The selected provinces—Northern, North Central, North Western, Eastern, Uva, and Southern—are among the areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts, including frequent floods and prolonged droughts. CSIAP is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, in partnership with the respective Provincial Councils.
Project
Financing and Rationale
The
total project cost of US$140 million includes a US$125 million credit from the
International Development Association (IDA), a US$10 million contribution from
the Government of Sri Lanka, and a US$5 million contribution from project
beneficiaries.
Sri
Lanka is particularly vulnerable to climate-related natural disasters, which
significantly affect the agriculture sector. Agriculture contributes
approximately 7.7 percent of the national economy and employs about 27 percent
of the population, more than 38 percent of whom are women. As climate risks
intensify, strengthening the resilience of this sector has become a national
priority.
Project
Objective
The
overall objective of CSIAP is to enhance the productivity and climate
resilience of smallholder agriculture in selected hotspot areas through
improved agricultural practices, efficient water management, and strengthened
institutional capacity.
The
project is implemented through four key components:
(1)
Agriculture Production and Marketing component will improve agriculture productivity
and diversification through the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
practices and improved on-farm water management.
(2)
Water for Agriculture component will facilitate (a) planning for water and
other infrastructure necessary to support climate-resilient irrigated
agriculture, (b) construction of the planned infrastructure, and (c)
co-management of this infrastructure by central/provincial governments and the
local community.
(3)
Project Management component will ensure the quality of overall project
management, while ensuring smooth coordination of activity implementation by
various agencies and strategic partners at national and subnational levels.
This component will finance:(a) the consultancy and operating costs of the
Project Management Unit (PMU) and Deputy Project Director (DPD) Offices and of
different project executing agencies, including for fiduciary and safeguard
aspects; (b) the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of project activities at
baseline, midterm, and end of project, including geotagging of the assets
created; and (c) information, education, and communication campaigns to make
all stakeholders aware of the project.
(4)
Contingent Emergency Response component will allow for rapid reallocation of
project proceeds in the event of a natural disaster or crisis that has caused
or is likely to imminently cause a major adverse economic and social impact.
