Background
Location: Moratuwa, Badulla, Matale, Sri Lanka
Dates: 2004-2006
Partners: Sevantha Urban Resources Centre, Clean Development Mechanism Study Centre - University of Perideniya, Thailand Environmental Institute, Municipal councils of Moratuwa, Matale and Badulla
Key Issues: Urban Greening, Capacity Building, Governance, Sustainable Livelihoods
Description
Community initiatives in urban greening were introduced as a strategy to reduce poverty and enhance the environment in three cities in Sri Lanka. The "Greening Package" involved capacity building, community environmental management and income generation. The project was highly successful and was presented in 2006 at the World Urban Forum and at the Mayors' Forum in Sri Lanka. Urban Greening has been incorporated as a line item in the budgets of the participating cities and the project has inspired other cities in the region to adopt urban greening.
The achievements over three years include:
- High community participation, especially among women who account for 90% of the participants.
- The creation of approximately 300 home gardens and the implementation of home composting programs in 100 homes in Matale, Moratuwa and Badulla.
- The creation of a separate budget line for Urban Greening in the Moratuwa Municipal Council budget for 2006, and the Council now requiring that all newly constructed buildings incorporate green space into their design.
The municipal councils have secured the support of local institutions such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the Department of Agrarian Services, and the Youth Services Council. These institutions will be important in ensuring the sustainability of the project.
Another interesting outcome of the UGPP has been the integration of the Buddhist concept of Kalyana Mitra Samaja into the project. This concept teaches the importance of partnerships and and friends in need. With respect to the UGPP, the concept has been a useful tool in the organization and empowerment of community groups, who are learning to dialogue with their municipal councils, thus breaking some of the barriers that once stood between local authorities and grassroots groups. A sub-regional seminar on urban agriculture organized under the project with the participation of 10 mayors and 30 municipal staff from Thailand, at which an ICSC project officer presented a paper on Living Legacies of Practicing Sustainability, was also an important outcome of the UGPP.
After the tsunami in Moratuwa, youth became much more involved in the UGPP and were provided training in urban greening and waste management, and were educated on the importance of respecting the environment.
Outcome mapping was an effective evaluation tool to monitor the changes in behaviours of partners and communities. Linking the university research people with urban communities and municipal councils was a positive experience for all.
The UGPP provided the stimulus for the cities of Motatuwa, Matale and NuwaraEliya to become members of the Sustainable Cities: PLUS Network.
Final Reports/Publications
1. Project Report
 Sri Lanka UGPP Report (118.39 kB)
2. Sri Lanka UGPP Illustrated Summary:
View online
Powerpoint download (15mb)
|
