Sri Lanka Country Strategy Paper 2011 - 2013 - Acted

7/29/2019 Sri Lanka Country Strategy Paper 2011 - 2013 - Acted

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Sri Lanka Country Strategy Paper

2011 - 2013

Sri Lanka Country Office

146, Reid Avenue

Bambalapitiya

Colombo 4

Tel: +94 11 2502743

Fax: +94 11 [email protected]

Headquarters

33, rue Godot de Mauroy

75009 Paris

France

Tel: +33 1 42653333

[email protected]

www.acted.org


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Foreword by the ACTED Sri Lanka

Country Director

As the 26-year civil war finally came to an end in

2009, newfound stability offers an incredible

opportunity for Sri Lanka to harness its untapped

development potential and build a strong

foundation for long-term peace and prosperity

across the island.

With a brighter and more stable future on the

horizon, a long-term country strategy for ACTED Sri

Lanka is now fully warranted. Since the 2004

Tsunami, our presence mainly focused on

responding to the succession of emergencies which

shook the countrys Eastern and Northern provinces

and support the recovery efforts of affected

populations.

While retaining the capacity to react to urgent

needs as they emerge, in case of a natural disaster

for instance, our strategy for the next three years

will strive to stay in line with the countrys long-

term potential, needs and opportunities. To achieve

this, our actions will focus on promoting equitable

economic development and pro-poor growth

in vulnerable areas, to help reduce poverty while

alleviating potential sources of conflict resulting

from socio-economic inequalities. In parallel, we

will support community-driven development

management as a way to ensure more democratic

and participatory local development processes. Last

but not least, we will focus on encouraging the

protection and sustainable use of environmental

resources, as these represent one of Sri Lankas

most precious and crucial assets, as well as its most

threatened due to the increasing impact of climatechange.

On behalf of ACTED, I would like to extend a warm

thank you to our partners, donors and national and

local level authorities for the support they provided

to us over the past five years. We look forward to a

continued good cooperation in the future.

Andr Krummacher


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1. About ACTED

ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation andDevelopment) is a non-governmental organization

founded in 1993 with Headquarters in Paris, France.

Independent, private and not-for-profit, ACTED

respects a strict political and religious impartiality

and operates according to principles of non-

discrimination and transparency in 27 countries

around the world.

Our M ission: Providing Adapted Responses

ACTEDs vocation is to support vulnerable

populations affected by wars, natural disasters

and/or economic and social crises, and to

accompany them in building a better future; thus

contributing to the Millennium Development Goals.

The programs implemented by ACTED in Africa,

Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the

Caribbean, aim to address the needs of populations

affected by wars, natural disasters and/or economic

and social crises. Our interventions seek to cover

the multiple aspects of humanitarian and

development crises through a multidisciplinary

approach which is both global and local, andadapted to each context.

ACTED is committed to meeting the highest

standards of accountability and strives to meet the

needs of the most vulnerable populations by

delivering the adequate humanitarian service in

each situation. As a charity, we will intervene

whenever and wherever needs arise, guaranteeing

the compliance and relevance of our interventions

and innovating whenever possible. ACTED is a

member of HAP International which supportshumanitarian accountability and quality

management.

Our Vision: To guarantee the link between

Emergency, Rehabili tat ion and Development

ACTEDs vision is to establish a link between

emergency, rehabilitation and development. Oncebasic needs have been covered, the populations

living conditions remain critical as our areas of

intervention are among the poorest in the world.

We guarantee the sustainability of our

interventions carried out during crises, through

remaining on the field after the emergency and

involving the communities, ACTED engages in a

long-term support with a continued presence in the

field to break the poverty cycle and accompany the

populations on their way to development.

Our Experience

ACTED strives to share experiences and expertise

with other actors working in development

cooperation, with whom we share common values.

