sc.Hons. (Jaffna), M. Phil. (Peradeniya and Chalmers, Sweden) and Ph.D. (Cincinnati, USA)] Senior Lecturer in Physics, Faculty of Science University of Jaffna, Jaffna Sri Lanka TP: 0778886463 (cell)
Domestic violence. Referring message # 137 & Two persons have commented on Gender discriminations in this forum. But none of them have mentioned, if I am not mistaken,Domestic violence. I like the December conference to call for researched papers on Domestic violence in the North (It of course exists in throughout SL and the World.) If U of J can do some research on Domestic Violence and Violence in the classrooms (Corporal punishment by hand, stick and verbal abuse) in the North. Sociology, anthropology, psychology , education, law, and other relevant departments. It can be an interdisciplinary research project. I am sure such a project can fund from national and international resources. Some of the questions that need research based answers are: 1. How does domestic violence affect student learning, achievement and emotional well being? 2. Is there a relationship between domestic violence and socioeconomic status of families? 3. How does death due to domestic violence compares per year, 1971 to1982, 1983 to 2002, 2003 to 2009, 2010 to 2014? 4. How many husbands/wife have left their spouse and children and living with another (married or otherwise) but without a formal divorce? 5. How many schools corporal punishment by teachers and prefects is an everyday event? 6. What is the distribution of corporal punishment during the year? 7. What is the relationship of corporal punishment and academic achievement by student victims. 8. What is the relationship between teacher's qualification and corporal punishment? 9. What percent of students, by gender, in the various faculties in Univ of Jaffna received physical punishment during the last four years of school? 10. How often were they hit by prefects and whether the prefects among them hit other students? Some of the research questions can be final year project for students and staff from some of the Faculties. And for PGD and Master's, Ph.D. Thesis for candidates in the Education Department. Their and others literature survey would be beneficial. Ethir
Congratulations to Dept of Physics cooperating with international partners to develop solar energy harvesting project proposal. It would have been best to other Depts. of Physics and interdisciplinary staff from other universities if they have strong departments. Michio Kaku in his book predicts that we have to seriously go outside this planet to get energy rather than depend on dead plants for our energy needs. What Prof Ravirajan outlines is the way to go. He says every 18 months computer capacity has been doubling and their size decreasing to palm size. He inform us that, "In the world wide web, for example, 29% visitors log on in English, followed by 22% in Chinese, 8% in Spanish, 6% in Japanese and 5% in French. English is de facto planetary language of, science, finance, business and entertainment. English is the number one second language on the planet." Out of the 6000 languages most of them will become extinct but others and their culture will be thriving within the linguistic community/culture through the internet. A project such as what Prof Ravirajan outlines will help us and our scientists be in the forefront of the solar energy production technology. It is important for English and computer use in daily life to be encouraged from Primary school. I hope the project proposal is published widely and that National and international funding will become a reality. Ethir
I'm very much interested in the great deal of knowledge on harvesting/retaining rainwater in the messages by Dr K.K.Sivakumaran. A feasible plan needs to be submitted to the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils? The councilors may also need information/education on this very crucial subject. If we don't act now, we may have the following with insufficient water for urgent use and accumulating Plastic Mountain around us: Civilians Provided with Drinking Water, 26 August 2014 http://www.army.lk/detailed.php?NewsId=8399 East Based Troops Too Join Supplying Drinking Water, 26 August 2014 Marketing of Agriculture Products in Northern Province of Sri Lanka The Agriculture is one of the potential livelihood activities in North. Especially, Vanni region (Killinochi, Mullitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya) farmers are facing problem in market their products because they only focus production and intervention (Government and Non government organization) also same. In addition, farmers have lack of knowledge in marketing their products. The farmers are trying to sell their product at the local market or middle men. The local market, the demand for their product is very low because most of the farmers involve same product at the same time. The middle men are buying the product at low price and selling the product at high price in other parts of Sri Lanka. They are earring profit the farmers are in loss and lose their capital too. Finally, they give up the livelihood activities. They are idle and expecting relief or grant from Organizations or individual. Based on the study in Vanni Region, the intervention should focus to develop marketing knowledge to the farmers, linkage or partnership with private sector organization, form sustainable farmers organization to look after marketing, contract farming etc. Then only the livelihood of the farmers and regional economy will be improved. Dr.T.Mangaleswaran (Mobile)+94714347689,+94774536564
Establishing the Northern Province Agricultural Advisory Society and Northern Province Institute of Primary Industries Development and Training at Kilinochchi The Northern Province Agricultural Advisory Society (NPAAS) will be formed in and will be registered as a non-profit, non-political, rural service provider and civil society organization. NPAAS will be a regional agriculture NGO will be engaged in the promotion of innovative farming practices and sustainable strategies at grass root level through research, development and extension (RD&E). NPAAS will focus on helping Northern Province’s farmers to become more productive; to, in the context of their rich land, small plots, plentiful labour resources and abundant supplies of fresh water, substantially increase their output. NPAAS will implement a number of relevant projects to alleviate poverty among the poor, extreme poor, and resource poor, small and marginal farm families of Northern Province. NPAAS will help small plot cultivators to adapt best farming practices to accommodate the requirements of higher value, high yielding crops, aquaculture, fishery and livestock. NPAAS will be using state of the art of participatory training and participatory field demonstration methodologies to accelerate the uptake of promising new varieties and improved agricultural technologies all over Northern Province including coastal regions and inland area. Vision: To promote sustainable agriculture, fish, poultry, milk and meat production strategies in order to improve the livelihood of Northern Province‘s rural poor in general and resource poor farmers in particular. Mission: To create more wealth in the hands of small and poor farmers, by improving their technical skills and capacities and by demonstrating ways in which they can better manage their available resources. NORTHERN PROVINCE INSTITUTE OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING (NPIPIDT) will be established at the Northern Province Agricultural Advisory Society and will work closely with the University of Jaffna where highly skilled professionals of environmental sciences, agriculture, fisheries, animal science, ecology, public health, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering and data processing are involved. Mission NPIPIDT will provide leadership and engage in innovative planning and development to enhance growth of primary industries (agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, poultry and forestry) to sustain natural resources and to improve food quality and food safety for the people of Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Functions The main functions of NPIPIDT include: · undertaking training program for Provincial Staff belongs to primary industry departments (agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry & livestock) · undertaking training program for farmers, fisher-folk and stakeholders · undertaking planning and development of applied innovative technology to enhance the primary industry production · advising the Northern Provincial Council on primary industry policy and issues NPIPIDT Summary NPIPIDT will conduct innovative research, training and development programs to enhance the efficiency, primary industry production and economic contribution to Northern Province: Primary Industries: · Agriculture and crop industries · Horticultural industries · Livestock industries · Natural History Survey – Flora & Fauna · Fishing and Aquaculture industries · Natural resource management NPIPIDT training and development programs aim to: · deliver innovative, cost-effective and competitive technologies that will improve production efficiencies and enhance the value of the Province’s primary industries · contribute to Northern Province economic prosperity · meet the challenges and market needs of primary industries · promote appropriate technologies suitable for different conditions · customize state-of-the-art technology for local conditions · facilitate the growth of profitable, internationally competitive and ecologically sustainable primary industries · ensure technology from NPIPIDT research and development is transferred and adopted by industries · promote the conservation of natural resources · Preserve and conserve freshwater Strategic Training Centres (1) Agriculture and Crops Information & Training Centre The Agriculture and Crops Information & Training Centre will provide industry with improved cereal and pulse varieties, which enable high and sustainable on-farm productivity, and meet increasingly stringent market quality product specifications. This ensures that the Northern Province rice (paddy) industry will able to competitively respond to identified export and domestic rice market opportunities. The focus of the program in NPIPIDT will be the development of improved crop varieties, which have the capacity to meet increasingly stringent grain market product specifications and technologies to enable high and sustainable on-farm productivity. The programs will be structured within three main functional areas: · Genetically improving the crop varieties · Understanding and developing new farming systems for improved sustainable production of crops · Developing new diagnostic tests and biotechnologies to detect yield-limiting diseases, and to improve both the capability of breeding programs and the effectiveness of farming system practices. · The centre will provide information and training to stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants. The major programs include: · Crop Improvement · Pulse and Oilseed Improvement · Rice Production · Fruits and Vegetable Production · Crop Evaluation and Agronomy · Pathology · Entomology (2) Aquaculture and Fisheries Information & Training Centre The Aquaculture and Fisheries Information & Training Centre will conduct training and provide innovative technologies to prawn farmers and fisher-folk. This will yield knowledge about the status of fish populations, the impact of fishing practices, and aquaculture, and leads to the development of new commercial opportunities. NPIPIDT Aquaculture and Fisheries Information & Training Centre will be a knowledge provider to the fishing, aquaculture and environment industries. The application of innovative technologies and sustainable management procedures will help to ensure that the resource base remains healthy and the information provides a basis for sound management decisions. The centre will provide information and training to stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants. The major programs include: · Environment and Biodiversity · Inland Fisheries · Marine Scalefish · Beach de mer Fisheries · Shellfish Fisheries · Prawn Fisheries · Crab and Lobster Fisheries · Gulf of Mannar Pearl Fisheries · Aquaculture (3) The Livestock Industry Information & Training Centre The Livestock Industry Information & Training Centre will assist the animal industries in achieving economic and sustainable levels of production of high quality, competitively priced produce, by conducting field trials and encouraging technological improvement. The development and marketing of livestock industries and products and the provision of science policy advice to Provincial administration on animal issues are two key objectives for Livestock Systems. The centre will provide information and training to stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants. The major programs include: · Goat · Poultry · Dairy · Other Animals (5) The Natural History Information & Training Centre The Natural History Information & Training Centre will conduct base-line survey on forestry, social forestry, forest restoration, wildlife, their habitats, and the wetlands of Northern Province. The centre will provide information and training to stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants. The major programs include: · Ecosystem Management · Forest Restoration · Social Forestry · Natural History Survey · Terrestrial Ecological Survey · Wetland Survey (6) The Food Science and Post Harvest Technology Information and Training Centre The Food Science and Post Harvest Technology Information and Training Centre will develop and apply innovative technology to develop new food by products, improvement in preservation and processing of food. The centre will provide information and training to stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants. The major programs include: · Food Science · Meat Science · Food Microbiology · Food Processing Technology · Seafood Processing · Vegetables & Fruits Processing (7) Resource and Training Centre for Water Use Efficiency Today, many regions of the world are already water stressed due to population and economic growth. In fact, 2.5 billion people (36% of the world population) live in these regions and more than 20% of the global GDP is already produced in risky, water-scarce areas affecting production, as well as corporate reputations when competition over water usages develops. Given today’s accelerated pace of human development and the slow pace of managing issues as complex as water resources, tomorrow’s challenges are already at our door. To be able to adequately feed and support the world’s growing population, our global economy needs to continue to grow. Water is critical to future growth. But it can also become the major limiting factor to growth. For instance, businesses in water-scarce areas are already at risk, and so investors are increasingly taking water supply into consideration during their decision-making processes. The centre proposes to carry out the following activities: · Benchmarking and evolving performance standards for Water Use in Agriculture · Innovative and efficient Water–use technologies · Water Conservation and Watershed management · Train and build capacity of all relevant Stakeholders on best practices in agricultural Water Use efficiency using the in–house expertise of University of Jaffna “Intensifying global demand for water, diminishing supplies and exacerbated climate change are resulting in stronger associated government regulations.” Environmental Implications Without smarter water resources management, a growing world with more people and more activities will demand more water and create more pollution, breaking the boundaries of sustainability of water resources utilization. The effects of climate change that is already impacting some of the planet’s most vulnerable rivers, lakes and ecosystems, will aggravate this. At the same time, a world with more people and a larger consumer class will demand an improved quality of life. Cities must be willing to make investments that attract residents and businesses and that preserve both water resources and the environment. This is why it’s critical that every community, every business and every home play a part in protecting and managing water. Environmental Implications of Water Scarcity Water issues are global and at the same time inherently local. But in many cases, water resources are simply not managed effectively. And when watersheds straddle local, regional or national borders, leaders are often unaccountable for the way water is used and without incentive to make changes. Appropriate governance structures need to be put in place. Whether we face water quality, scarcity or variability issues, the way we anticipate and respond to water challenges defines our capacity for growth. There are environmental and economic benefits to overcoming these challenges in the right way. Proving again, that safe, clean and accessible water is the building block for growth. Clients NPIPIDT will provide Northern Province with an impressive multi-disciplinary technical capability and an ideal environment for collaborative innovative technology development with business and industries. These initiatives and developments will provide Northern Province with some of the world’s most advanced technology in primary industries. NPIPIDT provides information’s and training to: · Agribusiness · Commercial enterprises · Stakeholders and Provincial Public Servants · Manufacturing and processing industries · Rural industry development organisations · Natural resources conservation agencies · Provincial Government agencies and departments · Primary Industries (agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry & livestock) Dr Siva K.P.Sivakumaran Environmental Consultant OTEK Oil & Gas Environmental Consultancy Australia B.F.Sc (Hons), PGT in Limnology (Vienna), M.Sc (Colombo), M.Env Mgt (Australia), PGC in Stats (Australia), Ph.D (Marine Biology) Visiting Professor of Fisheries Science – Annamalai University & Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, India President- Jaffna Central College OBA, Melbourne Branch, Australia
