Knowledge Management and Capacity Building of CSO Partners on Community Based Adaptation in Sri Lanka

Introduction

The effects of climate change are being felt in Sri Lanka with varying impacts in different sectors. Eight key Sectors i.e. the Agriculture, Water Resources, forest ecosystems, Transport, Power, Health and Human Settlements, and Public Utilities were considered the most vulnerable to impacts of global climate change as stated in the Initial Communication to UNFCCC1 in 2000. The assessment remains similar in the Second National Communication (2011) with priorities for actions in water resources, the coastal zone, agriculture, plantations i.e. plantation forests and plantation crops and human settlements are proposed as they are being extra vulnerable to climate change. Many of these actions, in essence, good development practices, are incorporated into sectoral policies and development plans.

However, the actual implementation of these ‘good adaptation practices’ is not widespread or actively promoted. For example, in the agriculture sector, one of the recommended actions is to discourage land tilling activities in landslide-prone hilly areas but little is done at the village level to stop the practice.

There are other recommended actions, such as risk assessments of the economic impact of sea-level rise on coastal settlements and fishing industry, which are yet to be incorporated into sector master plans. Climate change is evident in the intense and erratic distribution of seasonal rainfall with frequent droughts and floods across the country, all of which affect the livelihood options of rural villagers engaged in agriculture. It is also inevitable that Sri Lanka’s extensive coastline is subject to creeping salinity and erosion from sea-level rise and increased storm surges. Altered monsoon patterns and higher temperature regimes in many areas create uncertainties and diminishing returns from cultivations. Increased ambient temperature has also resulted in insect pest infestations in the recent past causing human, animal, and plant diseases.

Goal

Share and showcase best practices, innovative technologies, and lessons learned developed by the civil society to increase the capacity of CBO’s and NGO’s to implement community-based adaptation measures and increase the adaptive capacity of communities and reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts while contributing to greater policy influence and transformational change.

Objectives

• Knowledge exchange between NGOs/CBOs working to address global environmental issues in order to raise awareness and facilitate replication and scaling up of best practices and innovation on climate change adaptation.
• Promote and strengthen partnerships among all concerned stakeholders such as local communities, NGOs/CBOs, government and local authorities, academic and research institutions, the private sector, international donors and development agencies.
• Enhance and strengthen capacities of NGOs/CBOs on Science and evidence-based awareness on climate change impacts and vulnerability to engage in consultative processes, apply knowledge management to ensure adequate information flows, and monitor and evaluate environmental impacts and trends.
• Increase the capacity of CBO’s and NGO’s to implement community-based adaptation measures
• Increase the adaptive capacity of communities and reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts
• Provide lessons for policymaking and communicate specific targeted actions to policymakers

Activities

1. Two Day Residential inception workshops for Climate Change Adaptation
2. Building the adaptive capacity of community leaders and CBOs
3. Preparation of localized adaptation plans with the participation of community leaders & CBOs.
4. Establishment of CSO forum for climate change adaptation
5. Publishing 3 Newspaper articles in the national newspapers and magazines
6. Development of other Knowledge Management products
7. Preparation of Photographic Database on climate change adaptation
8. Awareness-raising publication for communities
9. Documentation of local knowledge for Climate Change Adaptation
10. Collection, writing & publishing of local knowledge about climate change adaptation in Sri Lanka

Funding Source

Project Documents

1. Workshop presentations – Residential workshop on climate change adaptation and identification of community-based adaptation strategies.
2. Workshop presentations – Residential workshop on Climate Change Adaptation and Identification of community-Based Adaptation Strategies for Northern Province Landscape

Photo Gallery

Videos 

Youtube Playlists

Climate Change Adaptation in Knuckles Area (Sinhala)

Climate Change Adaptation in Nothern Province (Tamil)