EU supports UNOPS and IFC to mark World Environment Day

World Environment Day 2015 was marked by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, through a series of awareness raising and community activities in Batticaloa, Mannar and Vavuniya districts.

The activities were implemented with the financial assistance provided through the European Union (EU) Support to District Development Program (EU-SDDP), with a financial envelope of EUR 60 million. The program aims at supporting the Government's thrust for economic and social development in seven conflict-affected districts covering half a million people.

The events were organised to raise awareness on issues relating to environment protection and the importance of the environment in sustainable tourism. The actions were centred on the global theme of 'Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care' and the National Environment Day priority set out by Central Environment Authority (CEA) on solid waste management.

The UNOPS and IFC teams worked closely with the CEA and relevant local authorities in organising the activities. The activities complemented the nationwide advocacy campaign carried out by the CEA on the importance of waste management, which is today a major challenge in the country.

In Batticaloa, the teams supported a series of events that included clean-up programs, tree planting, drawing competitions and painting murals about environment protection on walls in several public places in the district. Students from two schools took part in painting the walls of their schools to depict challenges in environment protection. A handicraft exhibition with items prepared by schoolchildren from recyclable items was organised in partnership with the Zonal Education Department of Batticaloa. The children were asked to use typical and identifiable waste to produce something beautiful and useful. The children used this activity to highlight the value of waste, by creating useful items from what most would consider unusable material. For example, one child produced a meter to measure rainfall using plastic bottles.

Activities in Vavuniya organised in partnership with the Vavuniya Urban Council and CEA saw students from six schools take part in painting murals in six public places of the UC bazaar area, including the new fish market and bus stand.

In Mannar, the teams organised environment related murals to be painted on walls of the Government Agent's office near the main bus stand.

UNOPS and IFC engaged with three orphanages in Mannar to receive designs for the murals and a professional artist worked with the children to turn these into wall paintings.

The children met officials of the GA's office, RDA, CEA, ACLG, UC and the public to discuss environment related topics. Awareness campaigns and community discussions were held on Environment Day in both districts. The themes including sustainable consumption, waste management and related interventions of the EU-SDDP program.

Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, Sanasa Development Bank, and The Palmyrah House contributed to the programs in Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Mannar, providing gifts to the children who took part.

The advocacy campaign also highlighted the importance of sound environmental management for economic activities such as sustainable tourism.

An important part of this campaign was to educate the people on their responsibility to contribute to waste management and environmental protection.

UNOPS contributes to the overall program objective through the construction and rehabilitation of social infrastructure and specific capacity building activities in Batticaloa, Mannar and Vavuniya, under the EU-SDDP framework.

IFC is supporting entrepreneurship and expansion of businesses while improving the business environment.