Solar Panels: An alternative energy source for generating electricity in Northern and Eastern Provinces Back ground In the near future, human civilization will be forced to research and develop alternative energy sources for their survival. The current rate of massive fossil fuel usage will lead to a global energy crisis within the next two decades. In order to survive this inevitable energy crisis many governments and private sector companies active in the energy sector are investing for inventing new ways to extract energy from renewable sources. Most developing countries have abundant renewable energy resources, including solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, and biomass, as well as the ability to manufacture the relatively labor-intensive systems that harness these. By developing such energy sources developing countries can reduce their dependence on oil and natural gas, creating energy portfolios that are less vulnerable to price rises. In many circumstances, these investments can be less expensive in the long run than the cost of traditional fossil fuel based energy systems. In Sri Lanka, especially Northern and Eastern Provinces have great potential to be developed as the South Asian “Showcase for Solar Energy” due to several key factors, (1) high solar insulation (excellent for solar photovoltaic applications), (2) a high literacy rate, making it possible to quickly create a trained solar-energy workforce, and (3) an excellent geographic location for the export of solar panels to all of South Asia. How efficient is solar energy technology? Most of today’s commercially available solar cells are made from silicon, typically converting sunlight into electricity with an efficiency of 10 - 20 %. Given their manufacturing costs, silicon solar cell modules (panels) incorporated in to the power grid would produce electricity at a cost 2-3 times higher than current prices of fossil fuel generated electricity. To make solar electricity economically competitive, R&D efforts are needed to improve the efficiency of the solar cells and to lower their manufacturing costs at least to be on par with fossil fuel generated grid electricity. As a result, harvesting solar energy to produce electricity is being experimented vigorously since the last decade. Among various different solar cell technologies, thin film solar cells stand out due to its promising efficiencies. The latest world record efficiency for thin film photovoltaic (PV) module of 17.0 % and research cell efficiency of 20.4 % was achieved by First Solar, Inc. (http://www.firstsolar.com/) in March 2014. Multi-institutional R & D and training project on Thin film Solar Cells towards manufacturing of Solar Panels Developing a trained workforce of scientists, engineers and technicians competent in solar energy technologies has become a timely needed activity and a responsibility of universities and research institutions in order to achieve this. Department of Physics, University of Jaffna in collaboration with universities of Peradeniya, Kelaniya and Ruhuna submitted a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary project proposal of four year duration to the national funding agencies. Through this project, research scientists from all four universities and foreign collaborators from Sivananthan laboratories and University of Illinois, Chicago, USA will be developing a dedicated R & D team of scientists and technical officers in Sri Lanka who will be competent to undertake/ facilitate manufacturing of thin film solar panels in Sri Lanka for domestic use and for export. To establish a commercial scale manufacturing plant for thin film solar cells, starting from research phase, in Sri Lanka is a very challenging and time consuming task. Three years of the proposed R&D project would be focused mainly on understanding and resolving the remaining basic scientific issues pertaining to device fabrication of thin film solar cells. The fourth year of the project would be focused on transforming this R&D knowledge towards setting up of a commercial scale manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka for thin film solar cells and solar panels for domestic use and for export. The availability of a pool of highly skilled R&D experts is a pre-requisite for setting up a commercial scale facility by a local or foreign investor. In addition to facilitating through R&D, the setting up of a solar panel manufacturing plant, the fourth year of this project would also help to provide specialized training to create a pool of highly skilled R&D experts who could offer technical advice and expertise for a wide variety of other thin film devices and electronics industries in Sri Lanka and overseas. Further, this project will also be focused on educating and training of A/L students from selected colleges on solar cells technology. This will provide a platform to collaborating universities to share their knowledge and experience through workshops, seminars and competitions. Sivananthan laboratories and University of Illinois, Chicago, USA will play a major role in training the scientists and research students under this project. Benefits of installing solar panels Unlike other energy sources, utilization of solar power does not emit greenhouse gases and therefore is an environment friendly approach. Sri Lanka has already initiated some programmes for the utilization of solar energy and wind energy in order to supplement its energy needs. However, Sri Lanka’s hidden potential to be developed as a Showcase for Renewable Energy is yet to be fully realized and tapped. There are some rural areas in Northern and Eastern Provinces still without grid connected electricity. The low cost solar cells and modules produced as a result of this work could be installed on the roof tops of houses and other buildings in these areas and the produced solar electricity could be utilized to meet the daily needs of the people. Further, developing self-sustaining model villages will improve the livelihood of people in rural areas; Improving their health and agriculture through water pumping and food refrigeration, Education by providing lighting and communication, and productivity by creating small industries. Households and industries who has the ability to invest for installing larger capacity solar panels for generating electricity for their use would be able to benefit from the government’s “reverse tariff system”. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Restoring the fisheries of northern Sri Lanka The fisheries sector is an important economic sector of Northern Province. It provides substantial employment and income for some segments of the population, contributes to export earnings and supplies a major part of the dietary protein requirement of the population as a whole. Before the onset of civil conflict in Sri Lanka, fishing was the major industry in the Northern Province. During the early 1980s, the fisheries around the Jaffna Peninsula produced about 40% of the domestic fish supply and for four years the fishing grounds yielded more than 50,000 tones of crustaceans, molluscs, fish and elasmobranchs. During the conflict, most of the coastal infrastructure and at least half of the fishing capacity were destroyed and fishing was not permitted within the military controlled High Security Zone. Since 1983, more than 30% of the fishing families were displaced during the conflict. Consequently, the domestic fish supply from this region declined and catches remained at low levels below 15,000 tones between 1992 and 2001. However, the recent changes in the political climate have led to new prospects for restoring the fisheries in northern Sri Lanka. More than 100 Co-operatives have been established allowing fishermen to get access to loans for boats and fishing gear. Fish landings exceeded 50,000 tones in 2003 and 2004, but this level of production has not been sustained in recent years because of the devastation caused by the tsunami in December 2004. The combined effect of the civil conflict and the tsunami has greatly impacted the fisheries in the Northern Province. Rehabilitation of the fisheries is being achieved with finance through Cooperatives. However, as fishing capacity is restored, every aspect of fisheries management needs to be re-established. Of particular importance are international fishing agreements for shared stocks and enforced protection of fishing grounds from trawling and monofilament gillnets. Appropriate allocation of fishing grounds amongst traditional and industrial sectors is needed to share resources and avoid over exploitation of fish stocks. With great uncertainty about the status of the habitats and fisheries resources after the tsunami, research, fishery monitoring and stock assessment will have a vital role in identifying appropriate development strategies for sustainable fish production and aquaculture in the future. The Northern Province Fisheries Development Program will be designed to provide directions and framework to develop and manage the province’s fisheries resources for food security and ensures socio-economic upliftment of subsistence fisher folk. Development efforts will focus on the expansion and revitalization of productivity programs and provision of support activities through appropriate technology, research, extension and adequate financial and marketing assistance. On the other hand, management efforts will cover the conservation, protection and sustained management of the province’s fishery and aquatic resources to ensure its long-term sustainability. GOALS: 1. Contribute to province food security at all times; 2. Ensure the rational and sustainable development, management and conservation of fishery and aquatic resources in coastal waters including the adjacent seas; 3. Reduce poverty incidence in the coastal areas; and 4. Enhance people empowerment in the fisheries sector. Specifically, the development program seeks to: · To improve aquaculture productivity within ecological limits; · To optimize utilization of coastal fisheries and deep-sea resources; · To improve product quality and reduce post-harvest losses; · To provide a favorable policy environment conducive to increased investment and global competitiveness and people participation; · To conserve, protect and sustain management of the province’s fishery and aquatic resources; and · To alleviate poverty among fisher folks and provide supplementary livelihood. STRATEGIES · Produce quality fish brood stocks, seeds and fingerlings · Promote production-intensifying but cost-reducing technologies within ecological limits. · Improve the production-marketing systems to become more efficient and effective. · Empower fishermen co-operatives to assume primary responsibility for food security and resource management within their respective areas. · Provide technical support for fishermen co-operatives to help them attain the target yield. · Conserve and protect the province's fisheries and aquatic resources · Increase in public investment particularly on post-harvest facilities. · Tap the expertise of local and foreign institutions in accessing appropriate technologies, providing a forum for research-extension linkages. · Assisting in the evaluation of programs and fish stock assessment. PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND TARGETS · Production Support Services · Regulatory Services · Post-Harvest Development Services · Market Development Services · Extension Support, Education and Training Services · Research and Development in Fisheries · Policy Formulation and Advocacy Service Key Issues and Concerns in the Fisheries Sector The major concern in the fisheries sector is the need to maintain a delicate balance between the requirements for increased production to contribute to food security against the need to conserve and protect the resources for long-term sustainability. Other interrelated key issues and concerns of which development and management interventions of the government should address include the following: · Need for strong fisheries law enforcers · Need for useful and timely fisheries information · Poverty among municipal fisher folks · Need for institutional strengthening · Need for human resources development · Access to credit · Post-harvest Technology · Aquaculture productivity · Fishery inspection and quarantine
Establishing the Northern Province Fisheries Development Authority (NPFDA) There is a large untapped potential in fisheries and aquatic resources, which can contribute considerably to improve the livelihoods as also to the empowerment of fisher folk. The future development of aquaculture and fisheries depends on the adoption of new and innovative production technologies, management and utilization of fisheries resources and proper market tie-ups. Reservoir fisheries offer a major opportunity to enhance fish production in Northern Province. In the marine sector, while the estuarine and lagoon fisheries have been fully exploited, deep-sea and coastal fisheries resources are yet to be harnessed. Diversification and high value produce could add new dimensions to the sector. Proper post-harvest handling, reduction of losses and hygienic primary processing are important to realize full potentials of the sector. Simultaneously, effective marketing arrangements are to be made to ensure adequate returns to the fishers and the fish farmers as also make available good quality fish at affordable prices to the consumers. With these in view, Northern Province Fisheries Development Authority (NPFDA) will be established to work towards a blue revolution with a focus on increasing the fish production of Northern Province. NPFDA will be a platform for public-private partnerships for fisheries and a mechanism for an end-end approach for ensuring efficiency in the process of fish production to consumption in Northern Province. NPFDA will be the NPC agency responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the province's fisheries and aquatic resources. MISSION To improve fisheries productivity within ecological limits and empower stakeholders towards food security, inclusive growth global competitiveness and climate change adaptation VISION An institution of excellence in sustainable fisheries management and services The objective of the Authority shall be to facilitate the economic growth of the province through fisheries and aquaculture development, which includes following matters: – · Prepare and implement a comprehensive Province Fisheries Industry Development Plan; · Issue identification cards free of charge to fish workers engaged in commercial fishing; · Formulate and implement a Comprehensive Fishery Research and Development Program, such as, but not limited to, sea farming, sea ranching, tropical / ornamental fish and seaweed culture, aimed at increasing resource productivity improving resource use efficiency, and ensuring the long term sustainability of the province's fishery and aquatic resources; · Establish and maintain a comprehensive Provincial Fishery Information System; · Provide extensive development support services in all aspects of fisheries production, processing and marketing; · Provide advisory services and technical assistance on the improvement of quality of fish from the time it is caught (i.e., on board fishing vessels, at landing areas, fish markets, to the processing plants and to the distribution and marketing chain); · Advise and coordinate with fishermen co-operatives on the maintenance of proper sanitation and hygienic practices in fish markets and fish landing areas; · Implement and inspection system for aquatic products and fish processing establishments consistent with international standards to ensure product quality and safety; · Coordinate with fishermen co-operatives and other concerned agencies for the establishment of productivity-enhancing and market development programs in fishing communities to enable women to engage in other economic activities and contribute significantly to development efforts; · Enforce all laws, formulate and enforce all rules and regulations governing the conservation and management of fishery resources and to settle conflicts of resource use and allocation; · Develop value-added fishery products for domestic consumption and export; · Recommend measures for the protection / enhancement of the fishery industries; · Assist the fishermen co-operatives in developing their technical capability in the development, management, regulation conservation and protection of the fishery resources; and · Perform such other related functions, which shall promote the development, conservation, management protection and utilization of fisheries and aquatic resources. The Authority shall consist of the following eleven (11) members. (a) The following six (6) ex-officio members namely: – · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Jaffna district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Killinochchi district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Mannar district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Mullaithivu district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries or Inland Fisheries, Vavunia district; · Deputy Chief Secretary to NPC Finance & Treasury or his nominee. (b) Members appointed by the Minister in charge of the subject as mentioned bellow: – · A person with a considerable knowledge in the field of fisheries /aquaculture; · A resident of the province who makes his livelihood by fishing and who has a long term experience in that field; · A person with knowledge on the subjects of Marine Science or Environmental Science or Aquatic Environmental Protection; · A person who is serving in the private sector or retired from private sector or from fisheries research; · An officer of the Provincial Ministry of Fisheries that should be appointed in consultation with the Secretary of the Ministry. (c) A member from the Board of Management shall be appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Management (Authority) by the Minister. The Chief Executive Officer (Managing Director) for the Authority will be in charge of directing functions of the Authority. The Chief Minister will appoint the CEO for the Authority for three years. DIVISIONS FISHERIES RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DIVISION Enforces fisheries laws, rules and regulations on the management and protection of fishery/aquatic resources within the province territorial waters including the lagoons, estuaries and inland water bodies. Register and issues licenses for fishing gears used in commercial fishing vessels. CAPTURE FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY DIVISION Provides over-all technical advisory and support services to the Authority higher-level management on matters pertaining to capture fisheries/fishing technology. FISHERIES POST HARVEST TECHNOLOGY DIVISION Assists in the implementation of the utilization of fish/fishery aquatic products in support to the Comprehensive Northern Province Fisheries Industry Development Plan. INLAND FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE DIVISION Assists in the preparation and implementation of a Province Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Management Program, Fish Diagnostic and Quarantine System and the Environmental Impact Assessment in coordination with the National Aquaculture Centers and the Fisheries Regional Offices. FISHERIES PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMICS DIVISION Analyzes industry, economic, institutions and such other related studies on the various aspects of fisheries, to form bases in the formulation and recommendation of appropriate policies and programs for the utilization, management, development, conservation and allocation system of fisheries and aquatic resources. ADMINISTRATIVE and FINANCE DIVISION Exercises supervision and control over the operation and management of the Division.
Establishing the Northern Province Refugee Rehabilitation Authority (தாயகம் திரும்புவோர் மறுவாழ்வு கழகம்) Objectives To assist in the rehabilitation of affected persons, internally displaced people and refugees returning to motherland by way of an outright grant or any such other means, as NPRRA may deem necessary. To assist in rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India returning to their motherland Northern Province of Sri Lanka with the financial help of Indian Government; To assist the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee children returning from India to continue their Indian University degree programs by establishing and running the Madras University Overseas Education Centre in Jaffna under the Madras University Tamil Refugee Free Education Program; To assist the owner of any affected property to repair and restore such property either by way of an outright grant or subject to such reasonable conditions as may be agreed upon by NPRRA and owner for securing the repayment of any expenditure incurred out of the purpose of such repair and restoration. To assist the tenant any affected property to repair and restore such property if the owner of such property is unable or unwilling to repair and restore same and NPRRA is satisfied that, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, it is just and equitable to authorized such tenant to carry out the necessary repairs and restoration; and To assist the proprietor of any affected industry, or business, to rehabilitate such industry or business, subject to such reasonable conditions as may be agreed upon by NPRRA and such proprietor for securing the repayment of any expenditure incurred out of the funds for such rehabilitation. Activities of NPRRA will be: · Housing Grant under Unified Assistance Scheme for affected due to war. · Operation of the loan schemes for renovation and reconstruction of affected residential premises, Commercial premises and industries. · Self-employment loan or grant for war affected widows and others. · Scheme for providing gold coin for making Thirumangalyam to poor girls for their marriage. · Implementing special programs for the welfare of the affected persons and for the displaced families. · Establishment of resettlement or relocation model villages for the displaced affected families and Tamil refugees returning from India. · Assisting war affected orphan children and widows. · Establishment and running the Madras University Overseas Education Centre in Jaffna. · Establishment and running Northern Province Resource Centre for Women. Special program: To cap all these activities, this NPRRA will introduce a scheme for providing gold coin for making Thirumangalyam (தாலி) to poor girls. By this scheme, all the poor girls will get marriage assistance through Chief Minister Fund generated through various Tamil Diaspora donor schemes will be given 4 gram gold coin of 22 carat, along with the marriage assistance amount of Rs: 2,00,000/-. Northern Province Resource Centre for Women will work for the convergence of women centric programs or schemes of various Central Government and Northern Province, and Gender mainstreaming of Northern Province programs to make gender concerns integral to the planning process. Providing residential education facilities to under privileged children from Northern Province to study leading schools in Jaffna District with help of old boys and old girls school associations in Sri Lanka and around the world. The Authority shall consist of the following nine (9) members. (a) The following six (6) ex-officio members namely: – · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Jaffna district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Killinochchi district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Mannar district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Mullaithivu district; · The person holding the office of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare, Vavunia district; · Deputy Chief Secretary to NPC Finance & Treasury or his nominee. (b) Members appointed by the Minister in charge of the subject as mentioned bellow: – · A person with a considerable knowledge in the field of Social Welfare; · A person with a considerable knowledge in the field of Women Welfare; · A person with a considerable knowledge in the field of Children Welfare; (c) A member from the Board of Management shall be appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Management (Authority) by the Minister. The Chief Executive Officer (Managing Director) for the Authority will be in charge of directing functions of the Authority. The Chief Minister will appoint the CEO for the Authority for three years.