ACTED has joined Alliance2015

(www.alliance2015.org), a partnership of seven like-

minded non-government organizations working in

the field of development cooperation and for the

Millennium Development Goals (CESVI from Italy,

Concern Worldwide from Ireland, Welthungerhilfe

from Germany, Hivos from the Netherlands, IBIS

from Denmark, People in Need from the Czech

Republic). ACTED is also member of Voice

(www.ngovoice.org), the European network

representing 85 European non-governmental

organizations active in humanitarian aid

worldwide, as well of CoordinationSud

(www.coordinationsud.org), the French network for

relief agencies.


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2. Sri Lanka Country Profile and Outlook

Sri Lanka is an island country of 65,610 sq km

located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern

cost of India. Its population is estimated to be

approximately 20 Mill in 2010 with an annual

population growth rate of 0.7%.

Sri Lanka gained independence from the United

Kingdom in 1948 after nearly 450 years of

colonization by various western powers. Since

independence national politics have been

characterized by tensions between the Sinhalese

majority and the Tamil minority. The Liberation

Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) undertook military and

terrorist operations in pursuit of an independent

homeland in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka for the

Tamil minority from the early 1980s until their

defeat in May 2009. The final stages of the war saw

intense fighting resulting in the mass displacement

of about 280,000 people living in the heavy conflict

affected mainland area of the Northern Province

(also called the Vanni) to Internally Displaced

People (IDP) camps.

With the end of the war, the government of SriLanka called for the redevelopment of the nation

and there are many reconstruction opportunities in

the North and East of the island. By the end of

2010, the authorities, together with the

international community, had resettled

approximately 330,000 persons to their areas of

origin and only 20,000 IDPs were still in camps with

the remaining in host families.1 The resettlement

process is expected to be completed by mid-2011.

However, people returning to the Vanni are facing

dire living conditions in their war-ravaged homeregion: widespread destruction of infrastructure, a

prevalent mine risk and a lack of resources and

social services to meet basic needs in food, water,

shelter, sanitation and education, all of which are

not sufficiently mitigated by the limited aid which

has so far trickled into the area.

1,000 km of Sri Lankas Eastern and Southern coast

line was hit by the 2004 Tsunami which killed

35,000 people and displaced 450,000. The

country needed about 2.2 billion USD to effectively

1Source: UNHCR

Map of Sri Lanka

implement a recovery and reconstruction strategy

which can be considered as successfully

accomplished by now.

Despite Sri Lankas almost three decades of civil

war, the devastating 2004 Tsunami and the 2008

global financial crisis (which required the country to

take an IMF loan), economic growth has

experienced healthy and impressive rates of about

5.5% per annum for most of this centurys first

decade. The GDP growth in 2010 even peaked at

7.5%. Sri Lankas Gross National Income (GNI) percapita is 2,013 USD (2008) and therefore the

country is characterized as a lower-middle income

country. Its life expectancy of 74.4 years and

literacy rate of 91 percent are far higher than most

of its South-Asian neighbors. However, the

economic growth has been uneven and many

provinces, especially the Eastern and Northern

Province, are lagging behind. High growth rate is

mainly in the Western province and accounts for a

50% GDP contribution reflecting uneven

distribution of employment and income.


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Selected Human Development Index Indicators Sri Lanka South Asia World

Human Development Index (HDI) Value 0.658 (91) 0.516 0.624

GDP Per Capita, PPP (in US$) 4,886 3,417 10,631

GNI Per Capita (in US$) 2,013 954 664

Live Expectancy at Birth 74.4 65.1 69.3

Adult Literacy Rate % 90.6 62.4 N/A

Maternal Mortality Rate per 100,000 Live Births 58 454 273

% of Population living below Poverty Line of 1.25 US$ 14.0 N/A N/A

Average Annual Population Growth % 0.7 1.4 1.1

Expenditure on Health Per Capita, PPP (in US$) 179 123 869

Source: Human Development Report 2010

Sri Lanka's Progress on Achieving t he Mi llenium Development Goals (MDGs)

Millennium Development Goals Target Progress

To halve the number of people who live on less than $1 a day Not on track

To halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger Not on track

Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, girls and boys alike, will be able to complete a full

primary schoolingOn track

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education and in all levels of education no

later than 2015Partly on track

Reduce by two-thirds, the under-five mortality rate On track

Reduce by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 the maternal mortality rate On track

