Workshop on Developing Integrated Investment Plans to Mitigate Adverse Impacts of Climate Change – Western Province 30.01.2025 and 31.01.2025

The Western Province, which contributes the most to the GDP, is constantly affected by extreme weather conditions caused by the effects of climate change. People are constantly faced with situations such as floods, landslides, inundation of rivers and water sources, and a significant impact is placed on the economy of the province due to such events.

In order to reduce the negative effects caused by climate change on the economy and living conditions of people of the province, it is necessary to find and take measures to adapt to those situations. Considering the urgency of this requirement, the National Planning Department has planned to prepare a National Integrated Investment Plan in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank. In order to obtain the necessary suggestions/ views and information, a workshop for officials of public and private institutions located in the Western Province was held on 30.01.2025 and 31.01.2025 at the Amari Hotel, Colombo 03, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the Western Province.

Officials representing the Provincial Ministries of Education, Local Government, Health, Agriculture and Roads and the institutions under their purview participated in this workshop on behalf of the public sector. Also, officials from the District Secretariat Offices, Engineering Bureau of the Western Province, Disaster Management Center etc. participated in this event. Officials representing the private sector, non-governmental organizations, banks, finance and insurance, communications, agricultural products, building construction, tourism, hospitals, recycling, environmental organizations and small and large scale food processing companies also participated in this workshop.

The following Expert panel contributed as resource personnel in this workshop.

• Rohan T. Cooray – Climate Change and Disaster Risk management Consultant, Asian Development Bank
• Ranjith Punyawardena – Agricultural / Climatologist and former Chief Scientist (Argo-Climatology), Department of Agriculture.
• Jagath Munasinghe – Professor in Town Planning
• Engineer Ms. Janaki Meegasthanna – Water, Infrastructure and Irrigation Specialist
• Samantha Pathiratne – Eco-Tourism Expert