Referring to the message # 108: On the question of Univ. Student Work program and a broad degree program at the undergrad level, I like to offer some points for those who are contemplating revising the degree program. The revision naturally should include the last two years of Secondary school. That is Year 12 and 13. The revision at that level can happen only if the O/L and A/L National exams are revised. Detail proposal are in the NP Education Review Report that I have given the reference in an earlier comment. Work Program: This can be done by introducing in the Degree Programmes as a requirement for 15 or 30 weeks. The work experience will be related to the degree program but will be a requirement al ALL degree programs. Work for pay program: This is not a mandatory program. It is voluntary. It can be within a university or in the world of work. In the North or elsewhere in SL getting work for pay in the world of work for pay is not realistic. However for such a program higher education is NOT FREE. But a program for students entering university or Tertiary education such a program can be a combination of a minimum grant, Work for pay (on or off campus), Low interest loans, and contribution from parents (or relatives). The combination can be based on the Total Real Cost per student in the degree program the student chooses and qualifies. Often the state's grant will be for Tuition and books. In case where Parents are at or below poverty line the state grant may include room and board (which means such a students have to work for personal expenses.) For either of the above two programs to be instituted, there have to be a change in the degree program structure. There cannot be a 3-year degree program. It has to be a four year program. The extra year is to be devoted to: 1. Broadening the course of study for each of the 4 yr degree program to include courses in the Liberal Arts for non-Arts Majors and general science courses for the Arts and commerce graduates. All of the fields will have to take courses from a list of Humanities courses. Such a system can function best under a Grade Point and Cumulative Grade Point Average system. Such a system will also if properly implemented will help improve the efficiency of academic, administrative, financial and resource allocation in a University and upper secondary school system. (For details refer to the Handbook of Higher Education). Though the World Bank had required, through the UGC, for universities to reform their curricula to the new system, not all faculties have implemented it the way it was envisaged. One of the major problems is the study load per week of students. If the load is very high students cannot be expected to work during their Term of study, though they can work during University vacation. In the USA where I had all my higher education, 70 to 80 % of the students, including me and my brother in the fifties and my three children in the eighties and now one of my grandson now. The work included cleaning tables and dishes in univ. restaurants or outside. Being a Janitor - cleaning toilets and classrooms, working in milk and egg packing plants, maintenance of orchards, Greenhouses etc. As an athlete I was fortunate to get tuition waver and in my final year I got a full scholarship but worked during the vacations. The June, July and August vacations we earn more money for personal expenses and books. What I learned in the world of work cannot be learned in a university from any professors in any subject area. Plumbing, electrical and small machines repair are also learned under the supervisor to the extent I do repairs in my own home until I was 75. Universities need to focus on specialization two year Masters degree program. When I mentioned specialization I mean not studying one or two subjects but all other subjects that are closely related to the one or two subjects. This means take some of the courses that are required at the undergraduate level is best done at the Master's degrees. The knowledge explosion has been such that during the last 50 years our university graduates are deprived of the knowledge base except in their one or two subject specialization. For students to be creative thinkers and inventors they have to have a broad program of study in Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Medicine, Law, Accountants etc. Not just course only in their narrow field of study. Ethir
Gender And Development: Gender in Post Civil War Development Women are constrained to reap the benefits of post-civil war economic boom in the Eastern and Northern Provinces due to a variety of community-inflicted institutional-structural and socio-cultural reasons, business-inflicted gender discrimination in employment, and state-inflicted security phobia. We would argue that community-inflicted institutional-structural and socio-cultural factors are the overwhelming impediment to women than the business-inflicted and state-inflicted factors combined. This section is based on the ethnographic investigation of the regions by this author and others in the post-civil war period (2009-2014). The impediments to women’s economic emancipation also differ among different ethno-religious communities living in these regions. It is important to note that, according to the Census of 2012, in the East Muslims comprise 37% and Tamils (NE plus hill-country) comprise 40% of the total population of the province; in the North Muslims comprise 3% and Tamils (NE plus hill-country) comprise 94% of the total population of the province. Out of the combined population of the NE, 23% are Muslims and 62% are Tamils. According to this author, out of the three major ethnic communities in Sri Lanka, viz. Muslims, Sinhalese, and Tamils, Sinhalese community could be claimed the least conservative, Tamil community could be claimed lesser conservative and Muslim community could be claimed the most conservative as regards equal rights for women. That is, the institutional-structural and/or socio-cultural barriers for women are least among the Sinhalese, less among the Tamils, and most among the Muslims. (See also Jayasundere and Weerakody 2013) The foregoing is also reflected in the lowest labour force participation rates of women in the country recorded in the Ampara district (16.6) in the East and Mannar district (12.8%) in the North (Table 4); whereas in Ampara and Trincomalee Muslims are the single largest ethno-religious community accounting for 43.6% and 40.4% of the total district population respectively, in Mannar Muslim community accounts for 16.2% of the total district population. Institutional-Structural Impediments Submitted separately on Thesawalamai Law [appear in the message # 130] Socio-Cultural Impediments There are severe socio-cultural restrictions on women in general and on women of NE in particular to venture out of their homes or villages or towns to seek employment either within or outside the country. This is a widespread problem in countries throughout South Asia. (World Bank 2012: 200; Nayar 2012) However, women of the majority Sinhalese community have been able to significantly overcome this centuries-old socio-cultural barrier in the past 37 years or so (post-1977) because large number of them (circa 500,000) has sought employment in the Middle East and significant number of them (circa 250,000) has sought employment in the apparel factories outside their home villages and towns. On the other hand, only a small fraction of Muslim and Tamil women have been able to overcome the respective centuries-old socio-cultural barrier to seek employment in the Middle East or in the garments factories outside their home villages and towns. (Jayasundere and Weerakody 2013) Tamil women have relatively more freedom than Muslim women with regard to employment outside their homes or in far-away places. This is reflected in the relatively higher labour force participation of women in the districts of Batticaloa in the East and in Jaffna, Mullaithivu, and Vavuniya in the North where Tamils account for the overwhelming majority of the respective district populations. (Table 4) Moreover, Muslim women in general are less educated than Sinhalese and Tamil women in the country, including in the Eastern Province. Thus, lower educational level of Muslim women (in addition to socio-cultural norms) also restricts their participation in the labour force. Since the Eastern districts have the youngest population in the entire country, Eastern youths will have greater opportunities to find employment in other districts of Sri Lanka where population is relatively ageing. However, due to socio-cultural restrictions on the mobility of Muslim and Tamil women of the East, women may be less inclined to take advantage of the opportunities available outside their respective districts. Gender Discrimination by Businesses Private businesses may discriminate against women by preferring male employees because women may not want to do outdoor work, may be shy to interact with male customers, may want to take long maternity leave, and a host of other reasons. Here again Muslim and Tamil women are more likely to be discriminated because of their relatively higher conservativeness. However, private businesses may prefer women employees (over men) in certain occupations such as dealing with money and financial accounts because of relatively greater trustworthiness. For example, cashiers in banks and self-service retail shops are largely women because of relatively greater trustworthiness or honesty. This is reflected in the concentration of employed women in the services sector. Security Phobia of the State Even five-years after the end of the civil-war there is large presence of the security forces in the NE. Due to significant sexual violence (including rape) against Tamil women with impunity during the course of the civil war and continued large presence of security forces on the ground, the mobility of Tamil and (to a lesser degree) Muslim women for employment is very much restricted. (Iqbal 2013) This security phobia of the state on top of the community-inflicted socio-cultural barrier is a double jeopardy for women of the NE to reap the benefits of post-civil war economic boom. Ageing Population and Geriatric (Elderly) Care Sri Lanka’s population is rapidly ageing. Since there is no public old-age care service in the country the burden of caring of the elderly population falls on the family and by extension primarily on the female members of the household. Thus, the burden of care of the elderly is yet another factor that inhibits women from seeking employment outside their homes, home villages, towns, and districts. The Jaffna district is particularly affected by old-age care which has one of the highest proportions of elderly (60 years and over) population (14.4% of the total district population) in the country (after Kegalle and Matara 14.6% and Galle 14.5% of the respective district population). Moreover, since the children (mostly male) and grandchildren of many elderly people in Jaffna are living abroad (having fled the civil war) the burden of old-age care of parents and grandparents falls on female members of the extended family. The foregoing are the major impediments to women to realise the opportunities spurred by the post-civil war economic boom in the Eastern and Northern provinces. These impediments are almost entirely community or household-inflicted as opposed to business or state-inflicted. Therefore, awareness-raising and sensitising within households and communities is of paramount importance. Reform of the community-specific customary personal laws should also be prioritised. It has been the practice to lobby the state or businesses to remove gender discrimination and impediments to women’s economic empowerment rather than the communities or households. The foregoing has been the critical lacuna in the advocacy work of the non-governmental and civil society organizations in Sri Lanka as regards equal rights for women. Policy Suggestions Sri Lanka has the lowest labour force participation of women in South Asia. (Nayar 2012) Within Sri Lanka the Eastern and Northern districts have the lowest labour force participation rate by women (Ampara 16.6%, Batticaloa 19.0%, Trincomalee 19.8%, Jaffna 21.0%, Kilinochchi 15.1%, Mannar 12.8%, Mullaithivu 20.4%, and Vavuniya 25.5%). In order to boost labour force participation by women a carrot and stick approach could be pursued by the state. On the one hand, paternity leave, child care/crèche services at workplaces, better and safer public transport facilities for women could be afforded by the private and public sectors in order to incentivise women to join the labour market. On the other hand, women who refuse to join the labour market without any compelling reason could be penalised by withdrawing public welfare services such as the free health care in order to disincentivise them to remain out of the labour market by their own choice. Moreover, anecdotal evidence reveals that most homes in the Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka still rely on firewood for cooking because of its abundance and as a consequence cheaper, which is a health hazard for women who largely cook (due to high probability of respiratory illness), very time consuming, and environmentally damaging. Therefore, the use of liquid gas cookers should be promoted by subsidising the cost for a limited time period and thereby reduce the time consumed for cooking and make more time available for women to enter wage labour or self-employment. Moreover, the use of consumer durables such as solar-powered microwave ovens, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines should be promoted in order to free-up the time used for household chores by women and thereby encourage them to join the labour force. In order to overcome the institutional and structural barriers to women’s more active participation in the resurgent post-civil war regional economies awareness raising for advocating positive changes to the customary laws of different ethnic communities in the Eastern and Northern provinces are necessary. This awareness raising advocacy work should highlight and celebrate women’s numerical supremacy at local level, higher educational level of women vis-à-vis men at local level, and predominant and growing economic contribution made by women at the macroeconomic (foreign remittances, export of ready-made garments, and tea production and exports) and household levels. As a campaign tool for positive changes to the traditional customary laws of the regions under consideration the post-civil war experiences and best practices of Guatemala, Liberia, Mozambique, and Rwanda should be tapped and suitably modified to suit the local requirement/s (Mohan 2011). The socio-cultural restrictions imposed on women by households and local communities are driving women out of the country in order to seek freedom of life. Community-inflicted socio-cultural barriers to realisation of the full potential of women within the majority Sinhala community is what motivated them to seek freedom from home and community and seek largely menial employment in the Middle Eastern countries and in the export garments factories outside their villages and towns since the late-1970s. Similarly, marginalised Muslim women from the East and other parts of the country have also tried to spread their wings of freedom by seeking menial employment in the Middle East. Likewise Tamil women have been fleeing socio-cultural restrictions in their homes and local communities by marrying grooms from the Tamil Diaspora. The local communities should be made aware of dated socio-cultural barriers against women that are impeding upward mobility of female members of the households within the country which is steadily driving them out of the country to seek self-fulfillment in terms of economic and social life. While designing programmes to address the institutional-structural and socio-cultural barriers to women’s economic emancipation it is imperative to involve parents and/or the spouse of women in order to realise better outcome/s of such programmes. Gender discrimination in terms of wages and salaries or other conditions of paid or unpaid work in private businesses should be confronted by awareness raising with the employers and communities, failing which legal remedy should be facilitated and sought. In the medium-term an equal opportunities law should be advocated in order to institutionally outlaw all forms of discrimination against women. Established and emerging private business community in the NE (outreached through the district chambers of commerce and industries) should be made aware of the salient features of the female labour market in the former civil war-torn areas and encourage them to self-regulate the prevalent discriminatory labour practices. Gender-specific insecurity of women in former civil war-torn areas has become a serious impediment to women’s access to gainful employment and livelihood activities mainly because of disproportionate presence of armed forces personnel amidst civilian population (ostensibly to provide security), especially in the Vanni and throughout the NE as well. Former anti-state female combatants and single/divorced/widowed woman-headed households are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment, abuse, and rape by the members of the local community as well as from the security forces personnel. These female combatants and woman-headed households could be organised to provide collective security to themselves as well as the local communities where they live and work through neighbourhood watch initiatives. The retired and resigned state armed forces personnel (including police personnel) have collectively established private security firms in order to provide employment to their colleagues by providing security services to businesses, homes, and offices in Colombo and various other parts of the country. Similarly, former anti-state combatants and single/divorced/widowed woman-headed households could be encouraged and facilitated to establish security businesses in their respective villages/towns/districts in order to enhance their own gender-specific security and make their services available to business premises, homes, and offices. Moreover, safe and secure transport facilities to women at night time and in remote places are scarce. This is a severe impediment to women’s mobility to engage in paid employment in shift-based jobs in urban areas as well as in remote places. Therefore, facilitation and promotion of women-driven/run public transport services could mitigate transport bottlenecks to women seeking employment far-away from their homes and habitats. Sri Lanka is confronted by an ageing population throughout the country. However, the NE has a relatively younger population than rest of the country. But, Jaffna district, for example, has a relatively significant elderly (>60 years old) population along with a relatively youthful population. Ageing population is a significant drawback for women who largely shoulder the burden of old-age care within their households. Nevertheless, ageing population also opens-up growing opportunities for lucrative private old-age care services. The potential geriatric care market could and should be assiduously tapped by less-educated women including former female combatants and single/divorced/widowed women. Geriatric care happens to be an untapped market in the NE and less-tapped in other parts of the country. The Vanni mainland in the Northern Province (comprising Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya districts) and vast areas in the Eastern Province are sparsely populated jungle areas where population densities are the lowest in the country. For example, the population density of Mullaitivu is the lowest in the country with 38 people per square kilometre, followed by 53 in Mannar, 81 in Monaragala, 93 in Vavuniya, 94 in Kilinochchi, 128 in Anuradhapura, 131 in Polonnaruwa, 149 in Trincomalee, 153 in Ampara, and 201 in Batticaloa. Due to the very low population densities, setting-up of businesses in the foregoing districts are difficult because of lack of economies of scale. Under this topographically trying circumstance innovative marketing strategies such as the door-to-door direct marketing should be promoted by employing local unemployed women to become micro-entrepreneurs. Consumer produces (such as personal hygienic products) should be packed in smaller quantities (that could be affordable to poor people) and marketed in remote places through a network of micro enterprises operated by local women. MUTTUKRISHNA SARVANANTHAN Ph.D. (Wales) M.Sc. (Bristol) M.Sc. (Salford) B.A. (Hons) (Delhi) Development Economist, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development Thambasetty, Puloly West, Point Pedro, 40000.
Referring to the message # 120; I beg to differ on the location of the NEPC. Mankulam was to be the Northern HQ under the NEPC. NEPC was to be in Trincomalee. Eastern HQ was to be in Batticaloa. The NPC was proposed by the current GOSL to be located in Mankulam Junction on the West side of the current Mankulam Railway station. GA Mullaitivu can give the plan and the current situation. But it appears that the plan is shelved indefinitely.
Economic implications of Thesawalamai Law The institutional-structural impediment to women’s participation in the economy, in the name of Thesawalamai customary personal law (as opposed to the civil law which is Roman-Dutch law), applies almost entirely to the Tamils of Northern origin who comprise a considerable proportion of the Eastern Tamil population as well. The institutional-structural impediment to women’s participation in the economy is marginal (if at all) to Muslim and Sinhalese communities though separate customary personal laws, such as the Muslim personal law and Kandyan personal law respectively, govern them as well. Agarwal (1994a,b) and Quibria (1995) argue that it is the lack of ownership and command over property (or productive assets such as land) is the fundamental impediment to women’s economic emancipation within households and wider society. It is the various customary inheritance laws in South Asian countries (and beyond) that discriminate against women in terms of ownership and command over movable and immovable assets. (Agrawal 1994a,b; Quibria 1995) Through extensive field research in various parts of India, Agarwal (1994a,b) articulates that gender disparity in property ownership (in favour of men) is the single most crucial determinant of gender inequity in economic, social, and cultural spheres of society, because the lack of ownership and command over property and immovable assets also restricts access to institutional credit for women as a result of the absence of collateral. (See also FAO 2011; World Bank 2012: 198) Independent ownership of and command over land by women will go a long way in redressing gender imbalance in resource distribution within households and hence would increase overall welfare in society, because there is sufficient empirical evidence to show that women mostly spend resources under their command on basic necessities of the family whereas men mostly spend on personal consumption such as alcohol, tobacco, etc. It has also been found that children’s nutritional standard is positively correlated to mother’s earnings rather than the father’s. (Agarwal 1994a: 1461) Independent right to ownership of land and other property for women is advocated on moral and social grounds as well (as opposed to economic ground) as it would empower women to be on equal footing and challenge male dominance and chauvinism within households and in the wider society. (Agarwal 1994a: 1464) The customary law (as opposed to civil law) of the Northern Province is an institutional-structural impediment to women’s economic emancipation in the North. The following is drawn from Thambiah (2001). The Thesawalamai (national norm) law governs the Tamils of the Northern Province, first codified by the Dutch colonial rulers in 1707. The statutes under this law are the, (i) Thesawalamai law, (ii) Matrimonial Rights and Inheritance (Jaffna) Ordinance of 1947, and (iii) Law of Pre-emption of 1947. These statutes govern the inheritance of property and matrimonial rights of the Tamils of North and therefore Thesawalamai is a personal law. The Thesawalamai in its original form is a blend of the Marumakathayam (a matriarchal law of Kerala) and patriarchal Hindu laws of South India. This original form evolved into a ‘customary law’ of the Northern (Jaffna) Tamils, over the years, reflecting the customs of their Malabar constituents. The Tamils of the Northern Province are governed by Thesawalamai law wherever they reside within Sri Lanka. The rest of the Tamils are governed by the civil law of Sri Lanka, which is the Roman Dutch Law. The Thesawalamai law entitles women to ‘own’ property, but does not entrust ‘command’ over the same property. Thus, women are entitled to Mudhusam (patrimonial inheritance) and Urimai (non-patrimonial inheritance) of properties. Women are also entitled to retain their cheethanam (dowry), both cash and property. Further, women are also entitled to at least half of Thediatheddam (the assets and wealth acquired after marriage by either or both) and any other asset and wealth possessed prior to marriage or as a divorcee/widow. Though women are entitled to ownership of property, a woman is not permitted to manage, invest (in a business), mortgage, lease, or sell immovable property without the written consent of her spouse. Women have no ‘locus standi’ in a court of law and hence treated as a minor in litigation. As a consequence, no one will enter into a contract with a Tamil woman as an individual without the inclusion of her spouse. Therefore, Thesawalamai law bestows nominal ownership on women with no real command over such assets and wealth. Whether in the case of separate properties of women or common properties, men exercise effective command and control over such properties. However, an amendment to the law in 1947 made it that a husband cannot sell a property acquired in the name of his wife without a written consent of her. In certain cases the law courts have held that a woman can lease her property without the consent of her husband. According to the Thesawalamai law daughters are entitled to equal inheritance of parental properties in theory. In practice, however, sons are the ones who inherit parental properties. Thus, daughters who have received cheethanam and have brothers do not inherit parental properties in most instances, which is discriminatory. Thediatheddam, a unique feature of Thesawalamai law, includes acquisitions of property by either or both after marriage and profits accruing from independent ownership of properties by either of them. These are communal ownership shared by husband and wife. That is, wife owns half of acquired property even if the property was solely acquired by her husband. Moreover, on the death of her husband intestate, wife is entitled to half of her husband’s share in addition to her own half (i.e. three-fourth of the total). Hence, Thediatheddam provides some kind of economic security to housewives who have very little opportunity to acquire property on their own, but not necessarily to non-housewives. Nevertheless, it is nominal rather than real security because the law does not permit her to independently manage, invest, mortgage, lease, or dispose-off the property that she partly owns when her husband is alive. The customary Thesawalamai law had imposed additional impediments to women’s economic emancipation during the civil war and its aftermath. The civil war has resulted in a surge in female-headed households in the East and North because many men have died, disappeared, or have fled abroad. In the cases of the spouses of men who have fled the country, women were/are unable to dispose or make productive use of their properties because of the absence of spouse who has to consent by signing any transaction. In the cases of the spouses of disappeared men, women were unable to dispose or make productive use of their properties because of the lack of death certificate. Despite the fact that women could request a court of law to sanction a transaction involving their property in the absence of their spouse, it has been elusive because of non-functioning or limited-functioning of the courts in the NE during the time of the civil war. According to the civil law of the country that binds other Tamils, women are entitled to independent ownership and command over properties under the “Married Women’s Property Ordinance’. In marriage, women are considered as individuals with regard to ownership and command over assets and wealth. A woman could manage, invest, mortgage, lease, or sell assets and wealth under common ownership without the consent of her spouse. Thus, women have ‘locus standi’ in a court of law and are considered ‘femme-sole’. However, the civil law does not provide economic security that the Thediatheddam provides to women. Therefore, women who are home-bound are disadvantaged in terms of the civil law. But, with growing employed women and substantial female-headed households Thesawalamai law is inimical to Tamil women’s economic emancipation in the North and to a lesser extent in the East. Mohan (2011) provides an excellent review of reform of the laws to inculcate gender equality in property rights and property restitution in post-civil war countries such as Guatemala, Liberia, Mozambique, and Rwanda. It is high time the women of NE demand such positive legal reforms in Sri Lanka as well. MUTTUKRISHNA SARVANANTHAN Ph.D. (Wales) M.Sc. (Bristol) M.Sc. (Salford) B.A. (Hons) (Delhi) Development Economist, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development Thambasetty, Puloly West, Point Pedro, 40000.