Have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS On track

Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse, the incidence of malaria and other major diseasesPartly on track

Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and

reverse the loss of environmental resourcesNot on track

Halve by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and

basic sanitation.On track

Source: National Council for Economic Development

The outlook for Sri Lanka in 2011 2015 is

considered by many as positive as the country will

profit from a peace dividend following the end of

the civil war. GDP growth between 2011 and 2015 is

expected to average 6.6% a year. The agricultural

sector will be supported by increased cultivation in

the formerly conflict-affected Northern and Eastern

Provinces. The recovery in consumer and business

confidence is also expected to stimulate economic

activity while private consumption growth is set to

become the main driver of economic expansion,

fuelled by rising incomes - notably among

agricultural workers - and remittances from

expatriate Sri Lankans.

Four pillars

are thought to support investment: large scale

reconstruction efforts in the North and East; public

investment in infrastructure which was long

neglected during the civil war; business investment,

as companies seek to capture market share amid

the economic growth and rising real-estate

investment.2 Given this positive outlook, Sri Lanka

however needs to bridge the gap between the

regions and facilitate Pro-Poor Growth (PPG) to

eradicate poverty, especially among the rural

population outside the Western Province. ACTEDs

2011 2013 Sri Lanka Country Strategy is geared

towards this need.

2Source: Economist Intelligence Unit, Nov. 2010


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3. ACTED in Sri Lanka

3.1. A Short History of ACTED in Sri Lanka

ACTED Sri Lanka launched its operations in January

2005, in the immediate aftermath of the December

2004 Tsunami. Interventions in 2005 and early 2006

were focused on providing immediate disaster relief

followed by rehabilitation activities to Tsunami-

affected populations in the Eastern Province.

However, the massive internal displacement which

resulted from the resumption of the conflict

between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government in

the East in August 2006 required ACTED to adapt itsstrategy to the

changing context and

needs of the

population. ACTED

therefore took a lead

role in implementing

emergency water,

sanitation and

hygiene interventions

for 16,000 IDPs,

alongside its Tsunami-related rehabilitation

activities.Wat er provision in IDP Camps

As the government took control of the East in mid-

2007 and civilians returned to their homes, ACTED

once more shifted its focus and began

implementing post-conflict reconstruction projects

along with the last major Tsunami-related

reconstruction activities, both of which focused on

the provision of livelihood support and

rehabilitation of critical infrastructure.

Livelihood Suppor t in Batt icaloa District

However, while the situation calmed down in the

East and interventions were slowly shifting towards

longer-term development, the violence spread to

the North in 2008, causing the displacement of over280,000 people and prompting ACTED to expand its

operations and address the critical basic needs of

IDPs in camps. The scope of ACTEDs operations in

2009 therefore spanned both the East through

projects geared towards economic development,

food security and civil society strengthening, and

the North with a focus on emergency relief through

water, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities.

With the end of the conflict in May 2009 and the

fast-moving return process under way, ACTEDadapted its strategy once more in 2010 by covering

short-term relief and rehabilitation interventions

for returnees in the North combined with longer-

term development activities in the East. In the

North, activities focused largely on ensuring

livelihood and food security through Cash-for-Work,

micro-enterprise development, distribution of boats

and fishing gear and shelter provision, while

building the foundation

for long-term

sustainable recovery.This included the re-

habilitation and con-

struction of pro-

ductive infrastructure.

ACTEDs 2010 activities

in the North amounted

to 210 Mill. LKR - 8.5%

of the overall total

amount spent by the

NGO sector on the

resettlement process. Cash-based rehabili tati on ofproductive assets

In the East, ACTEDs longer-term development

activities aimed at strengthening Civil Society

Organizations (CSOs) in representing public needs

and engaging in local development planning and

management while monitoring service delivery of

state actors thus contributing to improved local

governance in the area. ACTED also supported

community-led socio-economic development

through a holistic, multi-pronged approach

including infrastructure, livelihood, psychosocial

and conflict mitigation components, with special

attention paid to persons with disabilities.


