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ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12

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Practical ActionRegional Programme (Sri Lanka, India & Pakistan)Annual Report 2011/1205, Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha, Colombo 05, Sri LankaT | + 94 11 2829412F | + 94 11 2856188E | srilanka@practicalaction.org.lkW | www.practicalaction.orgPhotographs : Practical Action staffEditor : Meryse Tissera Printer : Neo Graphics (Pvt) Ltd

Vision & MissionPractical Action’s Vision is of a sustainable world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used for the benefit of all

MissionTo use technology to challenge poverty, working with poor people to:

• Build their capabilities, • Improve their access to technical options and knowledge, and • Help them influence the social, economicand institutional systems for innovationanduseof

technology

Values Technology does not operate in isolation from its context. To make technologies and the way we introduce them direct and relevant to the communities, organisations and contexts we work with, we believe in:

Sustainability Genuine change requires solutions which will transform lives for generations to come. This includes social and economic sustainability, as well as meeting environmental challenges.

JusticeOne person’s use of technology should not compromise the technology choice of another.

PeoplePeople should drive their own development. Practical Action seeks solutions that are defined and owned by each individualcommunity.

DiversityDiversity reduces risk & enhances the flexibility of people’s responses, makingit more likely that individuals’ and communities’ needs will be met.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12PRACTICAL ACTION Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan Programme

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Regional Director’sMessageMinistry of Disaster Management providing technical expertise on the development of Disaster Risk Reduction guidelines in human settlements for the Government of Sri Lanka. As the global call for cleaner, greener energy solutions beckons Practical Action collaborated with Government Institutions and the Private Sector in Sri Lanka to mobilize funds to test new and more efficient designs ofbiogas technology for industrial application. Through this initiative Practical Action’s hopes to contribute to reducing the country’s reliance and heavy expenditure on imported gas and fossil fuels as well as effect positive environmental change.

Practical Action’s ground breaking work in Pico hydro technology has been recognised as an effective renewable energy option with the potential to eradicate poverty both nationally and regionally. Through Practical Action’s Infrastructure Services Project 52 pico hydro units were set up across Sri Lanka serving rural communities with no access to the national grid. Additionally, Practical Action influenced the Orissa Tribal Empowerment andLivelihoods Programme (OTELP) to invest on 50 Pico hydrounitsprovidingelectrificationtohundredsofvillages inOrissa, India for thefirst time.Throughits work Practical Action has also been instrumental in influencing theWuppertal Institute for Climate,Environment and Energy to pay more attention to Pico and Micro Hydro as a sustainable source of

ThisyearheldgreatsignificanceforPracticalActionas we celebrated founder and visionary Dr. E.F. Schumacher’s centenary birth anniversary. One of the key events organised to celebrate the life of this great, insightful human being was a development symposiumdedicated toexploring the significanceof the Schumacher philosophy in the present day Sri Lankan context. As the pages of this annual report unfold many other noteworthy milestones achieved byPracticalActioninthefinalyearofthefiveyearstrategy period (2007-2012) are brought to light.

It is encouraging to note Practical Action’s tireless efforts in Disaster Risk Reduction have been recognised at the highest level not only in Sri Lanka but across Asia. Following the lead role played at the fourth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in Incheon, Korea, in May 2011 Practical Action was included in the drafting committee of the Chair’s summary of the third session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition, at the concluding session of this conference organised by UNISDR and held in Geneva Practical Action was selected as the global spokesperson for civil society.

In Sri Lanka, as the post war years have been characterised by unparalleled infrastructure development, Practical Action has focused on building close working relationships with the

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renewable energy for South/South East Asia under its WISIONS programme. To this end Practical Action organised a regional workshop in Sri Lanka in February 2012 for partners and interested organisations from Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and India, at which a framework was drafted to initiate a South/South East Asia Micro/Pico Hydro network.

Raising public awareness on energy for sustainable development Practical Action collaborated with Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) to support the Ministry of Postal Services release 1,000,000 postage stamps on the UN declared theme for the year 2012 ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.’

