IEPSL to Develop Environmental profession

by Sapumali GALAGODA

The lack of a professional body was a major drawback in developing the environmental profession in Sri Lanka and that was the reason for the setting up of the Institute of Environmental Professionals, Sri Lanka (IEPSL). This is expected to remedy the situation by bringing together suitably qualified professionals with different specialisations who work for environmental management and sustainable development.

Those engaged in the profession of environmental management, protection or sustainable development do not belong to one conventional profession.

They come from a diversity of educational and professional backgrounds and often work in teams comprising natural and social scientists, engineers, architects, educationists, lawyers, health scientists and doctors.

The objectives of establishing the IEPSL are to uphold the dignity and raise the reputation of the environmental profession, expand the profession and its services to the country at large and extend its usefulness to the advantage of the public.

The membership is open to all those who are interested in promoting the quality of their profession.

Members are drawn from a variety of backgrounds who work in an increasing range of fields, disciplines and locations, in the private sector, industry, universities, NGOs the government and the statutory agencies. This unique mix of members is bound together by a code of conduct which brings an ethical dimension to their work.

In 2011, the Institute conducted two training sessions such as Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) and the Professional Diploma in Corporate Environmental Management (PDCEM) for the IEPSL members as well as environmentalists attached to State, private and the NGO sectors.

Earlier PDCEM was designed for only six months.

However requests were made by, applicants to shorten the duration. The course coordinator Prof Udith Jayasinghe, considering the request had reduced the period by three months but by extending the lecture hours on each day.

The course commenced on July 30, at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI), with 23 participants representing the government, private sector, non government sectors and other interested parties.