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0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

2007 2008 2009 2010

Total

Budget

ACTED

Direct

Implementation

by ACTED

Implementation

throughPartners

ACTED Sri Lanka Budget Evolution 2007 - 2010 (in EUR)

3.2. ACTEDs Presence in Sri Lanka since 2010

3.3. ACTEDs Donors in 2010

3.4. ACTEDs Partners in 2010

3.5. Financial Resources


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4. ACTED Sri Lanka Strategy 2011 2013

4.1. M ission Statement

ACTED aims to contribute to the eradication of

poverty in Sri Lanka by facilitating equitable pro-

poor economic growth and decentralized

development management while promoting

sustainable environmental resource use.

4.2. Strat egic Sectors of Intervention

ACTEDs 2011-2013 strategy in Sri Lanka is focused

on four pillars: Pillar 1: Agricultural Livelihoods and Economic

Development;

Pillar 2: Local Governance; Pillar 3: Environment and Natural Resource

Management;

Pillar 4: Cross-Cutting and Other Aspects.

4.2.1. Pillar 1: Agricultural Livelihoods and

Economic Development

Sector AnalysisOver 70% of the rural population in Sri Lanka

depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, a figure

in stark contrast with the relatively meager

contribution of the agricultural sector to national

GDP, valued at 11.7% in 20103. Low GDP value

reflects the fact that 90% of the population living

under the poverty rate is part of the rural

agricultural economy, illustrating the need for

rapidly increasing agricultural productivity to reduce

poverty. Most affected are the former conflict-affected regions in the North and East, where over

60% of the population relies on cultivation,

livestock rearing or fishing for food and income

security. Almost three decades of conflict took a

heavy toll on critical infrastructure, land, livelihood

assets and access to services, leaving the East and

North isolated from national and regional markets,

distribution channels and development

opportunities. Smallholder agriculture remains

predominant with an average of 60% of households

owning less than a hectare of land.

3Source: World Food Programme

Decades of blockades and access restrictions in

former conflict-affected areas, combined with poor

roads, limited storage facilities and high

transportation costs have prevented the formationof extensive local, national and regional market

linkages, trapping the farming population in a

vicious cycle of subsistence agriculture with few

export-focused cash crops and limited capacity for

value addition. In the North in particular, the

realization of economies of scale through a system

of common marketing or collective transportation is

problematic due to the widespread destruction of

community infrastructure, making such initiatives

more difficult to organize. In addition, the

persistent state of isolation of the area from therest of the country has prevented farmers from

accessing better quality inputs (including better

fertilizers and seeds) as well as improved

technology and innovative cultivation methods.

Income diversification is equally difficult given the

lack of opportunities for vocational training and

business expansion, compounded by limited access

to credit, especially in the North. Agricultural

households that also operate a small business

experience a 50% reduction in their poverty rate,according to the World Bank4, reflecting the dire

need to support small and medium business

creation and market linkages in former conflict

areas. Increasing productivity and diversifying

income is all the more important as food remains

the main household expenditure, with the majority

of returned households in the North still spending

65% of their income on food as of December 20105,

more than 18 months after the end of the conflict.

Economic growth in the North and East hastherefore significantly lagged behind the rest of the

country as it moves towards achieving middle-

income status and opens up to global markets and

foreign investment. The biggest challenge is

therefore to empower populations excluded from

this process to move beyond subsistence

agriculture, establish sustainable livelihoods with

substantial potential for growth, and profit from the

wealth of economic opportunities which have

accrued to Sri Lanka since the war ended.

4Source: World Bank Sri Lanka Country Assistance

Strategy 2011-20135

Source: World Food Programme


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ACTED Response Strategy

Sector Objective

ACTED Sri Lanka recognises that pro-poor economicgrowth involves promoting competitive

agriculturally focused interventions along with

labour-intensive industrialisation that encourages

adding value to local produce, promotes trade links

and encourages a business-friendly environment for

the poor. ACTED Sri Lanka considers agriculture as a

key sector due to a number of factors including: a)

the number of people making a living from it as well

as its overall contribution to the GDP; b) the

importance of supplying agricultural products to

urban areas; c) its potential for generating savingsto invest in non-farm sectors; and d) its contribution

to the overall food security and nutrition of the Sri

Lankan population.

