Sri Lanka State of the Environment Report : The Monthly Overview, September 2013
A new climate change mitigation project to promote sustainable biomass energy production and modern bio-energy technologies commenced in Sri Lanka . Read more in this first Monthly Sri Lanka State of the Environment Report published by the South Asia Environment Portal. September 2013 Edition is out! Download, Read and Share. Happy reading!
ENVIRONMENT
A new climate change mitigation project to promote sustainable biomass energy production and modern bio-energy technologies in Sri Lanka commenced with an inception workshop on September 17, 2013.
LAND, AGRICULTURE, GRAZING LANDS AND ANIMAL CARE
The Sri Lankan Agriculture Ministry has cultivated traditional paddy varieties in 5,000 acres of land in 11 districts. The Russian Federation has offered to provide infrastructure facilities to develop Sri Lanka’s agro industries, including vegetable, fruit cultivation and production of liquid milk.
FLOODS, DROUGHTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS
The Seismic Data and Tsunami Alert Centre (SDTAC) of Sri Lanka Geological Survey and Mines Bureau said that a tremor measuring 2.8 at Richter scale was reported from Lunugala area in Badulla in the Uva Province.
HABITAT
A National Housing Policy in Sri Lanka has been drafted by construction sector experts to strengthen the Janasevana National Housing Initiative, combining decades of expertise in the provision of housing. China has assured Sri Lanka of further assistance to develop the island's tourism industry and raise the country's living standards by launching various industry-related programs and increasing job opportunities.
WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION
Sri Lanka's Opposition and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe in parliament questioned the awarding of a contract to a Chinese company for a major water supply project. The creation of a Sri Lanka devoid of garbage is one aim of this government under the Mahinda Chinthana national development program, Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.
HEALTH AND OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS
The dengue death rate in Sri Lanka is 0.3 percent at the moment and it is expected to decrease further to 0.1 percent by 2016, a Health Ministry spokesperson said. The Epidemiology Unit of the Sri Lankan Health Ministry has reported that there have been over 2,900 Leptospirosis, better known as rat fever cases, from the beginning of January.
South Asia is confronting an increasing burden of diseases from non-communicable sources as it continues to fight communicable diseases as well that kill scores of children every year and are the causes of maternal mortality, said a World Bank study. Annually 20,000 Sri Lankans die from smoking and state hospitals spend Rs. 12 billion to treat persons falling sick due to smoking, the spokesman said.
ENERGY
Treasury officials will hold crucial discussions with the officials of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India in Colombo next week, to iron out the financial disparities in the forthcoming 500 MW Sampur Power Project in Trincomalee, some senior officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said. Sri Lanka Minister of Technology Research and Atomic Energy Champika Ranawaka said that the Atomic Energy Act would be amended.