Green Road Trip Project
The proposed project is an initiative of the Centre for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) with the collaboration of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to raise awareness about the concept of Environmental Justice among selected communities across Sri Lanka.
Environmental Justice is defined as the meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Given the nature and diversity of environmental calamities and disasters that were experienced in various regions of Sri Lanka in the recent past, a discourse and awareness on environmental justice in Sri Lanka is a timely need. In light of the fact that most of these environmental issues were results of myopic human activity, it is self-evident that awareness on environmental justice is at an unsatisfactory level. Having recognized this long felt need, the proposed project aims to disseminate knowledge and raise awareness about fundamental concepts of environmental justice throughout the entire country.
01.
The first session of the Green Roadtrip was held over the course of 3 days in Colombo.The opening ceremony was presided over by Senior Professor (Chair) H.D. Karunaratne, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo; along with Prof (Dr.) Sampath Punchihewa, Dean, Faculty of Law; Prof (Dr.) Kokila Konasinghe, Director, Centre for Environmental Law and Policy; and representatives from UNDP. The initial segment of this programme was for public officials from provincial level and local government authorities representing the Western Province, covering national pollution control laws, environmental protection license, public nuisance issues and environmental duties in legislation pertaining to local governments. There were also guest lectures from experts in the field such as Mr. Hemantha Vidanage, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Environmental Justice and Dr. Rathnayaka, Deputy Director of the Central Environmental Authority. The third day of the event targeted youth groups, with around 64 youth participants representing various universities, clubs and societies participating. The session topics selected for youth participants covered environmental justice and sustainable development and saw the lively participation and interaction of the youth groups.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dbA6f-ZDGKPfMmsUTL-ZCQG_fR4sLdQu?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c067lrxpNWgsfPCXocCLQ3_XXMJy-Kxs?usp=sharing
02.
On the first day of the programme public officers from various provincial and local government level authorities representing the Southern Province were educated important topics relevant to public officers as well as area-specific environmental topics such as Environmental Protection License, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Issues and Marine Pollution. There were also guest lectures by distinguished academics in the field such as, Prof. Turney Pradeep Kumara (Senior Lecturer, University of Ruhuna), Prof. A. Sarveswaran (Senior Lecturer, University of Colombo) and Dr. Udapadie Liyanage (Senior Lecturer, University of Colombo). The first day of the session concluded with an awarding of certificates for all participants. The second day of the programme targeted youth groups from the Southern Province representing various Universities, Clubs and Societies. The sessions were on the themes of Environmental Justice, Coastal and Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries. The renowned volunteer organization, ‘The Pearl Protectors’ shared their experiences and insights on the duty of the youth in Marine and Coastal Conservation. The participants also had the opportunity to learn about the legal framework surrounding the Ocean and Fisheries. A special highlight of the agenda was a group activity with elements of role play and investigation on environmental issues. All youth participants were also awarded a certificate for participation.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ySlYiBMzov5ZegVe196s3sG4bKQWjsDg?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18G-9OrrZPIATRCJL5O_q2Uf8nzPZtK8_?usp=sharing
03.
Public officers from the North Western Province’s provincial and municipal level government authorities including officers from the North Western Province Environmental Authority attended the program’s first day of activities. Unique environmental issues that faced in North Western Provinces particularly due to the “North Western ProvinceEnvironmental Statute” was extensively discussed during the proceedings. The agenda also covered a number of other areas important to public officials, like public nuisance, environmental impact assessments, and environmental protection licenses. A special guest lecture was delivered by Senior Attorney-at-Law Mr. Sapumal Bandara, who is highly experienced in legal and environmental issues in the province. The event was also graced with the presence of Mr. Upul Ranaweera, who represented the JURE Project.
Over 100 young people from the North Western Province, representing a variety of universities, clubs, and societies, turned up for the program’s second day. As on the first day of the program, the young participants’ session themes focused on the theme of environmental Justice. A significant portion of the attendees represented the WayambaNational College of Education. The participants were afforded the opportunity to gain knowledge of Sri Lanka’s legal framework pertaining to environmental challenges.Epitome –
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12rcI0NgrQBvlR3VSXSaKuAuxXIw0vIia?usp=sharing
04.
The workshop organized for public officers was held with the participation of public officers representing the Eastern Province. The programme was conducted mainly in Tamil Language to cater to the majority Tamil-speaking audience. Various topics relevant to public officers such as the Environmental laws in Sri Lanka, Public Nuisance, Environmental Protection License, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental duties of Public Officers under the Municipal Council Ordinance/ Pradeshiya Saba Act/ Urban Council Ordinance, were discussed. A practical Group Activity named “Think as a Lawyer” was conducted using case studies based on EPL, Public Nuisance, and EIA. All participants were awarded certificates.
The programme that targeted youth groups, was held with the participation of students representing a few schools in the Eastern Province. The students were selected from Advanced Level classes to ensure the theme was grasped by the audience. The sessions were on the themes of Environmental Laws in Sri Lanka, Environmental Pollution, Coastal and Marine Conservation and Flora and Fauna protection. The participants also had the opportunity of putting the theory in to practice by engaging in a hike surrounded by nature and participating in a group activity. All youth participants were also awarded a certificate for participation.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tq-XYdqwS2-7prD8avcUeE-DcEruRxnK
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kXQa16SjtO315zWPsQ7yoxpZ9-i_Uec-