Since its inception in Sri Lanka twenty two years ago Practical Action has been working in a complex, challenging and rapidly changing environment. During this time, the country experienced; an insurrection in the South, the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, theprotractedconflictwiththeLTTE,abriefceasefirein2002,followedbyareturntohostilitiesandafinalendtotheconflictafter26yearsofhostilities.Practical Action evolved its programming content and strategy multiple times in order to allocate resources and best serve communities as the volatile circumstances dictated. The end of the protracted conflict in2009however,arrivedmidwaythroughPracticalAction’sfiveyearstrategy(2007-2012)forSri Lanka and therefore posed new, unprecedented challenges. As the country transitioned from emergency relief to the development phase there wasasignificantlullinfunding,thismeantprevious

plans could not be materialized and resulted in the country under performing against its fund raising targets and impacting direct beneficiary numbers.Another contributing factor to the low beneficiarynumbers in the complex Sri Lankan context is Practical Action’s holistic approach to programming. Essentially, putting the axiom that two heads are better than one to practice, Practical Action Sri Lanka proactively encourages staff to design programmes that are of cross programming nature. The collaborative partnerships are an effective mechanism for designing comprehensive strategies and contribute to team building albeit adding some ambiguity when accounting for beneficiarynumbers. For instance, the Community Governance Project has a comprehensive budget but is low on beneficiary numbers as the project works with ahigher tier of citizenry, such as local government authorities, influencing decisionmaking processesto involve local communities. Through the pilot model projects implemented under the Community Governance Project Practical Action was able to build the capacity of local government authorities to engage in a participatory planning process when designing development projects. The local authorities themselves are more or less vehicles to influencechange and cannot therefore be counted as direct beneficiaries even though the lives of thousandsof individuals at the grass roots level are uplifted and empowered through this initiative. Focus on beneficiary numbers as project success indicatorsgreatly undermines the efforts and long term value of Practical Action projects. There is yet no system in place that can accurately account for the large number of individuals that benefit as a result of

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Practical Action’s work with Policy makers and important government authorities. These limitations have been taken into account in the new strategy and we hope that the invaluable contributions made byPracticalActionareappropriatelyreflectedinthefuture.

In July 2011, the trustees of Practical Action in the UK announced the sudden decision to start phasing out Practical Action’s operations in Sri Lanka by March 2014. Heeding this decision Practical Action Sri Lanka started planning towards its closure through the establishment of Janathakshan, which

was registered as a Limited Guarantee Company in December 2011. As Sri Lanka moves forward as a middle income country after decades of war Janathakshan will use the wealth of experience gained by Practical Action to continue to improve the lives of communities living in poverty for generations to come.

Vishaka Hidellage (PhD)Regional DirectorPractical Action(Sri Lanka, India & Pakistan programme)

Jaffna

Kilinochchi

Mullaitivu

VavuniyaMannar

Anuradhapura Trincomalee

Polonnaruwa

Kurunegala Matale

Ampara

Monaragala

Badulla

Hambantota

Matara

Galle

Kalutara

Colombo

Gampaha Kegalla

Kandy

Nuwara Eliya

Ratnapura

Batticaloa

Puttalam

Socio Economic Empowerment of Tsunami Affected Communities

SAARC Business Association for Home-based Workers

Housing Support for Long-term IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka

Irrigation and Market Development

Community Governance in Infrastructure Services in South Asia

Enhancing Hydro Energy in Sri Lanka

Sustainable Lagoons and Livelihoods

Enhancement of Disaster Resilience of war Affected Communities

Climate Change Resilience

Decentralised Disaster Risk Reduction

Practical Action Portfolio 2011/12

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Community Led Development in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan

The key objective of the Community Governance in Infrastructure Services Project implemented by Practical Action has been mainstreaming community voices in development planning and interventions. Local government, being the closest governance structure to communities, plays an important role in facilitating opportunities for local communities to take an active role in local development issues. To participate effectively however, community groups require support from local governments. Practical Action has been actively involved in developing institutional capacity of community organisations and local governments to facilitate and support community participation in local development in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. The project carried out participatory planning on local level infrastructure services and the implementation of selected priorities in these plans through community governed processes over the last 3 years.