Current and Potential Economic Drivers of the Secondary Cities in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka This brief note outlines the current economic drivers in the three secondary cities of the Eastern Province (EP) and also identifies the potential economic drivers of the same secondary cities. (Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee) Currently, fishing is the only sub-sector that would qualify as an economic driver in all three districts/cities under scrutiny (note that Kalmunai and not Ampara City is the fishing hub in the Ampara district). Further, infrastructure construction and factory industrial manufacturing are also economic drivers in the City of Trincomalee. Moreover, paddy crop cultivation in Ampara district is an economic driver of the City of Ampara. Fishing is the only economic driver in the City of Batticaloa. Therefore, while the City of Trincomalee is driven by three economic sub-sectors, two economic sub-sectors drive the City of Ampara (including Kalmunai), and only one economic sub-sector drives the City of Batticaloa. However, construction of infrastructure (physical and virtual), development of economic institutions (such as law & order, political & fiscal decentralisation, property rights for land, and financial integration), fishing, human capital development (such as education and training services), and tourism sub-sectors could be potential economic drivers of all three secondary cities in the EP. Thus, the foregoing five are cross-cutting potential economic drivers in the three cities under consideration. Further, factory industrial manufacturing (including processing) has the potential to continue as an economic driver of the City of Trincomalee and paddy crop cultivation in the Ampara district has the potential to continue as an economic driver of the City of Ampara. Economic and social infrastructures have to be restored and new ones developed in all three secondary cities of the EP in order to get connected physically and virtually to the economic hub of the City of Colombo and the Greater Colombo area and thereon to the rest of the world. In the modern world, lack of fast highways, airports, and harbours connecting different cities within and outside the country could be partially compensated by the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in interior parts of the country which are much more cost-effective. Modern virtual connectivity (ICTs) is less costly and less time-consuming than the traditional modes of physical connectivity (roads, railways, and sea and air ports). Thus, physical distance could be bridged considerably through virtual connectivity. However, an economy (such as that of the Eastern Sri Lanka) overwhelmingly dominated by primary produces (agriculture) and limited secondary produces (such as manufacturing and construction) need to depend heavily on physical connectivity such as roads, railways, and sea and air ports. Therefore, construction of physical and virtual infrastructures could be potential economic drivers of the secondary cities in the East. Secondly, as noted above, human capital development in all three secondary cities in the East is lower than the average of the country in terms of lower and higher secondary public examination results. Therefore, development of human capital is sine qua non to enhance the competitiveness of the secondary cities in the EP. The Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) is mainly situated in Chenkalady (16 kilometres from the Batticaloa town) and partly within the Batticaloa town itself. The EUSL also has another campus in Trincomalee district, which is out of the Trincomalee town (closer to Nilaveli). The Ampara District has its own University; the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL) in Oluvil along the coast (Oluvil also has a small harbour). There are few vocational and further educational institutions in all three districts of the East. The quality of school education and tertiary education needs to be improved in addition to increasing the number of admissions and output of students. Educational level of a city population is strongly correlated to the economic growth of the same city. Education is a critical ingredient in the local agglomeration economies and cities boost the accumulation of human capital. Therefore, human capital development should be a thrust activity in the eastern secondary cities. Thirdly, economic institutions such as law and order, property rights for land, political and fiscal decentralisation, financial integration, etc, needs to be restored and strengthened in the three secondary cities of the East. As a result of the prolonged armed conflict, such economic institutions have deteriorated in the past three decades. As argued before, while physical infrastructure connects places, virtual infrastructure and economic institutions connects people. Therefore, development of economic institutions is a sine qua non for enhancing the competitiveness of primary and secondary cities. The development of economic institutions is a cross-cutting potential economic driver of the secondary cities under scrutiny. Fishing will continue to be a cross-cutting economic driver in all three cities and outlying areas keeping with its natural advantage. Tourism is an emerging cross-cutting economic driver in all three cities/districts as noted above. Factory industrial manufacturing will continue to be an economic driver in the City of Trincomalee because of its logistical advantage with the one of the world’s best natural harbours, airport, and railroads. The cultivation of paddy crop will continue be an economic driver of the City of Ampara and outlying areas. Another critical competitive advantage all three districts/cities in the EP have is its relatively younger population compared to all other districts in the country. A “demographic dividend” is realised when the number of working-age population increases more rapidly than the number of dependent/elderly population in a geographic area or country. South Asian countries (except Sri Lanka) are currently reaping a demographic dividend which will continue until 2040 (and beyond in Afghanistan). In Sri Lanka the demographic dividend ended in 2005. However, in contrast to all the districts in the country, the three districts in the Eastern Province are endowed with a much younger population; a uniquely eastern demographic peace dividend. According to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2009-10, while only 26.0% of the total population of the country is under the age of 14 years, 34.3% of the population of the Trincomalee district, 32.8% of the population of the Batticaloa district, and 31.2% of the population of the Ampara district are under the age of 14 years. As a corollary, while the share of the population that is 60 years and older in the country as a whole was 12.3%, it was just 5.8% in Trincomalee district, 6.3% in Batticaloa district, and 8.1% in Ampara district. Therefore, the secondary cities in the East should take full advantage of this uniquely eastern demographic peace dividend and convert it into economic peace dividend by focussing their economic revival strategies on youths. This has the potential to result in a youth spring in Eastern Sri Lanka. MUTTUKRISHNA SARVANANTHAN Ph.D. (Wales) M.Sc. (Bristol) M.Sc. (Salford) B.A. (Hons) (Delhi) Development Economist, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development Thambasetty, Puloly West, Point Pedro, 40000.
Health service Health is wealth. And most of the time health issues are unpredictable. In that urgent situation support services are essential because number of nuclear families is increasing in society. There are systems to help the public in this situation like ambulance services and hot line connection to government hospitals. But the effectiveness of their service is a big question. Most people even don't know the emergency phone numbers. And service providers fail to think from the public point of view. So the periodical evaluations to ensure the quality of service are essential. Public are the tax payers so they have the rights to get facilities from government. And every single person has the rights to live in this world. So there is a need to improve the quality of service not only in the northern or eastern province but also in the whole island.
Environment and Social Safeguard Monitoring System during any Project Implementation Based on Past Experience in Project Implementation Developments no longer exist without environment and social sustainability. To deliver an emergency recovery or post conflict development with sustainability was a hard task in the field of infrastructure development. To make sure the sustainability of the development environment scenario was bring in to the screen. Step by step environment planning was stared and implemented by the project to improve the quality and the long existence of the works which was very much essential to the public. Initial environment assessment was done in the pre-planning stage and then Site Specific Environment Management Plan was done. Then regular environment monitoring is done for each site. Emergency Northern Recovery Project started with the scope of facilitating the resettlement process in the northern Sri Lanka. As a result of the rapid resettlement process 119,146 families has been resettled up to 15th September 2011. Emergency Northern Recovery Project did a remarkable achievement in this process. Economical Social and Infrastructural developments have been planed and implemented by Emergency Northern Recovery Project with Environmentally Sustainable scenario. 602 number of sub projects have been in progress as at 30th August 2011. It includes 83 rural roads 397 public buildings, 113 Irrigation schemes and 9 Water supply schemes. A separate environmental audit consultancy team was involved in this Environment and Social Safeguard Monitoring System The document below will give a good base for any future post conflict development planning activity in environmental and social aspect https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253233295_Post_Conflict_Development_Stretergies?ev=prf_pub With regards, Sivakumar
Gender Discrimination in Thesawalame Law: Sri Lanka is a multicultural society and the different sets of people will be governed by their own personal laws in relating to the matters relating to their family and land. Thesawalame law is considered as the law governing for Tamil who lives and north and east. According to this law a number of situation can be noted where a woman get discriminated. There is discrimination which prevents women’s access to loan and credit in the absence of a male guarantor, which prevent women’s from inheriting, owning, occupying or accessing land and other forms of property and which women prevent from mortgaging/ selling or dispose of her own land without the consent/ approval of his husband. I would like to comment here about the last point raised above. Why women are discriminated on this? What is the reason for having compulsory approval from his husband to do a transaction of a land which she owned? Mortgaging or selling is a commercial transaction and in a way it can considered as a contract? So when considering the factors which prevent persons from engaging in a contract, it is clear that being a woman is not a reason or a disability of engaging in a contract. If so why this is happening? The law governing this principle is the Jaffna Matrimonial Rights and Inheritance Ordinance is drafted in 1911. As the very early thinking, the laws relating to women were drafted giving the protection approach to women. However by the passage of time attitudes have changed the things are more liberalized and in most of the contexts women are competent with males in many arenas. Here I’m suggesting this; this law also should amend according to the current contexts. Especially in a post war context where a most of the male bread winners were missing and died this problems make it worse. In such situations the women face many troubles due to this law. They are not possessing sufficient evidence to show that their husbands were died or missed. However the law will not allow them to engage in their properties. The other way I’m suggesting here is the role of judiciary in such sensitive issues. They can give a new interpretation to the clauses and should identify this as a special issue and should be given equal level for women. The judges can be given the value mentioned in international Conventions such as Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for their judgments. They can get the example from the Vishaka and others v. State of Rajasthan and others( 1997) 6 SCC 241 where a court recognized punished for the sexual harassment in workplace though the India does not have a special legislation for this. M.K.G.Jeewanthi Lecturer, Probationary, Department of Legal Studies, Faculty of HSS, Open University , Nawala, Sri Lanka
Establishing the Northern Province Catchment Management Authority (NPCMA) at Killinochchi The primary goal of the Northern Province Catchment Management Authority is to ensure the protection and restoration of land and water resources, the sustainable development of natural resources-based industries and the conservation of Northern Province Catchment and cultural heritage. The vision for Northern Province Catchment Management Authority is a healthy living river and landscape meeting the social, environmental, economic and cultural needs of the community, and ensuring the rights and wellbeing of future generations. Northern Province Catchment Management Authority is a unique because the area governs corresponds to the naturally occurring drainage basin, enabling integrated catchment management. Integrated catchment management is a subset of environmental planning which approaches sustainable resource management from a catchment perspective, in contrast to a piecemeal approach that artificially separates land management from water management. Integrated catchment management recognizes the existence of ecosystems and their role in supporting flora and fauna, providing services to human societies, and regulating the human environment. Integrated catchment management seeks to take into account complex relationships within those ecosystems: between flora and fauna, between geology and hydrology, between soils and the biosphere, and between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Integrated catchment management recognizes the cyclic nature of processes within an ecosystem, and values scientific and technical information for understanding and analyzing the natural world. A catchment is an area of land, bound by hills or elevated land from which all runoff water flows to the same low point. The low point could be a lake, dam, a river or the mouth of a river where it enters the ocean. Rainwater will flow to this lowest point, via creeks, tributaries, rivers and storm water systems. As well as rivers, creeks, tributaries, lakes and dams, a catchment also include groundwater, storm water, wastewater, and water-related infrastructure. Catchment is connected from top to bottom, so what happens upstream in a catchment has a large influence further down the catchment. Human activities across a whole catchment, such as pollution, soil erosion and the spread of weeds, can adversely affect the quality of water and the environment at the bottom of the catchment. This is why it is important to manage a catchment as a whole, rather than in parts. Northern Province Catchment Management Authority (NPCMA) is responsible for protecting the quality and quantity of water in the drinking water and irrigation catchments. Northern Province The province is divided into two distinct geographic areas: Jaffna Peninsula and the Vanni (Sri Lanka). Jaffna peninsula is irrigated by underground aquifers fed by wells whereas the Vanni has irrigation tanks fed by perennial rivers. Major rivers include: 1. Akkarayan Aru 2. Aruvi Aru 3. Kanakarayan Aru 4. Kodalikkallu Aru 5. Mandekal Aru 6. Nay Aru 7. Netheli Aru 8. Pali Aru 9. Pallavarayankaddu Aru 10. Parangi Aru 11. Per Aru 12. Piramenthal Aru 13. Theravil Aru. Watershed management could perhaps be more accurately defined as resource management with watersheds as the basic organizing unit. Three major interpretations of the watershed approach have emerged across the world in the last thirty years. Although each refers to watersheds as an organizing unit, the results of their use achieve markedly different outcomes. They are: · A geographic representation: For some, the watershed approach means redrawing the geographical boundaries within which they work. · A separate, distinct set of actions: Another definition of the watershed approach is as a separate program, or set of actions, dedicated to watershed management as a specific task. Watershed management is the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that provide the goods, services and values desired by the community affected by conditions within a watershed boundary. The objective of watershed management is to increase and sustain a watershed’s ability to provide for the diverse needs of the communities that depend on it, from local to regional to state and federal stakeholders. Effective management recognizes the mutually dependent interaction of various basic elements of a watershed system. They are: · Hydrology: precipitation and flow · Biology: flora, fauna, ecosystems · Geology: landforms, soils, sedimentation, topography · Sociology: culture, economics, history Each must be considered in context with the others, because change in one spurs changes in the others, creating a different system outcome. The watershed inventory is a systematic process for creating a pool of community information about the current condition of watershed resources. The watershed assessment compares the current condition with the desired conditions, as defined by the community’s goals and objectives, to identify and quantify gaps. A watershed management plan charts a path for closing the gap between actual and desired watershed conditions. Typically, the plan states the mission, goals, and objectives of the management initiative. The plan also describes the action steps the community will take to attain its objectives, and how success will be measured. The plan should not be confused with the actions required to implement it. Within an effective process, plan implementation includes the responsibility of stakeholders to work within a network of partnership groups. No single entity or group can effectively manage a watershed. Continuous monitoring of all aspects of plan implementation and results of actions is an essential and integral component of effective watershed management. By reflecting on and discussing feedback information from the monitoring program, the watershed community can identify appropriate adjustments to all aspects of the plan and its implementation. Protecting and managing our catchments Our responsibilities include: · Managing and protecting the catchment areas and infrastructure to protect and enhance the quality and quantity of water in the catchments · Educating the community about catchment protection · Undertaking research to determine the effectiveness of our catchment actions and to understand catchment risks. · Conducting our activities in an ecologically sustainable way. The Healthy Catchments Strategy is prepared with input from the stakeholders, and in consultation with the broader community. It reflects the collaborative approach we take to developing and delivering catchment health initiatives. Our sustainability The Catchment Authority is committed to protecting the environment by preventing pollution and minimizing the risk of environmental impacts from our day-to-day and long-term operations. The Authority will monitor over 50 sites on rivers, water bodies, groundwater, water storages, irrigation canals and the delivery network. Monitoring will be a critical tool for managing the water, as it provides early warning of changes to water quality – so that the configuration of the water supply system can be adapted to ensure only the best quality water is supplied to our customers and farmers. Water watch Water watch will be a community water quality-monitoring network, will be organized by the Northern Province Catchment Management Authority. All the Government Colleges and Agriculture Schools and Technical colleges situated in the banks of the River’s will be the member institutions of the community water quality-monitoring network to sample water quality at more than 50 sites. The data collected by monitors will assists in natural resource management including the maintenance and rehabilitation of waterways and catchments. The Water watch program will be initiated in 2015 to enable the community to become involved in the monitoring and management of waterways in their catchment. Water watch aims to raise knowledge in the community about water issues and to encourage water quality monitoring groups to undertake constructive action. There are three key components to our monitoring program: · Routine and compliance monitoring – this monitoring aims to ensure that raw water supplied to customers meet the standards set by the Drinking Water Guidelines. Targeted or investigative monitoring includes: · Hot spot monitoring in locations such as below sewage treatment plants, factories or tanneries, to assess the impact of point source pollution on stream quality · Event-based monitoring in response to rainfall and other events · Incident monitoring requiring immediate risk assessment (eg a chemical spill or algal bloom). · Monitoring catchment solutions to reduce pollution – monitoring of known pollution sources where the Authority will fund works to control pollution loads to understand if the solution is delivering expected outcomes. Ecological Vegetation Classes by Bioregion Bioregions: Bioregions are a landscape-scale approach to classifying the environment using a range of attributes such as climate, geomorphology, geology, soils and vegetation. The Authority will provide for the integrated management of land, biodiversity and water resources in the region. The Authority will be responsible for the planning and delivery of river health works, and several statutory activities. The Northern Provincial Council will establish a catchment management system to effectively implement integrated catchment management as a tool for ecologically sustainable development of Province natural resource based industries, the protection of land and water resources and the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. Waterway Management Strategy (WMS) The Waterway Management Strategy will prepared to maintain or improve the health of Northern Province rivers, tributaries, estuaries and wetlands, and provide direction on their management over the next 10 years. The establishment and maintenance of an active network of people who share a common interest in rainforest and associated vegetation types in the catchment area. Promotion of community and government awareness to the unique and important contribution that rainforests and associated vegetation types make to the regions biodiversity; - Flora and fauna, - Provision of habitat, - Cultural values, - Water quality, - Stream health, - Intercepting nutrient pollution, - Landscape amenity, and, - Tourism.  