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| Mr. Wickramarathna conducting the workshop |
A two-day residential workshop aimed at developing the Handbook on Cascade Management Committee (CMC), organized by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), commenced today (01st) at the Rathnasiri Wickramanayake National Training Centre (RWNTC), Hanthana. The event was held under the patronage of Mr. Saman Bandulasena, Project Director, CSIAP. The workshop brings together Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Institutional Development and Capacity Building (IDCB) Specialists, and selected specialists from the Project Management Unit (PMU) of CSIAP, to collaboratively design a comprehensive reference guide for strengthening CMCs across project areas.
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| Mr. Bandulasena addressing the audience |
Serving as the workshop facilitator, Mr Sarath Wickramaratne, Senior IDCB Consultant at the World Bank, guides participants through interactive sessions, discussions, and technical inputs. His expertise is expected to enrich the process of developing a practical and implementable handbook that will empower CMCs to effectively manage cascades, promote participatory decision-making, and ensure the sustainability of irrigated agriculture systems. Speaking at the opening session, Project Director Mr. Bandulasena highlighted the importance of institutional strengthening and community participation in cascade management, emphasising that the forthcoming handbook will serve as a key tool in building resilient and inclusive agricultural communities. The two-day programme will cover aspects such as organisational structures of CMCs, roles and responsibilities, decision-making frameworks, accountability mechanisms, and integration with provincial and national-level institutions. The output of this workshop will lay the foundation for standardised practices and guidelines that will enhance the efficiency of CMCs in line with CSIAP’s overarching goal of promoting climate-smart agriculture.