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Kurunegala

Galle

Ampara

In Sri Lanka Practical Action demonstrated the importance of community based governance approaches to the Provincial Ministries of Local Government in Southern and North Western Provinces. During the reporting year Practical Action worked in collaboration with the Commissioners of Local Governments (CLG) in Galle, Kurunegala and Ampara districts to strengthen participatory governance systems for local infrastructure development. The project supported the Local Governments in Galle district through the Provincial Ministry of Local Governments to develop 4 year participatory development plans and in selected Local Governments in Kurunegala District test out an Integrated Participatory Planning Process. During the last year, based on the participatory plans developed under the project community groups mobilised over 38 million LKR exclusive of project finances for local infrastructure development,benefitingapproximately20,000people.Asaresultof this project, communities with well designed participatoryplansfounditeasiertoaccessfinancialsupport from local governments, provincial councils and other NGOs.

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In Orissa, India due to geographically scattered nature of the villages, active community participation was very low at Gram Panchayaths or local self-governments. For the past 2 years, in 6 Gram Panchayaths in Orissa, Practical Action has been working to change this practice by activating “PalliSabhas” or lower tier, grassroots level governance structures which are currently optional In Orissa. Observing that “PalliSabhas” enjoyed much wider and more active community participation Practical Action worked with Gram Panchayath level elected members on changing attitudes towards supporting more active engagement of “PalliSabhas” in rural development projects. As a result of this intervention the annual planning and implementation of development actions of the selected Gram Panchayaths proved much smoother in operation and enjoyed a high level of community involvement. Over the last year, Practical Action collaborated with the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD),

the apex training institute in the state for rural development, to influence policy change in localgovernment rural development programmes. Practical Action and SIRD have advocated the importance of a participatory approach and the urgent need for community capacity building as a vital component to ensuring successful implementation of rural development programmes. In total this intervention has benefitted over 175,000 people in 9 districtsacross the State of Orissa.

Dashapalla Bhubaneswar

Gop

India

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The 18th amendment to Pakistan’s constitution in 2010 represented one of the most dramatic devolutions of power in the country since the drafting of the constitution in 1973. The 18th Constitutional Amendment devolved a number of key functions to the provinces necessitating policy changes in the local government system and consequent legislation. Based on lessons learnt working in Sri Lanka and India, Practical Action saw the increase

in autonomy to the provinces as an opportunity to empower rural communities to actively participate in drafting the new policy. Practical Action and partner organisations established Community Vigilant Committees in villages in Punjab, advocating policy change that supports an increase in community-led development at local government level with the aim of bringing about positive social transformation and contributing to sustainable development.

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As more and more families return to their places of origin in Sri Lanka there is an urgent need for development programmes that ensure more economic security and stability for returnees. PracticalActionfundedbytheUSAIDofficeofU.S.Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) implemented the Northern Rebuilding Programme in Poonagary and Kandawalai, Killinochchi district facilitating agriculture, food security and livelihood activities for vulnerable returnees in the area. A majority of the communities in northern Sri Lanka traditionally rely on agriculture as their primary source of income. The longstandingconflictinterruptedagriculturalactivityand destroyed key agricultural infrastructure. The

lack of irrigation and other agricultural infrastructure has seriously limited the returnees’ ability to resume their livelihoods, while increasing the impacts of droughts and floods. In order to address thisissue and assist communities in Poonagary and Kandawalai restart their livelihoods Practical Action rehabilitated 3 minor irrigation systems. As a result of the 2 minor irrigation systems rehabilitated in Poonagry, a total of 48 farmer families engaged in cultivation activities on an additional 24.5 acres of land this season. The third minor tank rehabilitated in Kandawalai is expected to serve over 250 families living in close proximity with water for domestic and agricultural purposes.