Our strategic goals For our vision to be realized, we need to achieve four strategic goals. Goal 1: Integrated water management Improved water security and access through transparent, statutory, Basin-wide planning arrangements for trans boundary water management. Goal 2: River and ecosystem health Protect, restore and improve the ecological health and resilience of the Basin’s key environmental assets, water-dependent ecosystems and biodiversity. Goal 3: Knowledge into action Develop authoritative information, monitoring and research, in partnership with governments, scientists and communities. Alongside these goals we must also manage, coordinate and sustain long- term strategic relationships with agencies, industry groups, scientists and local communities. Our guiding principles People in the NPCMA are highly committed to the achievement of our vision. We value and support collaboration by: · Bringing people together to shape agendas · Working in partnership · Communicating clearly · Listening well to other viewpoints · Dealing with others with courtesy · Making our decisions and processes transparent · Being adaptive and willing to learn · Taking a balanced, equitable and objective approach to dealing with issues and interests. This strategic plan outlines the framework through which the NPCMA will work towards achieving a healthy working Basin through the integrated management of water resources. The Basin Plan aims to balance social, economic and environmental demands on the Basin’s water resources, to ensure there are: 1. Strong and vibrant communities with sufficient water of suitable quality for drinking and domestic use (including in times of drought) as well as for cultural and recreational purposes 2. Productive and resilient industries that have long-term confidence in their future, particularly for food and agricultural production 3. Healthy and diverse ecosystems – with rivers regularly connected to their tributaries, reservoirs, village tanks and floodplains, and ultimately, the ocean. Broadly there are three components to the joint programs: · River management — to operate the River System and manage assets to deliver water for irrigation and other uses. · Natural resource management — designed to mitigate the effects of water use on the environment or address other Natural Resource Management issues · The Authority is the body responsible for developing and overseeing a planning framework for the management of the Basin’s water resources in the Northern Province interest. This responsibility includes to: · Promote the use and management of the Basin resources in a way that optimizes economic, social and environmental outcomes · Protect, restore and provide for the ecological values and ecosystem health of the Basin · Ensure the return to environmentally sustainable levels of extraction of water resources. · This applies to surface water and groundwater and determining the sustainable level of water that can be taken from the system. The NPCMA will be charged with looking at how it can change the way we manage the Basin’s river and its tributaries and potentially remove key constraints–which could allow for better environmental outcomes. The NPCMA must complete a study on constraints as part of the Basin Plan; this will be called the Constraints Management Strategy. Also under the Basin Plan, Water Resource Plans have a fundamental role in ensuring the limits on the quantities of surface and groundwater that can be taken from the Basin will operate from 2017 and beyond. Further, the Water Quality and Salinity Management Plan provides a framework for action to protect and enhance water quality for environmental, social, economic and cultural uses. Water draining into wetlands, rivers and streams (from rainfall) is known as surface water. Groundwater is actually surface water that has migrated from the surface through the ground and become stored in porous soils and rocks. Rocks and soils that hold and transmit usable quantities of water are called aquifers. The top of the saturated portion of ground is known as the water table. Typically, the water sits in tiny pores, spaces between the smallest soil or rock particles, or narrow cracks in the rock itself. Only in exceptional cases does water get stored in openings that are many meters across. Groundwater comes from two primary sources. When it rains, water infiltrates the soil until it reaches the water table in an aquifer. Aquifers can also gain water from rivers and streams draining into the ground. Groundwater – Where is it? It is estimated that groundwater makes up 98 per cent of the earth's available freshwater. Put another way, groundwater is 60 times as plentiful as freshwater found in all of the earth's lakes and streams combined. Groundwater is a finite resource. It is replenished only when surface water seeps into aquifers. This process of aquifer replenishment is called recharge. Aquifers become depleted if groundwater extraction rates exceed recharge rates. Ensuring a balance between the water needs of communities, industries and the environment is key to achieving a healthy working Basin. The Basin Plan sets new long-term average sustainable diversion limits (SDLs) that reflect an environmentally sustainable level of water use (or 'take'). An environmentally sustainable level of take (ESLT) is the amount of water that can be taken for town water supplies, industry, agriculture and other human or 'consumptive' uses, while ensuring there is enough water to achieve healthy river and groundwater systems. The Basin Plan sets a sustainable diversion limit for each catchment and aquifer in the Basin, as well as an overall limit for the Basin as a whole. The SDLs are like a new 'cap' on water use. They regulate the amount of water that can be used for consumptive purposes in the Basin. The SDLs in the Basin Plan also apply to groundwater and mean that for the first time there are comprehensive limits on groundwater take across the Basin. The new SDLs mean that more water will be available for the environment. Water returned to the environment will be used to improve and maintain the health of rivers, lakes, major wetlands and floodplains within the Basin as well as important habitats for animals and plants that rely on the Basin's rivers. Determining the SDLs for groundwater was based on an assessment of the Environmentally Sustainable Level of Take (ESLT), in terms of the risks of groundwater extraction to: · The ability of aquifers to continue to be productive over time; · Groundwater-dependent ecosystems; · Surface water resources that are fed from groundwater; and · The water quality (salinity) of groundwater. Northern Province Water Resources Training Centre (NPWRTC) Our research focuses on the generation and communication of freshwater ecological knowledge in the Northern Province River Basin, in particular providing advice and solutions to irrigation engineers to optimize their management decisions. Catchment Hydrology aims to deliver the capability to manage catchments in a totally new way. Our central goal is to produce a decision support system able to predict the movement of water, particulates, and solutes from land to rivers, linking the impact of climate variability, vegetation, soil, and water management together in an integrated package Vision Healthy and productive aquatic ecosystems in the Northern Province Basin that are managed in a sustainable manner. Mission The Centre's mission is to generate, synthesise and communicate the knowledge required to support the adaptive management of environmental water allocations, manage risks associated with significant water quality events, and build the ecological research capacity necessary to inform future water policy. Values In pursuit of this mission, the staff and management of the NPWRTC will be committed to a value set which espouses: · Excellent freshwater ecological science through initiative and creativity. · Accountability for the quality, integrity and objectivity of our research. · Collaboration with agencies to inform decisions based on sound ecological knowledge. · Developing expertise to inform decisions based on sound ecological knowledge. · Develop and establish collaboration with colleges, NGOs, community organizations and government agencies in the catchment area. · Provide training to farmers and government staff regarding water resources conservation and micro-irrigation · Respect for our colleagues and personal accountability for our behavior and actions. Strategic partnership The NPWRTC will be a partnership between a group of research and policy agencies and aligns its activities with the participant's strategic initiatives in order to add value. The future participants in the NPWRTC partnership will be the government colleges in the catchment area and University of Jaffna. Access to best available freshwater ecological knowledge is required for best possible decision-making regarding management of freshwater resources and ongoing research priorities. Communication of scientific knowledge is required to support the adaptive management of environmental water allocations, manage risks associated with significant water quality events (pollution etc.) and build the ecological research capacity necessary to inform future water policy. NPWRTC will communicate the outcomes and results of our research through a range of knowledge exchange methods, delivering our science in a variety of formats, for a variety of audiences. New ecological knowledge will be published in peer reviewed journals, technical reports, on our website and in local and national media. Synethised knowledge, from a variety of sources will be reviewed and will be published. NPWRTC scientists will present their work at community workshops, at NPWRTC seminars and events and at national and international conferences. In an effort to help enhance community understanding of the role of ecological research and monitoring in environmental management NPWRTC team members will participate in a variety of community events and initiatives. To encourage the next generation of freshwater ecologists and water resource managers, center will work with schools and colleges in a range of education initiatives. Communication strategy · It is our obligation to share the outcomes of valuable ecological research and monitoring with all stakeholders. · Seminars and presentations have the capacity to bring together researchers, landholders, students, managers, local government and the general community to learn something new, share knowledge and build networks. · Enhancing community understanding of river systems and freshwater biodiversity is the objective at the heart of our participation in a range of community and education events and initiatives. The NPWRTC will forge collaborations with a number of research institutions, colleges and universities to help provide the knowledge for improved Basin management. Partnerships with the research community will be developed that will: · Provide advice on research gaps and scoping of research projects; · Synthesise existing scientific knowledge; · Undertake commissioned research and analysis to meet specific needs; · Provide advice on the best available science and evidence base including knowledge gaps; and · Provide peer review to ensure best available science is being used and the evidence base will continually improved. NPWRTC research results will be used to understand issues such as: · Quantity and quality of rainfall-driven runoff and groundwater reaching streams in the catchment under present conditions · Alterations made to quantity and quality of runoff by climate variability, different land uses, or riverbank restoration – now, or in the future · Optimal locations for on-ground work to maximize water quality improvement · Impacts of flood, drought, construction activity or water extractions on the quality of receiving waters · The effect of land use change on water quality and quantity into receiving waters. Benefits · Build tailored models for considering a range of catchment scenarios. · Explore the volumes and quality of rainfall-driven runoff and groundwater. · Predict the impact of climate change, land use or management changes on the volume and quality of runoff entering streams. · Optimize investment and direct management action to improve water quality. · Understand the impact of flood or drought on receiving waters. · Consider the impact of land use change on water quality and quantity; extend the model as needs change.
Effective Utilization of Available Water Resource by Following Proper Irrigation Practices Sri Lanka is a pearl shaped island situated about 35 km. from the southern tip of India. It is exactly 880 km. north of equator and this land of 65,610 sq. km is only 435 km. long and 225 km. across it's widest. Monsoon rains occurring during the two distinct periods from May to September namely the South-West Monsoon and from December to February the North-East Monsoon along with the convectional and depression rainfall during the inter monsoonal periods contribute to the annual precipitation. Sri Lanka is divided into 103 natural river basins, with catchment areas ranging from 10 to 10,500 sq. km. Sixteen of these rivers flow through the wet zone. The base flow of these perennial rivers of wet zone is very low and flood discharges are high. The streams in the dry zone have poor run-off and are generally not perennial. The annual precipitation is about 110,000 million cu. meters, the run-off being 47% of this. The wet zone contributes 40,000 million cu. meters of perception of which the run-off is 65%. The practice of irrigation in Sri Lanka has a tradition of over two thousand years, with the first earth dam believed to have been constructed in 504 BC. The earliest settlers from India in Sri Lanka possessed knowledge of irrigation and rice cultivation, having presumably settled on the flat dry zone plains which were ideal for rice cultivation. This research article deals, how the water resource is effectively utilized by following systematic scientific and proper irrigation practices in Sri Lanka. More details are available in the link below Vocational Education and Training (VET) Strategy for the Northern Province Overarching Goals and Recommendations The overarching goals and proposals outlined herein are based on the author’s knowledge of the macroeconomic development of the national economy in recent times, especially constantly declining share of the government revenue as a share of the GDP and the consequent ever shrinking fiscal space, and the government’s policy shift towards abandoning the monopoly of the state in the provision of higher (post secondary school) education and inculcating competitiveness into higher education. The business of primary, secondary and tertiary education (further and higher education) and learning cannot and should not be business as usual in Sri Lanka. There is a long-felt need for complete overhaul of the education and learning sector. Quantity is priced over quality in primary, secondary, and tertiary education which has been the bane of education policy in Sri Lanka during the post-independence period, especially after 1956. Thus, the outreach of schools and further and higher educational institutions to the nooks and corners of the country has been the goal of successive government policies rather than enhancing the quality and relevance of schools and further and higher education institutions. Technical colleges and vocational training institutions, Law College, accountancy institutes, computer studies institutes, etc, are generally referred to as ‘further’ educational institutions and universities are generally referred to as ‘higher’ educational institutions. It is high time to undertake a thorough audit of the VET institutions in Sri Lanka as has been done to the universities by the Ministry of Higher Education. We are cognisance of the fact that audit of VET institutions is even more important in the NP which has been physically cut-off from rest of the country for long and therefore inspection, monitoring, and evaluation of VET institutions and standards of courses have not taken place for decades. The standards that VET Plan for Northern Province should aspire are international standards. Thus, international benchmarks should steer the VET in the North. The Northern Province should aim for super quality, enduring, and inclusive multi-skilling and e-skilling of its labour force both young and old, females and males, and able and differently able. Efficiency, labour market relevance, and quality in knowledge and skills provision and innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in learning experience should be the guiding principles of the inclusive multi-skilling and e-skilling of the northern labour force. Vocational education and training should be modernised by way of promotion of work-based and life-long learning and mobility of students and teachers through exchange programmes. Work-based or experience-based individualised learning improves learning outcomes as a result of competence-based learning, assessments, and qualifications. Vocational education and training is indispensable for lifelong learning which could be termed Eternal Vocational Education and Training (EVET). As the Jaffna district population ages, resulting in rapid mid-career changes, it is imperative to update and upgrade skills continually and regularly. Similarly relatively younger population in the Vanni mainland requires inspirational multi-skilling and e-skilling of its labour force to cater not only to local and national demand but also to international demand. Moreover, as the Northern Province is home to extraordinarily large number of (women) single-headed households and physically and psychologically challenged persons as a consequence of the long drawn-out civil war, flexible, home-based, irregular time-based training opportunities have to be made available in order for the disadvantaged population to reconcile family, learning, and work. Inter-provincial and overseas (especially in South Asia) apprenticeship to vocational students and trainees and trainers should be facilitated. Such inter-provincial and overseas apprenticeship would on the one hand help overcome language and cultural barriers and on the other hand promote self-confidence, adaptability, sense of responsibility, employability, and cross-cultural communication, understanding, and competencies. Mobility of students and teachers of vocational education and training should be encouraged through parts of the study or training period to be spent in vocational education and training institutions outside the province or abroad (particularly in South Asia). The physical mobility of students and teachers inter-provincially or inter-country wise should be complemented by virtual mobility through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (e-learning). Individual students should be empowered to develop their learning experience through innovative, creative, and tailor-made ICT tools, including e-learning, to enhance access to and flexibility of training programmes. Moreover, all students across the entire fields of study and curricula should be encouraged and have access to the ability to transform ideas into practice, creativity, and self-confidence that would result in ‘education for entrepreneurship’. Entrepreneurship should be embedded in the competence framework of teachers and trainers of VET. Career guidance in VET should be transformed from ‘testing’ to ‘tasting’. That is, in lieu of testing potential students for suitability, potential students should be provided opportunity to taste different skills in order to make informed choice/s of their learning. VET should create and nurture awareness of self-employment as a career option and trainees should be encouraged to start their own business. VET should unearth critical thinking, curiosity, initiative, embed intrinsic motivation of individuals, and instill risk-taking culture. The mismatch between the world of work and the training provided at technical colleges should be corrected. Therefore, a rolling labour market information system should be developed in order to constantly assess and estimate the demand for different types of skills in different industries and geographical areas in rapidly changing markets and world of jobs. The primary data collection should begin at the periphery (village) and move upwards to divisional, district, provincial, national, and international levels. A research and development institute should be set-up as a public-private partnership to revise and update existing course curricula and develop new course curricula