Affidavit filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam in the matter of news item titled "the last feral horses in India" appearing in Mongabay, November 5, 2024. The matter relates to the critically endangered status of feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park as well as of smuggling of these …
This report reflects the changes in the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program’s operational plan for the period 2016–2025, in particular on priority projects resulting from a rigorous vetting process. This involves defining SASEC transport and energy networks and identifying priority projects based on preparedness and their roles in …
Over the last decade, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has explored the use of fecal sludge (FS) in combination with other organic waste sources to optimize FS treatment and composting for the production of a safe organic fertilizer, which can – depending on demand – be enriched with crop …
Tobacco impedes sustainable development. Through the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2030 project, UNDP partners with the Convention Secretariat and WHO to support fifteen low- and middle-income countries to strengthen tobacco control in line with the SDGs. These investment case reports analyze countries' current social and economic …
Sri Lanka has made health history after spending three years free of any new measles cases (The Indian Express, July 10), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the deadly childhood infection has been eliminated in the island nation. In contrast, India has a long road ahead, particularly …
Dengue has become a major public health problem in Sri Lanka with a considerable economic burden. As a response, in June, 2014, the Ministry of Health initiated a proactive vector control programme in partnership with military and police forces, known as the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) programme, that was targeted at …
Sri Lanka is seeking greater international protection for several lizard species found nowhere else on Earth. The country hosts the next meeting of CITES next month, where it will propose several endemic lizard species for inclusion in the convention’s Appendix I, including the Knuckles pygmy lizard (Cophotis dumbara), considered critically …
International regulations designed to limit the environmental impact of electronic waste could be making the problem worse, experts in Southeast Asia say. The region’s e-waste sector has been under the spotlight since news broke in May last year of an e-waste smuggling ring in Thailand. One firm implicated in the …
Farmers and authorities throughout Asia need to be vigilant against fall armyworm invasions, after confirmation that the fast-moving pest has spread from India to China and now to South-East Asia, agricultural experts say. Farmers and authorities throughout Asia need to be vigilant against fall armyworm invasions, after confirmation that the …
Environmental groups involved in talks at a United Nations conference in Kenya have accused the US of blocking an ambitious global response to plastic pollution. Representatives of countries at the UN environment conference in Nairobi this week agreed to significantly reduce single-use plastics over the next decade but the voluntary …
Sri Lanka hosts the latest CITES conference this May, where member states will consider proposals for protections for a wide range of species. The host country has proposed several endemic lizard species for inclusion in CITES Appendix I, including the Knuckles pygmy lizard (Cophotis dumbara), a critically endangered species. Organizers …
Sri Lanka's Health Ministry will introduce e-health cards by the end of this year, which will uplift the country's free state health sector, local media reported Thursday. Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the e-cards will include all the health information of an individual citizen which will make free health care …
A reliable supply of water is critical for agricultural intensification and yield improvement. Technological devices that lift, transport and apply water contribute to increased yield from improved crop varieties and high input cultivation. The increasing use of motor pumps is a significant contribution to the development of small-scale irrigation. The …
Sri Lanka is facing a challenging macroeconomic landscape. The post-conflict high growth momentum has decelerated. A volatile global environment and structurally weak competitiveness continue to weaken growth and external sector performance. High interest costs mask limited fiscal improvement. While outlook remains stable conditional on political stability and reform implementation, the …
This country diagnostic assessment seeks to strengthen financial preparedness for disasters in Sri Lanka, focusing on insurance and other risk transfer instruments. It explores the current application of disaster risk financing solutions by the government, businesses, and individual households; related demand and supply constraints; and opportunities for improvement. The assessment …
Sri Lanka's Air Force and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Business Development have agreed to launch the first ever Cloud Seeding Project in a bid to address the issue of impact of dry weather on power generation in Sri Lanka. The Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development, Ravi …
Sri Lanka will get USD 200 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank to implement a project to strengthen the country's primary health care system, the Finance Ministry said. The financing agreement of the Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project was signed by …
Officials from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will visit Tel Aviv next month to participate in the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM), the Jerusalem Post reported. The leading tourism event, 25th annual international tourism exhibition, IMTM 2019 will be held at the Tel Aviv Convention Center on February 12-13, …
The proposal made by Minister of Finance and Mas Media, Mangala Samaraweera to obtain the support of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of a light rail system in the Colombo city has received the Cabinet approval. The Japan International Cooperation Agency has agreed to provide financial …
President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered officials to prepare a plan in the new year to alleviate poverty in the country. Addressing public officials at the Polonnaruwa District Secretariat, the President emphasised the need to eliminate the drug menace and bolster projects that were already underway to tackle the drug menace. …