Securing Livelihoods in the North

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Practical Action employed a participatory approach during planning, implementation and monitoring of this rehabilitation project, promoting ownership and active engagement of the community throughout. In total, over 242 people from the local community engaged in the cash for work mechanism adopted by Practical Action to rehabilitate the tanks, 49% of the work force comprised of women coming from highly vulnerable women headed households. Through this cash for work initiative on average each woman headed household earned over 13,000 LKR, boosting monthly incomes, active participation of women in the local community and advancing their role in local decision making. Further, Practical Action employed a transparent selection process ensuring the most vulnerable community members were selected for economic and asset restoration assistance. Next, Practical Action conducted a needs analysis survey in order to determine the community’s priority needs in terms of livelihoods

Due to unavailability of water in the tank for the last several years, cultivable lands were abandoned. Since the tank was rehabilitated this season all abandoned farm lands around the Moolaiadampan tank were cultivated and all the wells situated near tank area can now be used for drinking. This time last year the well water was too saline for consumption causing a lot of hardship.

K.Nimalan President – Farmer Organisation, Alankerni

Mr. Arudchelvan, Assistant Director Planning, D.S. Office Kandawalai handing over barbwire to a beneficiary

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Compared to the last few years this year we have planted a lot of different potential crops. If the tanks were not repaired all the water would have escaped and this would not have been possible. People will not go hungry this season because now that the tank is full we are able to cultivate different crops and reap a good harvest.

RaviFarmer, Alankerni

assistance. Subsequently, procuring and distributing fencing material to protect crops from animals and farming equipment such as mammoty’s, water cans, sprayers, sprinkling buckets, etc. Practical Action observed that high-value agricultural crops have the capacity to provide real opportunities for enhancing farm incomes and reducing poverty compared with the conventional crops grown by farmers in the area. Farmers growing conventional crops such as chilies, brinjals etc. often suffered heavy losses unable to meet production costs due to the decline of prices during the season. Therefore, Practical Action procured and distributed planting materials for the cultivation of non-conventional, high-value fruits and vegetables. Thus facilitating the integration of small-scale farmers in domestic and regional markets by introducing them to the benefits of growing high-value agricultural products in a sustainable manner and increasing and diversifying the incomes of small-scale farmers in the long run.

Practical Action also conducted several capacity building workshops to raise awareness on market linkages and established market forums in Poonagary andKandawalaitohelpfarmersfindstablemarketsand fair prices. In total, the Northern Rebuilding Programme implemented by Practical Action has assisted over 5000 farmer families in Killinochchi resume and enhance their livelihoods, support their families and uplift their communities.

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An appropriate approach to assist an indigenous community – Coastal Veddah Community in Vaharai

Owing to the long drawn out conflict inSri Lankamany thousands of families found themselves displaced and having to rebuild their lives from scratch. The coastal Veddah community living in the jungles of Batticaloa, in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka was no exception. During the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) mission in the late 1980’s this group of indigenous people were forced to leave the jungle and seek refuge inland, in temporary IDP camps in Batticaloa district. With no end to the conflict in sight and no option of returning to thejungles, the community remained displaced for more than a decade resulting in the destruction of the social and ecological relationships that characterize their subsistence lifestyles. At the end of the war in 2009 the Government resettled one such group of Veddah’s in Kathiraveli, Vaharai DSD in Batticaloa district, granting each family a plot of land for their settlement in an agricultural village. Resettlement of indigenous communities is a complex operation highly dependent on the following factors; provision of livelihood assets, accessibility to natural resources and livelihood skills of the community in order to minimize their impoverishment.

The group of Veddah’s resettled in Kathiraveli simply lacked the resources, skills, equipment, means and knowledge needed to either adjust to the new situation, or to cope with the other non-Veddha settlers. As a consequence, the community was socially and economically marginalised and exploited by certain opportunistic groups in the community. Practical Action focused on improving the lives of 65

Veddah families struggling to adapt having lived too long out of the wild and yet not having the necessary social and livelihood skills (no knowledge of savings, no familiarity with the monetary system of exchange, no long-term involvement in agricultural livelihoods, lack of incentive for competitive tasks, etc.) to make it in their new role of ‘villager’. Due to the lack of skills the Veddahs only source of income came from labouring for an entrepreneur in the village. This lead to exploitation, as the individual recognising their vulnerability, employed the ‘barter’ system (food for work). This resulted in a credit based relationship that left the community trapped in a vicious cycle of debt that they didn’t have the capacity to liberate themselves from. Recognising this community as vulnerable, Practical Action focused on empowering them to engage in livelihoods and break the vicious cycle of poverty and debt trapping them for a decade through the Socio Economic Empowerment of Tsunami Affected Communities project (SET). Practical Action stepped in and designed a holistic approach to getting this coastal Veddah community back on their feet.