for emerging trades, constantly upgrade the knowledge and skills of the trainers, and develop digital multimedia packages for life-long learning. Skills trainings have little to do with text books and more to do with visual, graphic, and oral digital multimedia tools and resources. The development of digital multimedia tools and resources with sub-titles in all three languages (English, Sinhala, and Tamil) will be also cost-effective. The research undertaken in this institute should be on-the-job research into various aspects of vocational training, learning, monitoring, and evaluation in order to foster qualitative improvements in the same. There are numerous public authorities (at national, provincial, district, and local government levels) running vocational training institutions under different Ministries. The Vocational Training Authority (VTA), National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), Industrial Development Board (IDB), Women’s Rural Development Society (WRDS), Municipal and Urban Councils and Pradesha Sabhas are all running vocational training programmes. IDB, NAITA, and VTA do come under different Ministries thereby resulting in fragmentation of institutional policies, quality assurance standards, and monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, there is a critical need for consolidation, rationalisation, and streamlining of VET policies, curriculum, and monitoring and evaluation criteria and standards by amalgamation of multitude of institutions to critical minimum. The funding of public VET institutions should be solely based on performance and outcomes, i.e. quality and quantity of input and output. Ideally public VET institutions should be divested to different private industrial stakeholders in the medium-term. TVEC’s (or government’s) role should be limited to policy development, institution of international standards, financing, monitoring, and evaluation. In all the foregoing functions (especially on policy development and institution of international standards) core stakeholders, namely employers and industrialists in the private sector and representatives of students, should play an active role. The provision of training should be subject to accountability, competition, and outcome/performance-based compensation to trainers and educators. A critical lacuna in the VET system in Sri Lanka is the non-inclusion of critical stakeholders (particularly employers or industrialists) in the designing and implementation of the training programmes and running of the VET institutions. This lacuna should be rectified as a highest priority. A thorough audit of all private (including non-governmental and informal) and public VET institutions should be undertaken to assess the existing physical, material, laboratory, machinery/equipment, teaching/learning resources, and human resources capacity by commissioning international auditors in order to facilitate international benchmarking of VET in Sri Lanka. Further, a rolling tracer survey (annual) should be permanently instituted at the provincial and national levels to track the job and career paths of students passing out of all the VET institutions. Moreover, a rolling survey (annual) of attitudes towards VET should be instituted in the NP for awareness raising about and marketing of VET and career guidance. A key strategy proposed hereby to increase the quantity and improve the quality and relevance of vocational education and training in northern Sri Lanka is to develop integrated curricula encompassing soft and hard skills. Teaching and learning of hard skills alone is inadequate to compete and sustain in the world of vocations in the twenty-first century. All vocational courses must have soft skills modules such as cost accounting (beyond basic numeracy), customer care (time keeping, ethical codes, disclosure of requisite information to customers, etc), occupational safety, management, etc, as integral part of the curricula. Necessary trade-related attitudes, ethics/values, and norms should be inculcated on top of the hard skills. That is, the objective of different vocational courses should be to mould and create wholesome skilled entrepreneurs rather than just carpenters, plumbers, electricians, motor mechanics, tailors, cooks/chefs, et al (hard skilled personnel). Because, by and large, most skilled personnel tend to be self-employed in the case of Sri Lanka and beyond. Envisioned Medium to Long Term Strategy The tertiary and vocational education sector in Sri Lanka, including in the Northern Province, should be overhauled in the medium and long term. Given the ever shrinking fiscal space the state cannot continue to be the overwhelming provider of relevant and quality primary, secondary, and tertiary education (including TVET) in Sri Lanka. Swift promotion, incentivisation, and facilitation of the private sector to become the leading or primary provider of educational services are sine qua non for Sri Lanka to transition from a low-paid labour intensive, public sector led, patronage-based, and factor-driven economy into a higher-paid capital intensive, private sector led, merit-based, and efficiency-driven economy of the twenty-first century. The decision-making powers of the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) should be swiftly transferred to individual universities and technical and vocational education and training institutions throughout the country. Devolution of administrative (selection of heads of technical colleges/institutes, hiring of teachers/trainers, etc), course/curriculum-development (courses/trainings offered and the contents of such courses/trainings), and financial (determination of salary for academic staff, course fees to be charged, etc) powers to the individual vocational and technical colleges and training centres would spur innovative demand-driven and outcomes-based vocational and technical education service provision in the country. Individual tertiary education institution should independently and autonomously decide on the criteria for selection of teaching staff and students, how much each staff should be paid (solely and strictly based on performance), and how much course fee to be levied. The financing of the education sector, especially higher education and TVET, by the state should be market-driven as opposed to the current mandarin-driven. In lieu of funding institutions (primary, secondary or tertiary education), the state should fund the students directly who (along with their parents) should decide what educational services (type of course/s) to buy and where (private or public). The state should make avail a set amount of money in the form of a promissory note to every school drop-out or pass-out at primary or secondary level which could be traded for buying tertiary educational services either at a private or public university, technical and vocational education and training institution, or any other professional educational institution such as the institute of chartered accountants, law college, ICT colleges, etc. This game-changing mechanism of tertiary education funding will greatly improve the standards and quality of tertiary educational institutions and teaching and learning outcomes of the courses on offer. COMPETITION should replace MONOPOLY and MARKETS should replace MANDARINS! MUTTUKRISHNA SARVANANTHAN Ph.D. (Wales) M.Sc. (Bristol) M.Sc. (Salford) B.A. (Hons) (Delhi) Development Economist, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development Thambasetty, Puloly West, Point Pedro, 40000.
This is in response to Massage # 123 Intervention of Emergency Northern Recovery Project (ENReP) Project in Conflict Affected Northern Sri Lanka Emergency Northern Recovery Project (ENReP) was prepared in a rapidly changing environment with world bank funding of US $ 75 million and AUSIAID funding US $ 10 million. The project preparation was initiated in July 2009, when there were over 290,000 people held in 2 camps. It was initiated to allow these people to return home and have freedom of movement. After that the situation has changed dramatically with approximately 140,000 people were released from camps. Moreover, the Government announced on November 23, 2009, that all movement restrictions both in and out of the camps. Consequently, the immediate challenge has now shifted from moving the people out of the camps to putting in place arrangements to help the returnees to restore their livelihoods and get access to minimal levels of services in their communities. Emergency Northern Recovery Project (ENReP) under the Ministry of Economic Development was supporting the rapidly settling IDPs in the Northern Province to resettle in their place of origin to start their livelihood through; Emergency assistance to IDPs, workfare programme (cash for work), Rehabilitation and reconstruction of essential public and economic infrastructure covering the 5 districts (Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna), and only for the places of phase 3 and phase 4 of the resettlement plan, which roughly covered around 45 % of Northern province. I was the project Director from 17th November 2009 to 10th January 2012. I was fully involved in the project formulation and committed all most all the project allocation at the time of my exit from the project. Out of the total allocation of 85 million UD $, little more than 20 million US $ was utilized for cash for work programme More details are in the link below. This will help the planners /academics /engineers/politicians in formulating new projects in this conflicted affected region. With regards Sivakumar
I agree with message # 122. CFW is a success story not only in Sri Lanka but also in south Asia. People have benefited from this component. But, in comparing total value of overall project, this component has a small fraction of fund. However, the components CFW have achieved its objectives in considerable manner. Thanks to Eng Dr. Sivakumar. Dr. S. Santhirasegaram
Implementation of Cash for Work Program for Post Disaster Emergency Recovery Process in North - East Region Based on Experience in Post War Resettlement Process through Emergency Northern Recovery Project of Sri Lankan Immediately after the resettlement process of post war resettlement in Sri Lanka, Livelihoods of the IDPs were critically poor and Cash for Work (CfW) is the element facilitates the community for their short term employment; it also creates a community ownership through the direct participation of community in the reconstruction of their own village. This facilitated the community strengthening with livelihood development. This study area confines in Northern Provence of Sri Lanka. Continuous review was carried out since the begging of the CfW programme up to the final stage of CfW programme. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Impact assessment survey was carried out to find out the strength, weakness of implementation and visualize the livelihood development. Monitoring and Evaluation process facilitated to modification of the programme. Finally, Generalized Model for Implementation of CfW for post emergency situation was developed. The common recommendation for CfW were; carrying out baseline data collection, developing overall objective, setting target for CfW program, determine the wage rate for CfW program, recruitment and motivation of staffs, decide whether to collaborate with local NGOs, select community based existing committee or new CfW committee, strengthening the community groups, baseline profile of beneficiaries, selection of subproject, design & implement the selected project, chose a reliable method for payment, set up monitoring & evaluation system and develop a phasing out strategy to meet the sustainability of the CfW programme. By implementing the proposed structure of CfW program will help to uplift the community’s socio economic status with sustainable manner in the future CfW programme. Cash for Work program was implemented as a community consultation process. More details are in the following two links. With regards Sivakumar ……………………………………………………………………………… Dr. (Eng.) S.S.Sivakumar PhD, MSc.(WRD), BSc.(Eng) C.Eng, MIE(SL), FIE(SL) , BMI&PSI, LMSLAAS, LMIWRS, LMICOLD Head - Civil Engineering, Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil EngineeringFaculty of Engineering, University of Jaffna, Jaffna. An Architect sketch by a southern NGO floated it around in 2011. With goal consent. But no document as such so far. NPC has to study it carefully before it gives consent. If the December conference wants it can put it in the Drop box. In 1995 plan under Chandrakanthan ltte chose Mankulam area east of A9 for NP HQ. Ethir.
Notes for Accelerated Regional Development 1. Construction of buildings for provincial council in Kaithady is discussed in previous messages. Northern provincial council should be located in center of Northern Province is good idea and I appreciate provincial council to move from Kaithady to Kilinochchi. But proposal to situate provincial council in Mankulam is North-east provincial council. Not northern council ?. Two issues are in moving in Killinochchi: i. Immediate movement to Kilinochchi requires more funds with master plan. Functions in short term can be in Kaithady and it should move to Kilinochchi in long term. It will lead to regional balance development. Kaithady buildings in long run can be used subordinate provincial functions. ii. Political stability of provincial council is important to situated council permanent place with master plan. Is there political stability in Northern Province to move permanent place? It is initial stage. We have to wait little more. 2. Water supply to Jaffna from Iranamadu has been discussed in many messages in this forum. In economic view, do not misunderstand ethnic base, I suggest simple issues in this project. Intellectuals in the name of northern development cannot allow to take Iranamadu water which is already shortage to Vanni people for livelihood, with capitalization to national government’s enterprises (Water supply board) by utilizing foreign aids received to war affected region and selling of this water to another war affected highly purchasing power region. It will lead to exploitation of resources from Jaffna to south and will suppress economic power of Vanni people. Solution is that .. 1. Alternative options to solve water problem in Jaffna leaving from Iranamadu water like discussed in previous messages 2.Establishing some public utility provincial enterprises (For example Northern water supply) and handover this project to them for strengthening of capital accumulation and income generation of provincial government and provincial people. Some Pradesha saba are running water supply business in small scale already. Like this, provincial government can establish larger public entrepreneurs with private sector participation. This is not only for solving this water issue in north but also to solving other developmental issues. 3. Savings of northern people, made by foreign remittances is absorbed by national financial institutions by both private and government (in some years annual real interest rate was negative and depositors particularly from north east of Sri Lanka lost their face capital from their mass saving deposit). This fund has been used for development of other parts of Sri Lanka. This problem is advocated in many forums. How can control this financial exploration in pertaining political setup? Provincial government have to create public own financial enterprises (commercial and developmental financial institutions) in present law and order of central government with clear vision. For Example “Northern development Bank” “Northern commercial Bank” “Northern Leasing Company” “Northern Insurance” etc. These institutions can give attractive benefits to clients and convert their saving from national institutions to provincial institutions. It wills strength financial capacity of provincial government. 4. Regional development of Northern Province like our national development never prioritizes social welfare development which aimed voting bank of politicians. In development, social welfare development is cart and economic development (Increasing national income and economic growth) is horse. Horse should be on front of cart. Horse pulls the cart. Therefore, provincial government’s expenditure should encourage the income generations activities of people hence economic growth of province. Making developmental state vs social welfare state !. 5. Provincial government should establish “Northern Development Advisory Board” which is official and powerful advisory body for regional development of province. Other things will be in next message. With regard Dr.S.Santhirasegaram
Thank you, Dr.(Eng.) S.Sivakumar, 1. Message # 104 for posting your article on the Status of Implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment. For all the reasons of your findings and recommendations Dr Ethirveerasingam is right in saying that we're still in post-war situation and are yet to come into post-conflict situation. Hopefully this conference will move us in a fruitful direction of the transition. 2. Message # 117 Very useful info. If the scientific know-how of the University and the planning of the provincial council meet, funding agents (eg UN in Sri Lanka) need to be found - some individual benefactors are also likely to be out there if the provincial council posts such info on its website. The Karainagar bund in #62 stopped functioning after several years of functioning when the bund was broken at a few places during the war.
A small community of 1600 villagers at Kallaru, Kilinochchi lead the charge on water conservation Thursday, 21 August 2014 16:58 The symbolic inauguration of 125 rainwater harvesting structures in the drought stricken Kallaru village in Kilinochchi, could probably end up being a landmark project in these northern parts of Sri Lanka. Fluctuating rainfalls, over dependence on rains for water availability, rise of water borne diseases which result from the lack of access to safe drinking water, could be a thing of the past. Coca-Cola in collaboration with UN-Habitat and with assistance from the Kallaru Women’s Rural Development Society collectively worked on a project to create rainwater harvesting tanks and related infrastructure for 1625 residents in the area. This has led to improved access to clean drinking water for the villagers. The project was dedicated to the community members in Kallaru village by Mr. Katheeswaran - Assistant Director Planning for the District Secretariat of Kilinochchi, Mary Macdaleen- President, Kallaru Women’s Rural Development Society, Asim Parekh- Vice President, Technical, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, Deepak Jolly, Vice President, Public Affairs & Communication, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, Kapila Wellimilage, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited, Abhishek Jugran, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Far East Limited and Tim McNair-Chief Technical Advisor, UN-Habitat Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi in Northern Sri Lanka, is an area dominated by agriculture and following poor rains year-round, had been an area stricken with drought in 2011 and 2012. This has created challenges around availability of clean drinking water for the residents of the area. Coca-Cola and UN-Habitat came together in 2012, to provide the basic necessities of clean drinking water and water for household usage for some parts of the area. Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, UN-Habitat worked with Kallaru Women’s Rural Development Society from October 2012 to October 2013 to construct 120 RWH projects in homes and five in public buildings. The new rainwater harvesting system is enabling the community to conserve and re-use water during the dry season. Following some monsoon rains in November and December 2013, the newly installed rainwater harvesting tanks filled with water was used by the beneficiaries for drinking, sanitation, cooking, bathing, washing clothes and home gardening. During the dry period the tanks are being utilised for water storage. The project also facilitated ground water recharging at a domestic level through community awareness programmes. Speaking at the inauguration of the project, Asim Parekh, Vice President, Technical, Coca-Cola India and South west Asia, said, “This project is special in many ways. It is not just functional thereby ensuring availability of water and preventing water from running off uselessly into the sea. It is also about giving respect to water – the fundamental element of human survival. We know that water cannot be created by human beings. It can only be harvested. And therefore what you have accomplished today will play a big part in sensitizing the current and future generations to respect water. I applaud all of you – your wisdom, your collaboration and your far sightedness.” The establishment of domestic and public rainwater harvesting systems in the village also enabled three schools in the area, benefiting 200 school children and 19 teachers. The Kallaru Women’s Rural Development Society has been able to provide clean drinking water and improve the health of 60 women and 110 children of the community. Additionally 52 pre-school children also benefited from improved health and well-being as a result of the RWH systems. Commenting on the partnership with Coca-Cola, Tim McNair, Chief Technical Advisor, UN-Habitat Sri Lanka, said, “These 125 RWH tanks will enable thousands of community members, children, schools and health centres in the vicinity to have improved access to water. UN-Habitat has worked closely with the Kallaru WRDS and the community members in implementing this project. We are glad that The Coca-Cola Foundation partnered with us in this endeavour.” In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, Coca-Cola worked with UN-Habitat and WRDS to facilitate training on RWH system installation and maintenance for appointed community leaders.
