The
objective of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) development is
to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder
agriculture in selected hotspot areas said Mr. Nadaraja Sivalingam,
Project Director, CSIAP- Sri Lanka delivering key note address in the workshop
to review Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) progress and Hostspots Area
Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) outline held on 06th this month at Center
for Banking Studies at Rajagiriya.
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| Project Director Eng. Nadaraja Sivalingam is addressing participants in the workshop |
Expressing
his idea on CSIAP furthermore Mr. Sivalingam further added “Sri Lanka is
vulnerable to climate related natural disasters that have major economic
impacts. The hotspot areas in the dry zone have emerged as being particularly
susceptible to either flood or drought events, or both. Therefore, hotspot
areas have been identified as the most vulnerable to climate events that affect
the agriculture production and productivity.”
“Climate
resilience is defined as the capacity of agriculture system to respond to
drought and flood by resisting or tolerating the impacts and recovering quickly
through integration of adaptation, mitigation and other climate smart
agriculture practices. This project differs from the other projects
by using the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to identify the problems,
challenges and opportunities of smallholder agriculture communities in the
hotspot area.”
“If
we use the correct methods and also the active participation of all
stakeholders during the PRA activity and also consultation with other
stakeholders and partners, the issues and needs of the farmer communities can
be fully understood and addressed through the project intervention. The
information gathered from the PRA will be incorporated into a hot spot Area
Agriculture Development Plan which will an action plan for the implementation
of the project. Therefore, the HSAADP is very important to the CSIAP.”
“The
HSAADP will also focus on the voice and needs of the socially excluded
communities. These communities include women farmers, women farmer origination,
women headed farm families physically challenge farmers poor smallholder
farmers, farmers who are living under the poverty line, women who are living in
the resettled areas or relocated communities, non-titleholders, ethnic
minorities in the hotspot areas. Therefore, it is essential that the
participation of these excluded communities in the PRA exercise and to count
their voice and concerns.”
“Based
on the HSAADP, sub projects will be identified taking into consideration of the
important issues identified and the priorities placed by the communities we are
going to identify the subprojects in terms of priority basis in the hotspot
area. Therefore, the success of the project intervention and implementation
definitely depends on the success of the HSAADP.”
World
Bank officials, Staff representing PMU (Project Management Unit) and Provincial
Deputy Project Director offices of the CSIAP and experts from selected
PRA firms were also present on the occasion.