PracticalActionidentifiedthepotentialforfishingasa livelihood, selected a group of 5 young Veddah’s with the drive and skills and provided them with engine boat, nets, equipment and the know how to engage in lagoon and coastal fishing. Throughthis initiative Practical Action supported members of the community generate a monthly income, escape from the debt trap and motivate others in the community to engage in what they considered to be unconventional livelihoods. Practical Action also provided another 5 families with goats and relevant livestock management skills as a viable income generation source. As part of its institutional capacity

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mitigation project serving to protect the entire community, including 65 coastal Veddah families fromannualfloodsduringthemonsoon.Inaddition,the irrigation rehabilitation project benefitted thecoastal Veddah community engaging in inland fishing and livestock rearing whilst boosting foodsecurity through the possibility for home gardening. Theproject constructed two dugwells, benefitting18 coastal Veddah families, by tapping the ground water that was recharged after the rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme. Seeking to empower women in the coastal Veddah community contribute to monthly income of their families and exercise decision making power Practical Action collaborated with the Palmyra Development Board (PDB) to facilitate training in the production of Palmyra handicraft products. The PDB provided necessary machinery, equipment and materials and continues to purchase products manufactured by the 5 women who participated in the 6 month training programme.

The coastal Veddah communities that have been resettled in the Batticaloa district are living in abject poverty. The media have mislead many development agencies by portraying the false image that these

communities still live in the jungles and engage in traditional hunting and gathering for survival. This is also one of the reasons the Coastal Veddah Community has been excluded from livelihood and community development projects. Practical Action observed that given the protracted period away from their traditional way of life, protecting their status quo in the current situation has only served to further exacerbate the plight of this vulnerable community. Recognising that these communities’ have a higher chance of survival if included in mainstream development initiatives Practical Action launched the SET project along with an awareness campaign in the local media exposing the ground reality of this community and the urgent need for mainstreaming them into development initiatives.

Sampath Abeyrathne SET Project Manager

The SET project implemented by Practical Action since 2009 works with tsunami and conflict affected communities in 4 divisional secretariat divisions of the Batticaloa district. In its third year of operation the different project components have seen over 13,000 people benefit from improved socio economic status, increased access to water resources, sustainable livelihood development interventions and improved disaster risk mitigation techniques.

building component Practical Action facilitated the membership of coastal Veddah families at the local fisheriessocietyandVillageCoordinationCommitteefurther strengthening participation and involvement in community development activities.

Fulfilling the underlying disaster risk mitigationcomponent of the SET project, Practical Action implementedtheirrigationrehabilitationcumflood

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Practical Action Provides a Sustainable Eco-friendly Solution to the Human Elephant Conflict

Over the last six decades both the human and elephant population in Sri Lanka have increased exponentially, compounding the protracted human elephant conflict in the country and increasingthe urgency for a more environmentally friendly, sustainable solution. Practical Action devised an innovative, cost effective, sustainable bio-fencing technologytomitigatethehuman-elephantconflictpermeating almost every province in the country. The technology invokes the fencing of cultivation lands using Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) trees as an alternative to the more costly, less durable, high maintenance electric fencing option used to deter elephants. Practical Action derived the technology from indigenous knowledge of Sri Lankan villagers and it is currently being implemented on a pilot basis in the hard hit districts of Monaragala, Batticaloa and Anuradhapura. Additionally, to promote the concept of Palmyra bio fencing and its many benefits on a national level PracticalAction conducted three national level workshops in Colombo, published several newspaper articles and conducted presentations to media and investors at Eco Vendor Mart, a promotional event on eco friendly technology.

The new solution involves fencing territorial boundaries of elephants and cultivation land with 4 rows of Palmyra palms in zigzag pattern. Practical Action has signed MOU’s with 3 government

institutions and the project is widely supported by all stakeholders; Palmyra Development Board (PDB) provided 75,000 seeds for fencing at no cost, Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC) coordinated the selection of appropriate sites for the experiment, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) mobilized local communities to actively participate in this action and the International Elephant Fund provided partial financialassistancetoimplementthisproject.