This is in response to Massage # 62: Rain water harvest in large way has been done by provincial irrigation department through Irrigation Engineer Jaffna by constructing Salt Water Exclusion Bunds (WSE-Bunds). In many places in Islands and Pooneran area, even ENReP also funded for this projects during my time. These bunds function as (1) prevent salt water coming from sea and (2) harvest rain water for recharging ground water and pushing the sweet-salt water inter face towards sea. I have written several research articles on this and uploaded in the link below https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saravanamuttu_Sivakumar/contributions?ev=prf_act Apart from this, in small way rain water harvest can be done in houses, schools, community centers, offices etc.. The institution called "Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum" is doing continuous research in implementing new and economical construction techniques in rain water harvest in rural areas. You can get these in the following link. http://www.lankarainwater.org/ While implementing rain water harvesting in small scale the environmental concerns also to be taken care of, otherwise rain water harvesting tanks will be the most susceptible mosquito breeding places. With regards Sivakumar
Water Management Strategies to be adopted in Sri Lanka to Improve Food Productivity to Accommodate the Population Growth Food production in Sri Lanka needs to increase to feed a growing population whereas water for irrigation is getting scarcer. Major challenges Sri Lanka is facing today is to save water, increase food productivity and produce more grain with less water. Water input can be reduced by reducing ponded water depths to soil saturation or by alternate wetting/drying. Water savings under saturated soil conditions were on average between 20 % and 25 % with yield reductions between 5 % and 8 %. Yields were reduced between 15 % and 45 % when soil water potentials in the root zone were allowed to reach minus 125 mbar to minus 250 mbar. In clayey soils, intermittent drying may lead to shrinkage and cracking, thereby risking increased soil water loss, increased water requirements and decreased water productivity. It therefore does not produce more rice with less water on the same field. Field-level water productivity and yield can only be increased concomitantly by improving total factor productivity or by raising the yield potential. Total rice production can be increased by using water saved in one location to irrigate new land in another. If this is not done, a strategy of saving water at the field level potentially threatens total rice production at large in Sri Lanka. This article analyzes and recommends the ways in which water saving irrigation management is to be practiced to meet these challenges at the field level. The analyses were conducted using actual data collected mostly from Irrigation department and Agriculture department in all the regional offices. The proposed strategies are given in the link below in detail. this can be discussed in this forum. With regards Sivakumar
Referring to message # 109; I am told that the entire Northern Provincial Council administrative offices will be eventually set-up in Mankulam junction on the A9 (in one giant complex) which is the centre of the Northern Province having access roads to Jaffna/Kilinochchi (north), Mannar (west), Mullaitivu (east), and Vavuniya (south). There is an urban development plan already drawn for this purpose. I do not know when this plan will be started and completed. Sarvi.
Referring the message # 100, 2002/2003 one is the last comprehensive Reconstruction and development plan for the NE. International orgs were involved. I should have a copy of it in my back-up hard drive if JUICE does not have it. There were two others before it that most persons may not know it as they were not distributed publicly. One is that which started during 1994/95 Peace Talks. It was headed by UNDP advisor Dr. Gunasingam. I have read that but don’t have a copy of it. Faculty of Agric and many civilian professionals including govt. staff were involved. The big report was never released as the Talks broke down in April 1995 and war started. There is a 1997 publication of a development plan for NE. The section on water is 20 pages long. I came across a copy in 1998 and still have it. I shall photocopy and send the chapter on water before Aug 30th. It is important for whoever is going to plan the development project to review all work done with input from many persons in their respective field. Some of the details may be outdated but the issues and ideas are still valid. In any development process, as someone earlier mentioned, Satellite imagery is important. They are very expensive but I am sure the gosl will have them. Development of the North is no longer a straight forward professional exercise. In addition, the Vanni interior, the coastal areas from Mannar to Point Pedro to Trincomalee are also areas that need to be considered by the NPC for development. If we professionally ignore it the development of the people or their agriculture and industrial development will only be a "Paper and Pencil" exercise.
Management Policy of Water Table in Dry Zone of Sri Lanka to Subsidize the Pain of Non Rice Crop Cultivators for the Food Productivity Improvement The growth of population in time span leads to very high and uncontrolled extraction of ground water in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. This leads the water table to go very low in non-monsoon seasons. This gives the poor farmers who cultivate non rice crops, very big burden in pumping cost for food production and domestic use. This burning issue has to be addressed by scientifically proved change of policy of distribution of available acute water resource in equitable manner among the paddy cultivators and others like non rice/paddy cultivators. To recommend a scientific decision tool a research was carried out to model a pilot catchment of around 200 square kilometer in Vavuniya in the northern Sri Lanka. A complete water balance of all the available surface water, ground water was studied by putting all the parameters connected to this pilot catchment in to a mathematical model formulated. This model was calibrated to predict the system response. Various options were analyzed with their economic feasibility and final conclusion arrived. Keeping 25% of the storage of irrigation schemes at any time will gain an average of 40% to 60% of the loss of water table in any consecutive seasons in almost 80% to 90% of the catchment area under consideration. This outcome of the research has given very concrete guideline for the bureaucrats to take decision during the finalization of cultivation calendars of surface irrigation schemes in dry zones of Sri Lanka. The details are given in this link below and can be discussed in this forum and come to a conclusion for our regional development Unlike other natural resources, water is a unique resource, which renews itself. It is due to its constant circulation in the ocean-atmosphere-earth-ocean system. No matter how much water is consumed in daily life, its amount seldom dwindles. With time and under certain conditions water regains its properties and becomes fit for reuse. This is probably the reason why water resources appear to be unlimited for a long time. The North East region of Sri Lanka comprises the whole of eight districts, namely Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara and covers an area of 18,881sq.km. The population is around 3.17 million, with growth rate nearly 1.5% per annam. Agriculture, including fisheries, has been the principal economic activity in the province. Over 50% of the total work forces, in the region depend on irrigated agriculture for their livelihood. To accelerate the development and effective utilization of water resource identified within the region, a clearly defined policy formulation is essential. Only with a proper policy for the effective utilization and management of water resource, the expected result can be achieved The policy details are given in the link below. This can be discussed in this forum. Referring the message # 109, with respect water and space and space for future natural population increase the carrying capacity of Jaffna peninsula is best at about 500,000 to 600,000. The Provincial Council and all its Ministries except the Ministry of Education (because of the school and parents population) is best located in the Jaffna Peninsula. However The Provincial Department of Education could be moved, and recommendation already made on this, closer to A9 in the Kilinochchi-Mullaitivu District areas. The same can be for the other Ministries. One of the ways to develop an area is to locate key institutions so population can grow around and near as such institutions will have all the amenities such as for health, housing electricity, water etc. Movement of population from the Jaffna Peninsula to the sparsely populated districts should encouraged by incentives, especially those who do not own land in the Peninsula and are young and adventurous. As mentioned, People from all districts have to be consulted but professional views on long term effects and optimum benefits should figure into the decision. Especially when one considers that population distribution among districts is lopsided now. Ethir
I also have interests in small businesses, technology development and NGO sector. The title of the e conference is "Accelerated regional development" I believe that the people in the region have to approach development in a multidimensional way - economic, social, political etc. A diagrammatic representation of this approach is given in the attachment. This was originally developed for Tamil Diaspora but is equally applicable to people of the North East. At an individual level current thinking about life is again multidimensional. One approach is the " Four way wins " (Friedman in Total Leadership). Look at four key aspects of your life in no particular order: 1. Your family 2. Your career 3. Your community 4. Yourself and your deepest ambition With all four in mind make decisions that give you a win across all categories. Sound difficult? It can be! Practice innovation! Rather than treating these parts of your life as opposing forces be creative and align them together to achieve abundant rewards. I welcome critical comments on both topics. Kind regards Dr M Selvaratnam MB BS (Cey), MRCPsych (UK), MSc Ecom (London) E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Satellite Centers for Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna As per the projections of the University Master Plan at Kilinochchi - 2012, the faculty of agriculture will have about 800 students in 2025 and 2500 in 2035. This projection will lead to introduce new courses in agriculture and related disciplines to cater the needs of the region as well as the nation. Northern Province has the potential in resources to expand its contribution in agriculture and agribusiness with the concurrent emergence of agro-based industries. The utility of these resources leads towards increasing the contribution of the Province to the GDP remarkably. Further, the faculty is aiming to address the issues related with the resources and potential of the districts through teaching, research and dissemination. Capacity building is the prime objective of the faculty and this has to be justified in practice by developing a roadmap to educate the youth in these districts through appropriate teaching, learning and training programs. To expand our activities, the faculty is willing to have Satellite Centers in all four districts viz; Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar. Since the faculty is now relocated at Kilinochchi, which is the centre of Northern Province, it is feasible to access all the districts by connecting the proposed Satellite Centers in those four districts. In addition to the undergraduate programme, we have to expand our activities to postgraduate research inviting local and international students. This requires facilities and the proposed Satellite Center’s will require the lands for the faculty to develop in future. These Centers could develop initially as functional units for education, teaching and research of the faculty at varying places. This initiative will also explore to establish the Centers for Fisheries Sciences, ecotourism, forestry and biodiversity either at Mullaitivu or Vavuniya or Mannar districts. These centers will serve as the connective centers of the University Township at Kilinochchi. This proposal for the establishment of Satellite Centers in all four districts was recommended by the Faculty board of Faculty of Agriculture held on 16.09.2013, approved by the Senate held on 17.12.2013 and subsequently approved in the Council also. The discussions with the District Secretaries of Mullaitivu and Mannar districts are fruitful and these centers could be developed based on the development plan of the respective districts. Faculty of Sports Science The Physical education academic Unit was started to offer a two year diploma in Physical education from 12.10.1998. Later the unit was named as Sports Science Unit. At once a 3 years advance diploma was also offered by this unit. The Diploma in Physical education has its 12th batch at present. To upgrade the Sports science programme into a Degree status, the curriculum for the Degree in Sports Science was drafted through various levels by many committees nominated by the Senate. The Faculty of Agriculture is giving hand to the Unit to develop at Kilinochchi. In the Master Plan of Kilinochchi, a third faculty is already identified as Sports Science. The projection of the Sports Science faculty is also incorporated and this Master Plan is used as the platform for appealing grants to the developments at Kilinochchi from various funding sources. Further in support of this request, the National stadium is under establishment at Kilinochchi town area. While affiliating the Sports Science Unit Faculties of Agriculture and Engineering and the schools in all districts get following benefits 1. The sports facilities will be made available at its maximum from the Sports science Unit with respect to the following · Well equipped facilities to the students of Agriculture and Engineering · Availability of coaches in sports science · Judges for the indoor and outdoor games · Maintenance of the playground will be looked after by the Unit · Possibility to participate regional and national events 2. Faculty staff can also contribute inter faculty teaching especially in the areas of Food and nutrition, maintenance of grass/lawn, surveying and leveling, layout of the playground, management aspects etc. 3. The faculty need not allocate separate fund to the maintenance of Sports facilities and this will be looked after by the Sports Science Unit. Affiliating the Sports Science Unit with the Faculty of Agriculture is mainly to help the Sports Science Unit to upgrade it as a Faculty and to extend their services to this region as well as the nation in promoting the sports science and sports activities. Comments from the participants are awaited on this.
Position of Provincial Council office Northern Province has five districts and the center of the Province is either Kilinochchi or Mankulum. Comparatively Mankulum is with less population, the preferable place one could think about is Kilinochchi. It is debated long time and all the offices should move to these places for an effective and efficient administrative mechanism, however it has been noted that Northern Provincial Council office (at Kaithady) and other departments are clustered in Jaffna, ignoring the developments of other four districts. Public mobility is not as expected at the begging to these districts from Jaffna, thanks to His Excellency the President to have such a viable thought to have effective road networks especially highways carpeted reducing the travel time with comfort to any parts of the Island. Now it takes 6 hours to travel from Jaffna in the early hours to Colombo. And the highway in Colombo connecting Kattunayaka airport is another easy access to any traveler to reduce their travel time without getting into traffic blocks. One who travels now in these roads could experience this. Now the question is ‘Why Provincial Council attempts to cluster its departments in Jaffna?’. Earlier the Provincial department office for agriculture and other office for veterinary and animal health were in Kilinochchi along the A9 road. Within the 8 month period these offices were shifted to Jaffna. It may be easy to accelerate their activities, the Ministries needed these offices next to them, but it is very essential to look on the development of other four districts. Kilinochchi is an ideal place as it connects any other districts with a good road network within 2 hours. Once these offices move to the center, then the effective mechanism will be active. Kilinochchi has adequate space and facilities as it is a connective path of A9, railway line access are also very high. The Regional Agricultural Research and Development Center is located in Killinochchi especially in Iranamadu Junction. The faculties (agriculture, Engineering, and of course the sports science) are at Kilinochchi. Initiatives to be taken to relocate the offices at Kilinochchi, of course, public opinion could be obtained to this. Whatever said and done, Provincial Council is for the people and their opinion should be obtained to decide on this instead of giving few dignitaries interest.
Referring to message # 89 of Vinthuja, appreciation first for an active participation of undergrad, of course, this is also one of the expectation of this platform inducing students to throw their ideas and suggestions. Commenting of the first point in the message, ‘earn while learn’ program can be thought of to encourage students to get their interest towards private/industrial sector. This is not only a suggestion to create interest among students, but is also helping the students to find an income to manage their studies, living expenses as well as even to look after their family. We do hear several stories of students, who work odd jobs during nights and poya days or after session (esp. as security guards, packing materials in the shops, preparation of rolls and other food items especially female students, giving special tuition classes, even going for fishing etc.). These odd jobs though helping these poor students to meet their day-to-day expenses in addition to the mahapola and VC funds, they are responsible to look after their families during this young age. Poverty is also one of the causes for the students’ suicide in the University. These students have to look after their families while learning, however they are not willing to disclose these to anyone There are donors attempted to help these students from abroad, however it is not encouraged to have contacts/meet directly these students as there are incidences especially poor female students get trapped into some ones desire later. Any such assistance should be channeled through University system and the university administration will have a track records on the money received and distributed from any societies. Poverty should not be used to abuse. But there are very kind and generous mankind in abroad helping these students, like creating endowment scholarships and awards. The point is “Why the university should not induce the students to do part-time work by organizing it with the private and Industrial world outside during their studentship period, especially the arts students who finds enough leisure time. We could encourage the students to be in groups and to run a small business to gain experience. Anything is possible if they practice it with goodwill. For this, I wish to quote an example, especially for improving communication skills, in every practical classes of the Department of Agricultural Biology, we allow the students to speak about something related to the subject they study for about 30 seconds, in rotation. A bell rings to guide them to perform this. It’s like ‘parcel passing game’ but here every student should speak beginning with the word in which the bell rang. ‘Active listening’ is much expected here to listen the word the previous person speaks. This exercise has lots of insight, all the students are given an opportunity to speak in English for some time in their class, guided by the staff members, students find it easy to spell out English in front of others, didn’t hesitate, prepare and come for the next class as they have to speak something on the subject, and of course, at the end of each cycle, students themselves summarize what was taught previously. In fact this idea was brought from “Toastmaster International’s’ one of the program called ‘Round Robin’. What is seen is if students practice/involve actively they learn better than being in the class. Going for an English class, learning English as subject, didn’t gain much to speak fluently unless they practice themselves continuously. This has to be used in engaging the students in performing odd jobs while learning. If students are engaged in such useful experience gaining good practices, most of the student problems in the Universities would have been sought out. However precaution should be taken that their studies should not be disturbed. Universities should develop strong relationships with the private sector especially industrial world and this is initiated by the GIZ through the Ministry of Finance under the theme of “Industry – University Linkages’.