In addition, agriculture and natural resources will

have an increasingly important role to play in the

context of climate change and rising food prices.

Far-reaching changes in Sri Lankas domestic market

but also in global markets are creating

opportunities for farmers and agribusinessentrepreneurs. The demand for high-value primary

and processed products is quickly increasing, driven

by rising incomes, faster urbanisation, liberalised

trade, foreign investment and advancing

technology. But the new markets demand quality,

timely deliveries and economies of scale, posing

special challenges for smallholders.

Activities

1. Increasing agricultural productivity ofsmallholder farmers through the adoption ofeffective, locally appropriate and

environmentally sustainable agricultural

technologies

Introduction of improved cropping systems,including promotion of System of Rice

Intensification (SRI), Rice Good Agricultural

Practice (Rice GAP), Integrated Pest

Management (IPM) and Integrated Plant

Nutrition System (IPNS) in paddy cultivation.

This component also includes crop

diversification, the promotion of organicfarming to exploit niche markets and soil

fertility management. It will be achieved

through facilitating sustainable linkages

between farmer organizations and national

institutions of technology generation and

dissemination. Crop yield competitions which create a

healthy, competitive spirit among farmers

and develop motivation for the adoption of

new technologies which are essential for

increasing the productivity of crops. Also, it

encourages farmers participation in

extension programs.

Water resource management with a focus onlocal solutions to seasonal water shortages

and the promotion of water saving

technology such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems. This component

also includes the rehabilitation of existing

agricultural water facilities.

A farmer showing his paddy

2. Improving market linkages resulting in higherand more regular incomes for farmers

Building the capacity of farmer organizationsto take advantage of market opportunities(promotion of pooling systems and creation

of economies of scale, facilitation of buy-back

arrangements, link with private sector, agri-

marketing information system).

Rehabilitation and construction of storagefacilities.

Value addition of agriculture based products.3.Small and medium enterprise (SME)

development

Transformation of mainly CBO or cooperative-based production and value addition into

privately and professionally run small and

medium sized businesses which create formal


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employment opportunities enabling the

poorest to access work.

Facilitate business registration. Provision of small-scale start-up and/or

expansion capital.

Developing business, managerial, accountingand technical skills.

Grocery store owner support ed by ACTED

4. Facilitating access to micro-credit Internal: Promotion of minimal risk, savings-

based approaches to financial resource

mobilization. External: Creating linkages with Microfinance

Institutions (MFIs) and/or banks.

4.2.2. Pil lar 2: Local Governance

Sector AnalysisThe local government system of Sri Lanka has a very

long history. Village level governance was a mainfeature of Sri Lankas system of governance and

dates back to the Sinhalese kingdoms in the fourth

century B.C. Todays system of local governance is

based on the 13th

constitutional amendment of

1987 which stipulates a dichotomous service

delivery system whereby the responsibility of

service delivery is shared between a) line ministries

and agencies of the central government, through

their local administration at the district (District

Secretariats) and local governments at the

divisional level (Divisional Secretary Divisions), andb) the devolved government structure, comprising

elected local governments at the provincial and

local level: the Provincial Councils (PCs), the

Municipal and Urban Councils (MC/UC) and the

Pradeshiya Sabhasat the local level.

However, in the Northern and Eastern Provinces,decades of conflict hampered if not stopped the

local government in playing its assigned roles and

responsibilities in delivery of development and

administrative services, yet the administration was

largely in place during the conflict and maintains a

high degree of institutional capacity. In addition,

the conflict has weakened links between state and

non-state actors and eroded populations trust in

these sub-units of governance. With the end of the

war, the civil administration began to re-establish

itself, in order to oversee the on-the-groundplanning, delivery, coordination and monitoring of

the return effort. There is now need to ensure

increased and more predictable access to key

government services with a special attention to

functionality of service, delivery timelines,

transparency and accountability, and attention to

the needs of the most vulnerable which will

generate a peace dividend benefitting the people of

the Northern and Eastern Province.6

In addition, the planning processes of the localgovernments are currently fragmented and despite

the formal existence of a participatory process

through the GN function, there is very limited

involvement of and accountability towards the

population when preparing local plans and budgets.

