Commonwealth

This project seeks to empower communities in Sri Lanka impacted by climate change, environmental degradation, and related adverse development to better engage in local governance of climate related matters and support advocacy by civil society, women’s groups, and youth. We propose to work with six climate change impacted and at-risk communities in Sri Lanka which are affected by climate impacts that are representative in Sri Lanka. We shall work with these communities to collaboratively gather, synthesize and make available in formation such as local climate hazard and vulnerability analysis, expert assessments, and enable access to ongoing work by the local, central governments, and related projects. We shall facilitate an analysis of the problems faced with the involvement of relevant experts. An online community information system and a dissemination system shall support climate change and climate change governance literacy while improving climate and impact monitoring, in these locales.

Project title: Empowering Vulnerable Communities Engagement in Governance and Advocacy through Improved Understanding and Engagement on Climate

Problem:

In Sri Lanka, climate change is demonstrably affecting water supply, coral reefs, climatic disasters such as floods, drought, cyclones, and landslides. In addition to that, food, water, and energy insecurity, and human-wildlife conflicts have been exacerbated. Serious climate-related problems are experienced at the local scale and there is a shortfall in how these are recognized and addressed even while the central government pitches these as national concerns overseas. Even when the necessary laws and regulations are in place, little resilience is protected or new measures are put in place. Allocated funds are misdirected for short-term benefits. Development projects and construction projects led by the powerful such as construction into public spaces and allocation of forests for private use are by local politicians and officials. These are causing damage to health, livelihoods, animal habitats, and wellbeing especially the marginalized communities.

As most politicians (of the members of parliament 5% are female) and higher officials are male through this program we intend to promote the engagement of women in the roles of increasing climate resilience and local governance. In our experience, the youth in Sri Lanka are extremely conscious of the threat posed by climate but are stymied in addressing them due to the lack of evidence and access to information. While there is great consciousness of issues of inequity and justice around climate, a movement towards climate justice has arisen as yet.

Access to Information, Transparency, and support for Climate Justice alone will help set the stage to promote good governance. A clear understanding of the causes and effects will help effective engagement of the civil society, women, and youth with the local governance and the civil society can help to implement existing laws, to ensuring budgeting priorities are met and to come to reforming laws and regulations as needed.

Objectives:

What
we expect is a transformation of civil society and youth and women in these
affected communities from being concerned but unable to influence and engage in
governance to civil society to one that is empowered to contribute to effective
governance and lead advocacy. Access to information and transparency shall lead
to local level pressure for improved governance of climate related issues on
health, disaster risks and environment.We expect an elevated climate literacy in the civil
society, the youth, the women and migrant workers in the selected vulnerable
areas. Access to information on climate vulnerabilities, ongoing impacts, and
climate related laws, regulations and policies are needed in order for the
climate vulnerable communities to engage in improved climate governance and
advocacy.

We expect an elevated climate literacy in the civil society, the youth, the women and migrant workers in the selected vulnerable areas. Access to information on climate vulnerabilities, ongoing impacts, and climate related laws, regulations and policies are needed in order for the climate vulnerable communities to engage in improved climate governance and advocacy.

We expect the active and effective engagement of the climate change affected people in improving local governance. The project shall promote engagement in monitoring and interpreting climate monitoring systems to make better day-to-day decisions.

We anticipate the communities to be more engaged in protecting the natural resources around them that provide resilience. We expect the vulnerable to be more familiar with the laws, regulation, policies and relief funds available to them on local, regional and international level.

We expect civil society especially the youth and women taking action to reverse climate change and protecting the environment. Also, we anticipate the local governance to be more attentive towards solving the problems thrown at the vulnerable communities by climate related incidents.

In the short run, we expect that the efforts in these selected locales to lead to grassroots engagement in climate justice actions at the national level. In the short and medium term, there shall come out a group of skilled personnel locally on climate risk.

Partners:

Partner Name	Details of previous collaborations relevant to this project
Puttalam Environmental Watch	We have been working on environmental issues such as the coal power plant, waste dumping issues for the last five years. We have collaborated on maintain instrument networks and various community based organizations.
Akurana Womens Welfare Association	We have been working with them on programs on environmental awareness, health such as dengue prevention, improved solid waste management and home gardens. We have collaborated on information productions. See www.awwa.lk
Newsview Kandy	We have collaborated on outreach, in producing multi-lingual content, journalistic training and in publishing a volume on a river network.