Ground Water Quality Improvement of Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka by Regulating Water Flow in the Lagoon Mouths Within Jaffna peninsula there are three lagoons, Thondamanaru lagoon, Upparu lagoon and the Valukiaru lagoon with water spread area of 78, 26 and 14 square kilo meters respectively. These three shallow lagoons cover around 11.8% of the peninsula’s land area of 1036 square kilo meter. These lagoons are having sea mouths at Thondamanaru, Ariyali and Arali in the vicinity of Indian Ocean which covers the peninsula by 160 km of coastline and no location of peninsula is more than 10 km away from the coast. Hence it is very much susceptible to the salt water intrusion in to the land area. The water resource mainly the underground water in Jaffna Peninsula is totally polluted due to prolonged negligence and improper management of existing barrages at the lagoon mouths and the salt water intrusion was taken place. In addition to these garbage and soakage pit pollution and increased usage of fertilizer chemicals also affected the quality of ground water. As a result, people are facing problem in getting good quality water in their wells. Due to the salt water intrusion, hundreds of acres of lands, hundreds of wells are in abandon stage. There is a positive relationship between the level of salt water intrusion in Jaffna peninsula and the operation of the gates of Thondamanaru, Ariyali and Arali barrages. There is strong evidence from a survey conducted recently that a good correlation can be found for the entire lagoon system operation with the level of salt water intrusion effect of Jaffna peninsula. This paper outlines the research methodology and its direction towards the problem accreditation of an on going research to address the problem and to find a solution to this long standing crucial issue of the people of Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka. The details are given in this link below and can be discussed in this forum and come to a conclusion for our regional development
Moderator note: 2 attachments referred in the message below are attached as pdf files. Agriculture chapter file capacity is more than 6MB --- I am attaching the Agriculture chapter and Irrigation chapter , in Part One of the Need Assessment Survey done in 2003. There are chapters for all Sectors. This is for those in this discussion who do not have this document. There is a Part Two also. The whole is a large file. I am sure the University library will have the document for the December conference participants to review. Ethir
Process for developing and implementing the Palk Bay, Sri Lanka and India Joint Management Fishery Plan There is a long history and cultural connection between the communities living on the northern and southern shores of Palk Bay in India and Sri Lanka. The traditional fisheries in both countries have provided a vital source of protein, employment and opportunities for economic development for these poor coastal regions. In the past, the traditional systems of community based fisheries management, such as padu and tadai, were used in southern India and Sri Lanka to define the group of rights holders, fishing gears, resource boundaries and fishing grounds based on rotational access that provides equitable access, collective social responsibility, rule making and conflict resolution. However, in recent times there have been significant changes to the social organisation of sharing marine resource associated with: the declaration of the International Maritime Boundary Line; the development of open access for industrial fishing fleets; the effects of the civil war on the fishing communities; the impacts of the 2004 Tsunami on coastal infrastructure; and efforts to restore fishing capacity. The conflict between the fisheries in Palk Bay has escalated into a serious issue which needs to be resolved to avoid increasing shortages of fish, malnutrition and hunger in this region. Over capacity of the industrial shrimp fishery in southern India has led to overfishing of both marine resources and environmental damage to fish nursery areas. The fish by catch of shrimp trawlers is high because of the small mesh sizes currently being used in the fishery. Seagrass habitats and traditional fishing gear are being damaged by the trawlers. Following depletion of the shrimp stocks in the northern parts of Palk Bay, the trawlers have moved south to fish on Sri Lankan fishing grounds, where this fishing method is prohibited and where there is now investment in the development of traditional fishing methods. In this paper, we outline a management process to build Governance and community consensus for sharing marine resources to address overfishing by the shrimp trawlers based on the traditions and local culture, existing legislation and negotiation of a comprehensive fishery management plan by an interactive joint working platform of stakeholders from India and Sri Lanka. The coastal communities in the region are recovering from the long civil conflict in Sri Lanka and the devastation caused by the 2004 Tsunami. There is a persistent humanitarian need to overcome poverty and secure food supplies for large populations in Sri Lanka and southern India. It is therefore essential to optimise fishery production from Palk Bay and to find a way to share the marine resources between the sectors in order to create development opportunities for social and economic benefit in both countries. A management process to build Governance and community consensus for sharing marine resources is needed in order to address overfishing by the shrimp trawlers, reduce conflict with the traditional fisheries sectors, re-build the fish stocks and restore the productivity of coastal habitats. The joint declaration by the heads of state of India and Sri Lanka in 2010 indicates a positive political climate for making progress. Effective dialogue between the fishers of India and Sri Lanka to resolve Palk Bay conflicts is also a promising sign that stakeholders are willing to resolve complex fisheries issues. For the process to be successful the fishermen, conservation advocates, scientists, government agencies, and local communities must find pragmatic ways to overcome the social, economic, and institutional barriers that have prevented sound fisheries management in the past. A coordinated long term strategy is required to forge new partnerships across sectors in order to tackle overfishing in Palk Bay. The objectives for optimal management of coastal fisheries in Sri Lanka equally apply to southern India. The five categories of these fishery management objectives are: ecological, economic, social, political and administrative. Within these broad categories are more detailed strategies for ways to: promote sustainable exploitation, habitat protection, maximise benefits from utilisation of marine resources, promote equitable distribution of benefits, maximise acceptability of management intervention, maximise efficiency of institutional and legal systems. However, economic and social objectives are unlikely to be achievable while there is overfishing in Palk Bay and the fish and shrimp stocks are in such a depleted state. Clearly management intervention is required to allow the stocks to recover by reducing the fishing pressure from the shrimp trawlers. Overcapacity of fishing fleets is widely perceived as a major impediment to achieving economically productive fisheries and is a major problem worldwide. The two key stakeholders are the fishing community and the fisheries management authority (Beddington et al 2007) and effective consultation and involvement in decision making will be needed for developing and implementing the Palk Bay Management Fishery Plan. By integrating the fishing community into the process, the local customs for traditional fishery management can be incorporated and the social and economic factors that are most important to the community can be taken into consideration. In Sri Lanka, community-based approaches to fisheries management are given a high priority and have been successful in the beach seine and the stake net fisheries (Samarayanke 2003). Recently, legislation has been introduced recently to transform the open access coastal fisheries in Sri Lanka to a licensed fishery. In Tamil Nadu, the Marine Fishing Regulation Act of 1983 forms the main body of legislation on fishing within territorial waters. In order to have a flexible interactive process for developing the Palk Bay fishery management plan, the consultation process will have to transcend the barriers to community representation in fishery policy decision making. The goal of the management plan is to adopt the internationally recognised Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which embraces environmental, social and economic considerations. Adoption of the Code of Conduct will ensure that India and Sri Lanka conform to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Plan of Action for the management of fishing capacity. The Palk Bay fishery management plan will encompass the principles of sustainability according to international standards for responsible fishing practices with a view to ensuring the conservation, sharing and sustainable development of the marine resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. By taking into account the interests of the fishing communities and the consumers, the process for developing the management plan helps to build a consensus for meeting the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural needs of the communities in India and Sri Lanka.--
Responding to Massage # 98, 94 and 84; Post Conflict Development and Status of Implementation of Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka Devolution of power has been an alternative to the demand for separation by the Tamil speaking people in the North, East provinces of Sri Lanka. The Indo-Lanka Accord signed on 29 July 1987 required the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces and, in the interim, to merge the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. Unlike any other province, this matter is linked very closely with the political aspirations of the Tamil speaking people. This alternative was accepted by the Tamil speaking people on the guarantee given by the Government of India in late eighties. On 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987, establishing provincial councils. Nine provincial councils were created by order on 3 February. On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Northern and Eastern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected Council. The North-East Province was born. There are three lists dealing the power sharing mechanism. Author spells out the ways and means of strengthening the power sharing by changing the contents of these three lists based on his research during past couple of years and his experience in the field of development activity. The detail of this research is available in this web link https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247159145_Post_Conflict_Development_and_Status_of_Implementation_of_Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_Constitution_of_Sri_Lanka?ev=prf_pub
I am attaching the Agriculture chapter and Irrigation chapter, in Part One of the Need Assessment Survey done in 2003. There are chapters for all Sectors. This is for those in this discussion who do not have this document. There is a Part Two also. The whole is a large file. I am sure the University library will have the document for the December conference participants to review. Ethir
Jaffna Science Association should establish a Centre for Environmental Research and Training (CERT) The Jaffna Science Association is a membership-driven organization. Mission & Vision JSA vision should be the leading independent Sri Lankan organisation for scientific information and advice. JSA mission should be to promote the sustainable management of Northern Province natural resources, underpinned by the best available science. To achieve these, JSA should have following objectives: to widen active membership to provide evidence and information to influence and broaden advocacy to facilitate the setting of the research agenda and conduct scientific research to establish scientific research and training centres. The University of Jaffna has an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching in the fields of science, medicine and humanities. A Centre for Environmental Research and Training (CERT) should be established at the Jaffna Science Association and will work closely with the University of Jaffna where highly skilled professionals of environmental sciences, agriculture, ecology, public health, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and data processing are involved. The research staff of the Centre will actively investigate scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects across the environmental disciplines. The Centre should undertake projects in a broad range of fields, including environmental restoration, freshwater resources management, sustainable use of natural resources, pollution control, waste management, resource recovery and reuse, energy management, and management of natural hazards, climate change and human health. The Centre should develop and deliver suitable courses for school and university students, employees of public and private establishments, and the representatives of non-governmental and community organisations. The facilities and the staff in the Centre should enable the students to produce honours and postgraduate projects at a high quality. The Centre should work with clients within the university and other clients, such as public and private enterprises, community organisations and funding agencies. It should organise seminars, workshops and training courses; prepare reports and publications; generate educational and media materials; and deliver presentations and lectures. Mission The mission of the Centre for Research and Training is to support and create environmentally sensible, socially responsible and economically sound changes towards sustainable futures. The aims and objectives of the Centre for Environmental Research and Training The main aims and objectives of the Centre include the following: · conduct environmental and health research · undertake water quality and treatment research · strengthen scientific and application research basis · conduct interdisciplinary research wherever possible · improve scientific research skills of young graduates · develop education and training programs · collect relevant material and form databases for scientific research · provide consultations on the environmental impact assessment · provide expertise and leadership to environmental research projects · advice the government on environmental policy issues · advice the government on water supply policy and regulatory issues · promote a partnership culture between the Association and the user community, and · participate in regional and global environmental research and monitoring programs. Activities of the Centre for Environmental Research and Training The Centre for Environmental Research and Training will play a key role in providing a focus for the Jaffna Science Association’s environmental expertise. It will act as a gateway for external organisations enabling this expertise to be made more widely accessible and provides a mechanism for the promotion and management of interdisciplinary research within the Jaffna Science Association in general and the staff in particular. It will provide the infrastructure support to encourage and coordinate interdisciplinary research and training projects. It will coordinate and manage interdisciplinary project teams with researchers from within the Jaffna Science Association and also from expatriate researchers. The Centre will seek to enhance the Jaffna Science Association's international reputation for environmental science research and teaching by advancing partnerships with institutions overseas, such as in India, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, Canada and United States. The University will offer a wide range of training programs through the Centre at school and university levels for those interested in furthering their knowledge of environmental issues. It will also run a number of short and professionally accredited courses with an environmental theme. Customised courses will be developed and delivered for those without university degrees as well. The Centre will help to coordinate and promote the Jaffna Science Association's environmental training at all levels. Further, the Centre will provide a base for honours students and postgraduate students to work on environmental projects and appropriate guidance and support to bring high quality outputs. The Centre will provide a comprehensive information resource enabling staff, research scholars and external enquirer’s rapid access to diverse forms of environmental information. It will maintain an internal register of environmental expertise and research facilities and a database of external organisations with environmental interests that may be used by association members and research staff seeking partnerships. The immediate objectives of the Centre can be summarised as follows: · To provide a quality education, mainly at the school and university levels, in the areas of natural aquatic systems; catchments, groundwater, tanks, estuaries and coastal seas; · To study the effect of cesspool toilets on groundwater quality; · To develop a better understanding of the processes which determine the fate and transport of contaminants in water in the natural environment; · To develop partnerships with the government and international agencies, and provide the expertise, tools and scientific support needed to assess and deal with environmental problems in the aquatic environment and matters related to environmental concerns (such as, conversion of Thondamannaru Lagoon). The Centre will have higher priority focus on issues relating to water quality management and health risk reduction for groundwater and other water sources, and water treatment to the distribution of drinking water to the consumers' taps. Its main task will be to help the Northern Province Irrigation Department and Municipal Councils to provide high quality water at an affordable cost. This task will be accomplished by: · furthering the understanding of water quality issues, · conducting industry and government supported research, · developing education and training programs, and · provision of advice to government regarding water supply policy and regulatory issues. Northern Province Water Resources Research Station, Killinochchi (NPWRRSK) Our research focuses on the generation and communication of freshwater ecological knowledge in the Northern Province Revers Basin, in particular providing advice and solutions to irrigation engineers to optimize their management decisions. Catchment Hydrology aims to deliver the capability to manage catchments in a totally new way. Our central goal is to produce a decision support system able to predict the movement of water, particulates, and solutes from land to river, linking the impact of climate variability, vegetation, soil, and water management together in an integrated package Vision Healthy and productive aquatic ecosystems in the Northern Province River Basin that are managed in a sustainable manner. Mission The Station's mission is to generate, synthesise and communicate the knowledge required to support the adaptive management of environmental water allocations, manage risks associated with significant water quality events, and build the ecological research capacity necessary to inform future water policy. Values In pursuit of this mission, the staff and management of the NPWRRSK will be committed to a value set which espouses: · Excellent freshwater ecological science through initiative and creativity. · Accountability for the quality, integrity and objectivity of our research. · Collaboration with agencies to inform decisions based on sound ecological knowledge. · Developing expertise to inform decisions based on sound ecological knowledge. · Develop and establish collaboration with colleges, NGOs, community organizations and government agencies in the catchment area. · Respect for our colleagues and personal accountability for our behavior and actions. Strategic partnership The NPWRRSK will be a partnership between a group of research and policy agencies and aligns its activities with the participant's strategic initiatives in order to add value. The future participants in the NPWRRSK partnership will be the government and people organisations in the catchment area, Vavunia University College and University of Jaffna. Access to best available freshwater ecological knowledge is required for best possible decision-making regarding management of freshwater resources and ongoing research priorities. Communication of scientific knowledge is required to support the adaptive management of environmental water allocations, manage risks associated with significant water quality events (pollution etc.) and build the ecological research capacity necessary to inform future water policy. NPWRRSK will communicate the outcomes and results of our research through a range of knowledge exchange methods, delivering our science in a variety of formats, for a variety of audiences. New ecological knowledge will be published in peer reviewed journals, technical reports, on our website and in local and national media. Synethised knowledge, from a variety of sources will be reviewed and will be published. NPWRRSK scientists will present their work at community workshops, at NPWRRSK seminars and events and at national and international conferences. In an effort to help enhance community understanding of the role of ecological research and monitoring in environmental management NPWRRSK team members will participate in a variety of community events and initiatives. To encourage the next generation of freshwater ecologists and water resource managers, Station will work with schools and colleges in a range of education initiatives. Communication strategy · It is our obligation to share the outcomes of valuable ecological research and monitoring with all stakeholders. · Seminars and presentations have the capacity to bring together researchers, landholders, students, managers, local government and the general community to learn something new, share knowledge and build networks. · Enhancing community understanding of river systems and freshwater biodiversity is the objective at the heart of our participation in a range of community and education events and initiatives. The NPWRRSK will forge collaborations with a number of research institutions, colleges and universities to help provide the knowledge for improved Basin management. Partnerships with the research community will be developed that will: · Provide advice on research gaps and scoping of research projects; · Synthesise existing scientific knowledge; · Undertake commissioned research and analysis to meet specific needs; · Provide advice on the best available science and evidence base including knowledge gaps; and · Provide peer review to ensure best available science is being used and the evidence base will continually improved. NPWRRSK research results will be used to understand issues such as: · Quantity and quality of rainfall-driven runoff and groundwater reaching streams in the catchment under present conditions · Alterations made to quantity and quality of runoff by climate variability, different land uses, or riverbank restoration – now, or in the future · Optimal locations for on-ground work to maximize water quality improvement · Impacts of flood, drought, construction activity or water extractions on the quality of receiving waters · The effect of land use change on water quality and quantity into receiving waters. Benefits · Build tailored models for considering a range of catchment scenarios. · Explore the volumes and quality of rainfall-driven runoff and groundwater. · Predict the impact of climate change, land use or management changes on the volume and quality of runoff entering streams. · Optimize investment and direct management action to improve water quality. · Understand the impact of flood or drought on receiving waters. · Consider the impact of land use change on water quality and quantity; extend the model as needs change.
Referring Message # 100. Thank you for the links to your papers which I have read through but shall study them at leisure. A lot of valuable information. We are in the Post-War Phase and hopefully someday in the future we will be in a Post-Conflict phase. I was looking to see whether there was any reference to a Resistivity Survey that was done in early 70s I think in the Vanni or the whole of the North. Late Dr Lewis was involved in it I am told. But no one has that report. I was wondering whether you would know about it or have studied it. I was told it was funded by Japan and that the Report should be in the Irrigation HQ in Colombo. If such a report exists and available does the Fac. of Engineering will have access to it and can you brief this e-conference on it? Ethir
Reference # 147 and other similar messages with concern about the environment, Jaffna University Students may form an association TheNaturalStep(TNS) or similar and may link up with future NGOs on Environment in the local community and increase sustainability in the North and the East (and of course the rest of the country too):
It is known that there will be a higher prevalence of mental disorders in the population due to repeated psychological and physical trauma (Google - Prevalence of mental disorders in developing countries) high number of chronic medical conditions, aging population etc. Anxiety and depression are frequent but do we know the numbers. Mental health problems are not given full recognition by the community and considered as "punishment by God", "possession", astrolological reasons etc. Stigma is a big issue. Quantitative and qualitative studies are required to find the actual number of various categories of mental disorders for publication in journals and media in general. This may lead to discussion by non mental health staff and general public. Indications are that there is a heavy mental health burden on individuals/families/communities affecting Education, Productivity peace etc. Are these facts given recognition by the educated population including policy makers? Some interested parties want to keep these issues under the mat so that the community destroys itself. Going forward is by detailed counting of the numbers of mental health problems, facilitate discussion of these issues by the public and adequate management of these conditions.
Dr M.Selvaratnam
In northern part of Sri Lanka, the water resources have been diminishing in an alarming rate in last decade, displaced people and poverty lead to encroachment of tank beds and command area. The insecurity of this type of settlement, leads to frequent flooding as well. As major population of this region depend on the tanks it is very important to conserve these water bodies.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Eco. and Management
Faculty of Business Studies, Vavuniya Campus
University of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Tel:(Off.)+94243248188(Res.)+942225665
Prof.P.Ravirajan
[B.Sc.(Hons, Jaffna), M.Sc.(Pera), DIC, Ph.D.(London)]
Professor in Physics & Head
Department of Physics
University of Jaffna
Thirunelveli
Jaffna 40 000
Sri Lanka
Office : 0094(0)212225924
Home : 0094(0)212222472
Mobile : 0094(0)718561715
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http://www.jfn.ac.lk/physics
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-5847-2008
http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=l1wPmm8AAAAJ
TP: Rec: (94) 024 222 063 2 ; Mobile: (94) 077 250 873 0