As such, policies and programs are often not

relevant, representative and inclusive and therefore

may not address the real issues faced by local

communities and their most vulnerable members.7

Sri Lanka has a long history of village-level

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) formed toidentify and address shared problems. These groups

have demonstrated potential to drive a grassroots

development process, improve rural access to

services and markets, and contribute to a more

equitable, democratic and peaceful society, but

they continue to face a number of constraints: The

conflict has left the majority of the registered CBOs

either inactive, weak and ineffective, or politicized.

In addition, most established CBOs face institutional

and operational challenges to follow their original

6Source: Joint Plan for Assistance for the Northern

Province 2011.7

Source: UNDP Local Governance Project


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mandate, as well as minimal ability to access

financial resources, preventing them from

becoming powerful change actors in their

communities. Consequently, there has been amarked decrease in lobbying at the government

level for development initiatives, and corresponding

failure to hold government accountable to its

actions. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and

especially CBOs are not well connected to local

authorities and do not actively demand

improvements to government service provision.

The CBO leaders are often not familiar with the CBO

coordination processes and with working with the

state agents to meet their needs. In addition, CBOs

continue acting independently of each other andfail to pool their interests in order to amplify their

vis--vis the government. CBO coordination bodies

with the mandate to organize collective CBO

interests are weak, resource poor and unaware of

relevant procedures for incorporating CBO needs

into government plans. Therefore, there is an

urgent need to support local civil society

organizations and link them effectively to the local

administration to ensure their voices are heard.


Sector Objective

ACTED Sri Lanka believes that decentralized

development management and the promotion of

good local governance produces producing a

favorable environment to effectively address the

various manifestations of rural poverty. Therefore,

ACTED Sri Lanka aims at strengthening civil society

in representing public needs and engaging in local

development management while monitoring

service delivery of state actors.

Activities

1. Developing the capacity of CBOs to act asaccountable and transparent service providers

that complement government functions and to

represent their communities needs vis--vis

state actors

Strengthening the institutional andoperational capacity of CBOs in the following

aspects: a) capacity to plan and implement

community action, b) financial management,c) administrative management, d)

participation and group dynamics, and e)

external linkages.

Enhancing CBO financial self-sustainability bya) promoting minimal risk, savings-basedapproaches to financial resource mobilization

(such as internal savings and loan

associations), b) supporting CBO-based small

and medium enterprise development; c)

facilitating access to credit.

Supporting community-led planning anddevelopment through the creation of Village

Development Plans (VDPs). The plans identify

constraints and root problems faced by the

communities the CBOs represent and outline

a clear action plan to address these issuesusing resources from the community itself

and from state and non-state actors. To a

limited scale, and as an incentive for kick

starting the VDP implementation process,

small grants of between $5,000 and $10,000

may be allocated to CBOs through a

competitive process.

Enhancing CBO understanding of financialresources with a particular focus on assisting

CBOs to access financial resources both

public and private in order to implement agreater number of the development activities

identified by their representative

communities.

CBO members conducting a SWOT analysis

2. Promoting networking among civil societygroups and develop the capacity of CBO

networks and coordination bodies to pool CBO

interests in order to amplify their voice andinfluence vis--vis the local government


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3. Promoting linkages between state and non-stateactors to improve the quality of service delivery

and enhance accountability

Strengthening the ability of local governmentunits to interact with civil society. On a

limited scale, this includes the provision of

necessary equipment.

Promoting the inclusion of CBO-created VDPsinto local level government planning and

management (Divisional and District

Development Plans) in order to strengthen

the relevance of grassroots and district level

public policies and ensure that their

implementation fits the needs of the local

communities. In addition, specific assistanceto strengthen planning and coordination

functions of the District and Divisional

Secretariats, especially in the area of

information management, GIS mapping and

monitoring will be provided.

