World Environment Day 2021 – Ecosystem Restoration and CSIAP's Initiatives

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5^th to bring awareness among the people regarding environmental issues and to take positive steps for the survival of the environment. The theme for World Environment Day 2021 is “Ecosystem Restoration”. This year, the Day will also serve as the formal launch of the United Nations Decade on “Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030”. The restoration could occur in many ways – for example; through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature could recover on its own. It is not always possible or desirable to return an ecosystem to its original state. We still need farmland and infrastructure on land that was once forest, for instance, and ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to a changing climate.

 The CSIAP is expected to bring positive environmental benefits to the project areas through the scale-up of climate-resilient agricultural technologies and farming practices that help improve soil health, water use efficiency, and catchment area treatment to promote more efficient use of surface water and more sustainable use of groundwater for agriculture. An Environment Assessment and Management Framework (EAMF) has been prepared to guide the screening of activities for physical investments, project-supported advisory, policy support interventions, resulting in implementation from an environmental perspective, mitigation actions to manage their environmental impacts including preparation, implementation of Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) to address site-specific risks and impacts and subsequent monitoring and reporting requirements.

The CSIAP has taken several actions to bring awareness among the people regarding environmental issues and to take positive steps for the survival of the environment and ecosystem restoration. More than 150 Environmental Screening and Environmental Management Plans were prepared to identify the negative environmental impact and to produce mitigation measures through the project activities. The Green Building Concept was introduced through the 47 ASC modernization activities. It highly emphasized asbestos and led free materials for the use of the rehabilitation process.

The project has conducted five major production programs which were applied a holistic pest control approach that utilizes all available pest control strategies on a case-by-case basis while maintaining the pest population below at an Economically Injury Level (EIL). Whenever possible, human-animal and ecosystem-friendly pest control strategies are used.

Irrigation rehabilitation programs are implemented for the rehabilitation, modernization of tanks in the hotspot area. This rehabilitation includes restoration of vegetations around the tanks to minimize water evaporation and absorption of metals in recycled water and desilting. The restoration process was successfully achieved in North Central province replanting 300 trees saving 48 trees during the tank rehabilitation process.  The CSIAP was able to save thousands of trees as well as flora and fauna during the implementation of project activities including ASC modernization, tank rehabilitation, agri road rehabilitating and cultivation program.   

The Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is particularly significant in all the Hotspot Areas. To mitigate HEC in the hotspot area, the project has planned a mechanism to build a direct collision with humans and elephants. In order to avoid further intensifying HEC, innovative landscape-level strategies and 410 km extent “Bio Fencing” will be established where wildlife and humans can co-exist in the same landscape.

 A decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 will be declared by the United Nations to Reimagine, Recreate and restore the ecosystem in the world this year. Similar to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, the CSIAP has planned to implement the below-mentioned programs to reimagine, recreate and restore the ecosystem in the hotspot area.

Model Cascade Development - Project will develop eleven models Cascade to

1.     Holding the water from monsoons and preventing flood, recharging groundwater and storing water for irrigation, household and other uses

2.    Support restoration of vegetations around the tanks and

3.    Minimizing ecological and offsite impacts done by the farmers themselves in HAS. The aim is to enable communities to better cope with climate change impacts while restoration of ecosystem

Agro-ecological Landscape Resilience Plans - The project proposes to develop a set of science-based "integrated" climate-resilient agro-ecological landscape plan focusing on the selected cascade of the HSA. This is to understand the biodiversity attributes, ecosystem services and to introduce Nature base Solutions (NbS) for the current issues and seek opportunities to bring in greater environmental and social resilience through appropriate.

Dr. Janaka Jayawardena

 Developing Agroecology Training of Trainers (TOT) Manual and conducting TOT  Program - Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and manages ecosystems and ecosystem services supporting agriculture. It also provides disaster risk reduction benefits including climate resilience, in addition to the sustainable productivity improvement due to quality ecosystems. The project has planned to train project technical staff, extension officers and farmer awareness on agroecology in HAS. To support this process and also to support agriculture extension services, the CSIAP proposes a partnership with the (Internatuional Union of Consevation of Nature (IUCN) to develop an agroecology Training of Trainers manual and guideline.

