IWMI celebrates 30 years with ‘Water in Sri Lanka’ countrywide exhibition

Friday, 10 April 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

IWMI Director General Jeremy Bird hands over a water quality testing kit for school students to Imali Perera, Environmental Pioneer Student Program Coordinating teacher at Ananda Sasthralaya Kotte - Pic Saaliya Thilakartne/IWMI

IWMI Director General Jeremy Bird chats with Kusum Athukorala, Chair of the Sri Lanka Water Partnership at the exhibition launch - Pic Saaliya Thilakartne/IWMI To mark the 30th anniversary of its foundation, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) launched an exhibition entitled ‘Water in Sri Lanka’ at the Lighthouse Galley on Wednesday. The exhibition will tour the country throughout 2015 and be on public view, starting at the World Trade Center in Colombo in May, and then moving on to Kandy, Jaffna and Galle. Venues are to be confirmed and will be announced in the local press. “Managing Sri Lanka’s water sustainably in the face of increasing demands and a changing climate will be one of the defining challenges of the next few decades,” said IWMI Director General Jeremy Bird who launched the exhibition. “However, thanks to strong partnerships with the Government of Sri Lanka and other stakeholders in the sector, we are optimistic for a water-secure future for the island. We hope that this exhibition can shed a little light on what the issues are and how the work of IWMI and others can help find equitable and enduring solutions.” Responding to Bird, Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, thanked IWMI for its efforts over the last three decades, and looked forward to continued cooperation between the institute and its Sri Lankan partners. Founded in 1985, IWMI is the only international organisation headquartered in Sri Lanka and has regional offices across Asia and Africa. It is a non-profit, scientific research organisation focused on the sustainable use of water and land resources in developing countries and emerging economies. IWMI’s mission is to provide evidence-based solutions to sustainably manage water and land resources for food security, people’s livelihoods and the environment. In Sri Lanka, IWMI works in partnership with Government agencies, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural water management solutions that have a tangible impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health. Over 60 representatives of IWMI’s partners and stakeholders attended the launch of the exhibition. As part of the proceedings, Bird handed over the first 100 water testing kits for schools to Imali Perera, Environmental Pioneer Student Program Coordinating Teacher, Ananda Sastralaya -Kotte, and Jayanthi Pinnagoda, Deputy Principal, Vidura College - Colombo. The kits, acquired as part of an initiative by IWMI and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), are designed to raise awareness of water quality issues and help students develop their skills in environmental science.