Publishing Service Providers Handbooks. Localgovernment institutions and private sector

actors have substantial pools of expertise and

deliver a number of important services.

Through CBO networks, Service Providers

Handbook will be created and widelydistributed so as to increase community

awareness of available services and increase

the legitimacy of the networks as

representatives of CBOs.

4.2.3. Pillar 3: Environment and Natural

Resource M anagement

Sector AnalysisSri Lanka is endowed with many natural resources

whose management is critical to the rural poors

ability to improve livelihoods and to exit from

poverty. However, the countrys natural resource

base has been threatened by unsustainable

agricultural and fishing activities, population

pressure, rising industrial demand, the impact of

years of conflict as well as increasing dependence of

rural communities on natural resources.

Intensification of agricultural production has

contributed to serious degradation of land and

coastal resources. Deforestation is one of the most

serious environmental issues in Sri Lanka. In the

1940s, the island had a 45% forest cover but by

2010 this had fallen to approximately 29%

according to FAO. Between 1990 and 2010, Sri

Lanka lost 20.9% of its forest cover (around 490,000ha), at an average of 24,500 ha or 1.04% per year.

Sri Lanka has had one of the highest deforestation

rates of primary forests in the world. This has a

considerable impact on livelihoods and the

economy as deforestation contributes to landslides,

flooding, soil loss, and productivity losses.8

The soils suffer from varying degrees of erosion and

degradation mainly due to rapid rates of

deforestation, poor irrigation and drainage practice,

inadequate soil conservation, chena cultivation andvegetable cultivation in steep slopes and

overgrazing. It has been estimated that about 46%

of the land in the country has been affected by soil

erosion.

The coastal environment has been threatened due

to the erosion of coastal areas (about 1 meter per

year) due to river damming, sand mining, collection

of coral rubble and removal of costal vegetation.

Salinisation of paddy land has become a trend due

to the reduction of flood buffering capacity ofmangroves, lagoons and estuaries. Coral reefs have

been degraded as a result of human activities

(including tourism) and increased sea temperatures.

Proper management of solid and liquid waste is

critical issue, particularly in urban areas around

industrial sites as well as former IDP camp and

newly-resettled areas after the conflict. However,

the present method of solid waste disposal is

mainly open discarding in low-lying lands. Lack of

sites for use for waste disposal has been a major

impediment in resolving the issue. The impact ofthis practice is pollution of wetland habitats,

pollution of surface and ground water and creation

of environments facilitating insect/mosquito

breeding.

Although well endowed with water resources,

waters are getting increasingly polluted especially

due to unsustainable agricultural and fishing

practices with extensive use of agro-chemical and

fertilizers, urbanization and industrialization.9

8Source: FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment (2010)

and FAO State of the Worlds Forests (2009)9

Source: Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources


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Sector Objective

The majority of Sri Lankas most vulnerable peoplelive in marginalised rural areas, depending on

natural resources and the environment for their

livelihoods. Natural resources also often provide a

means of survival during emergencies. ACTED

believes that sustainable and efficient

environmental resource management and

preservation are crucial elements of poverty

alleviation in rural and coastal areas and should

therefore be integrated into any interventions

aimed at reducing socio-economic vulnerability

ACTEDs objective is to increase equitable access toand sustainably control of natural resources

through community management. This reflects both

a conservation as well as a rural development

strategy.

There are strong links between components in this

sector and components in the agricultural

livelihoods and economic development pillar. Also,

some of the activities are closely linked to Disaster

Risk Reduction (DRR) as poor environmental

resource management can intensify the impact ofnatural disasters, contributing to entrenched

poverty.

Activities

1. Improve liquid and solid waste management inrural areas by emphasizing the economic value

of waste thereby facilitating the improvement of

sanitation and livelihoods without contaminating

land and water resources

Conversion of the biodegradable componentof the households garbage to compost sothat it could be utilized as a garden soil

fertilizer.