By Dr. Janaka Jayawardena, Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist, CSIAP.

 

The CSIAP and DAD officials discuss ongoing project activities

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) team headed by Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Acting Project Director, discussed CSIAP’s ongoing activities with Mr. A.H.M.L. Abeyrathna, Commissioner General, Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) today (18^th) at the DAD Head Office, Colombo 07.

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe explained all activities, which are being implemented by the CSIAP in six provinces, to DAD officials. Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the  CSIAP presented activities involved at ASC (Agrarian Service Centers)  levels too.

 The CSIAP is closely working with the DAD when implementing its activities in 11 districts with 47 Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) which are operating at the field levels to accomplish the mission of the DAD. Senior officials of CSIAP and DAD were present at the meeting.

The 3rd NSC of the CSIAP commenced at the Ministry of Agriculture

The 3^rd National  Steering Committee (NSC) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held at the Ministry of Agriculture today (08^th) under the patronage of Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara, the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture. A fruitful discussion was conducted to highlight the importance of continuing the activities of the CSIAP by Secretary Mr. Pushpakumara too. The Acting Project Director of the CSIAP Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe delivered a presentation on the progress and current activities of the CSIAP and Mr. S. Manoharan, Task Team Leader of the CSIAP  for the World Bank pointed out the role of the World Bank in the project.

The NSC is set up at the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the Ministry taking the overall responsibility in executing the CSIAP. The NSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government, provincial government, private sector and the apex level community organizations mainly to provide policy guidance to the project and ensure achieving project’s objectives.

 The main responsibility of the NSC is to provide strategic guidance for project implementation and to be the interface between the central and provincial institutions. The NPSC also approves the annual work program and budget of the project endorses the working arrangements with strategic partners and is briefed by the World Bank (and the Project Director) on the outcomes of implementation support and review missions carried out with the WB team.

 The World Bank Officials, Chief Secretaries of Provinces where the CSIAP being implemented, senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government Departments and  Provincial Institutions alone with  Provincial Deputy Project Directors and senior officials of the CSIAP were present at the meeting.

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project, Sri Lanka

 

Raising awareness about the CSIAP and its progress to the new Secretary of MoA

Senior officials of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) let by Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, the Acting Project Director, had a special discussion to raise awareness about the CSIAP and its progress under the patronage of Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara who assumed duties as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Dr. Weerasinghe explained the journey from the beginning of the CSIAP to the present, activities to be implemented in  2021 and  coming years, and CSIAP’s contribution to the national food production in detail during the discussion. Representing the CSIAP, subject specialists from the Project Management Unit (PMU) and Provincial Deputy Project Directors from six provinces attended the meeting held at the Ministry.

An IEC programme on the CSIAP and ASC Digitalization at Poonakary, Kilinochchi

 IEC programme on the CSIAP and ASC Digitalization was conducted for government officers at the  Poonakary ASC, Kilinochchi recently  under the patronage of Mr. M. Raghunathan, Agrarian Development Officer by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP).

Around 40 officers representing Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development and Divisional Secretariate, Poonakary attended this event. The CSIAP’s Northern Province office organized this event and on behalf of the project IECT & ICT Specialist Mr. Samanatha Mallawaarachchi delivered the main lecture on CSIAP and ASC Digitalization. Mr.Rajeswaran Sanjeepan, Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist  and Mr. Kathirgamanathan Kapilan, Social Safeguard Officer of the CSIAP’s Northern Provincial Office also addressed the audience.

The certificate award ceremony for AIs on TOT Programme at Bindunuwewa

 The Certificate Awarding Ceremony for Agriculture Instructors who have successfully completed the Train of Trainers (TOT) Programme facilitated by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP)  was held at the Bindunuwewa Inservice Training Center recently. Around 50 officers including those from Monaragala District attended this programme. 

Mr. I.H Dharmasekara, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP delivered a special lecture on CSIAP and its activities and awarded certificates too.