Govt. signs deal with WFP to build resilience in adapting to adverse weather conditions
Wednesday, 25 December 2013 00:00
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government has signed an $ 8 million agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) to build resilience in adapting to adverse weather conditions.
The agreement for ‘Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Marginalised Agricultural Communities Living in the Mahaweli River Basin of Sri Lanka’ was reportedly signed between the Environment and Renewable Energy Ministry Secretary B.M.U.D. Basnayaka and WFP Deputy Country Director Mads Lofvall.
The project aims to build diversified and resilient livelihoods for marginalised farming communities in the Mahaweli River Basin through effective management of land and water resources.
The Adaptation Fund of the World Food Programme will grant $ 7,989,727 to implement the project that will help farming families in Walapane, Medirigiriya and Lankapura Divisions located in the Nuwara Eliya and Polonnaruwa Districts that depend on rainfall irrigation. The project, implemented by WFP and executed by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Agrarian Services and Wildlife, is expected to benefit farmer families through programs that promote local availability of food, livelihoods that can withstand current climatic shocks and better information systems to warn and inform farmers of climatic risks. The Adaptation Fund of WFP was established under the Kyoto Protocol to provide financial assistance to build resilience in developing countries to make them more adaptable to the adverse effects of climate change.