Promotion of ECOSAN latrines as analternative approach for healthy and

economically sustainable sanitation. By

separating solid and liquid human waste, this

latrine offers a safe sanitation solution that

prevents disease and promotes health by

successfully and hygienically removing

pathogen-rich excreta from the immediate

environment. It is environmentally sound as itdoes not contaminate groundwater and also

recovers and recycles the nutrients from the

excreta. This therefore creates a valuable

resource rather than a mere waste product,

which can reduce the need for artificial

fertilizers in agriculture.

2.Community-based rehabilitation and restorationof degraded land areas to improve income and

reduce risks of disaster such as flooding and soil

erosion

Tree planting, especially multi-purpose treespecies which promote agro-forestry such as

Palmyra, coconut and fruit trees. These trees

also have great potential for value-added

productive activities, thus contributing to the

economic development of the area.

3.Promotion of Green Entrepreneurship amongsmall and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Cleaner production by introducing technicalinnovations, where possible with indigenous

or locally produced technology and improved

resource efficiency (materials, water, energy).

Greening the supply chain by inducingenvironmental practices as part of the market

push-pull mechanism in the whole chain of

production. Consumer awareness raising and marketing of

eco-products.

4.2.4. Pillar 4: Cross-Cutting and Other

Aspects

Emergency Response

ACTED will maintain its capacity to provide timely

and reliable humanitarian assistance to victims ofnatural and/or human-made disasters in Sri Lanka.

During its presence in Sri Lanka, and the disasters

ACTED has responded to from the Tsunami to the

IDP crisis in the East and North ACTED Sri Lanka

has particular in-house experience in the following

activities:

Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion; Improving short-term access to food and non-

food relief items (free distributions);

Rapid shelter provision; Protecting and restoring livelihood assets(provision of tools, seeds, fishing gear, etc); Building of community infrastructure and

assets through cash-based programmes.


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Woman Empowerment and Gender Equalit y

ACTED Sri Lanka systematically considers gender

equality in all its interventions. It is not only a

question of rights, but when women are givenopportunities, the benefits are large for their

families, their communities and ultimately for

national development efforts. Womens economic

empowerment puts poverty reduction on the fast

track and supports progress towards achieving the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Advocacy

A key to pro poor growth and poverty reduction is

the analysis of how the external environment

affects the livelihood options of vulnerablecommunities. ACTED strives to explore the impact

of these external factors for local and national level

advocacy work.


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4. ACTED Sri Lanka Principles

Ownership

All of ACTEDs intervention are developed with the

active participation of all stakeholders and

especially those whom the interventions aim to

benefit. ACTED always aims to ensure that

vulnerable populations are central to and own the

process and benefits that derives from our

activities.

Sustainability

ACTEDs intervention aim to be sustainable. We are

striving to help vulnerable communities meet their

needs independently and sustainably through local

involvement in, and ownership of our interventions,

while preserving environmental resources so that

these needs can be met not only in the present, but

also for generations to come.

Empowerment

ACTED focuses on mobilizing the self-help efforts of

vulnerable communities, rather than providing free

social welfare. We are supporting vulnerable

communities to develop their own capacities and

capabilities to address root factors of vulnerabilityaffecting them.

Equality

When necessary, ACTEDs intervention may

challenge social structures, norms and relations

if they impede livelihood security and pro-poor

growth, particularly for women and extremely

vulnerable individuals such as Female-Headed

Households and Persons with Disability.

Appropriateness

ACTEDs interventions of building stocks of capital

aim to be appropriate, practical and achievable

without exposing our primary stakeholders to

excessive new risks.

Working in Partnerships

ACTED works with a wide array of partners. ACTED

closely coordinates and collaborates with lineministries and national and local authorities.

Whenever possible and where an added value is

realized, ACTED implements with and through local

partners. This helps us ensure that our programs

meet local needs and are sustainable due to local

involvement in and ownership of the interventions.

The partners benefit from technical assistance,

capacity building, administrative structures and

resources provided by ACTED.

Micro-to-Macro SynergiesACTEDs interventions, often implemented at micro-

level, aim, where appropriate, at informing policy

and contribute to local and national policies where

they exist. Influencing macro-level policy can have

an impact on the lives of the most vulnerable.


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Documents

Sri Lanka Country Strategy Paper 2011 - 2013 - Acted