So far the following activities have been implemented during the pilot phase –

In Verugal, Batticaloa district Practical Action coordinated a survey to determine the boundaries of farmlands and planted a 5 Km long Palmyra fence to safe guard farmlands from wild elephants. Over 200farmersbenefitedfromthisexercise.Thelocalcommunity welcomed the project with open arms and the farmer society took leadership for project implementation and maintenance. Seeds and technical knowhow on seed/seedling selection was provided by PDB. In addition, the excess of 3000 seeds were provided to farmers to be planted in nurseries to replace plants that may have incurred damage or stunted growth.

In Konakumbukwewa, Anuradhapura district, a village frequently affected by wild elephants on request of HARTI, Practical Action provided technical support

M. Ramalingam, Community Leader, Vaharai stands in front of barbwire fence erected to protect palmyra plants

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for Palmyra bio fencing. The PDB provided 15,000 Palmyra seeds and Practical Action organised a ‘Sharamadana’ mobilizing community members to engage in Palmyra seed planting. As a result, a 3km long Palmyra bio fence was implemented along the forest reservoir.

In Udawalawa, Monaragala district supported by the Monaragla and Sevenagala Divisional Secretary Practical Action conducted a Palmyra bio fencing awareness campaign for relevant government officersofthedistrict.InconsultationwiththeRoadDevelopment Authority (RDA) a 3.5 km land stretch along the main road (Udawalawa to Thanamalwila road) was selected for Palmyra seeding. Practical Action together with PDB conducted a community awareness programme on seed selection and planting technique. Consequently, Palmyra seeds were planted along this stretch and Palmyra nurseries initiated by community members facing the Palmyra fence. Plants from these nurseries will be used to

Benefits of Palmyra bio fencing include

• Significantlymorecosteffectivethanelectricfencing• No maintenance required (Battery, solar panels, regular clearing not required)• Robust trees with a life span of 100 years • crop protection guarantee is very high with Palmyra fencing in comparison to electric fencing • Palmyra fence is an income generation source• Produces 270 metric tons of elephant feed annually per km of fencing • Palmyra fence is ecology friendly bearing no adverse effects on the animal population• Climate friendly • Reduces deforestation as forest does not need to be cleared unlike with electric fencing • Supplies timber in the long-run • An effective wind barrier • Effectiveforestfirebarrierand• Effective soil erosion controller

replace damaged or stunted plants during the next planting season. Additionally, the District Secretary of Monaragala in Collaboration with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) initiated several Palmyra fencing exercises at selected sites in the Monaragala district.

Even though Palmyra trees take seven or eight years to reach full growth, once the trees are fully grown the solution is permanent. Unlike with electric fencing Palmyra bio fencing provides several other significant benefits to the community and it is not harmful to the wild elephant population.

Ranasinghe PereraTeam Leader

In Sri Lanka the Human Elephant Conflict is a very complex issue with multiple causes fuelling it, resulting in the annual loss of at least 200 elephants and 50 people. Practical Action’s Palmyra bio fencing initiative provides an enduring, cost effective, environmentally friendly, community driven solution benefiting both man and the jumbo.

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Disaster Resilient Cities in Sri Lanka The unprecedented rapid urbanization after decades of war in Sri Lanka has contributed to an increase in communities’ vulnerability to disasters and predicted/perceived climate change impacts across the country. Practical Action in collaboration with the Ministry of Disaster Management and partner organisations in line with the Global Campaign promoted by UNISDR launched the “Resilient Cities Campaign” in July 2011. The campaign mainly focused on establishing disaster resilient cities in disaster prone regions of Sri Lanka. This project was funded by Christian Aid, strategic partner of Practical Action for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate change in South Asia. The project puts into practice an initiative named Decentralized Disaster Risk Management (DDRM) formulated by Practical Action advocating the active engagement of local government institutions in disaster risk reduction and integrating risk reduction with development planning.

Most prevalent disasters in Sri Lanka

• Floods• Landslides• Drought• Storm surges

Sectors where climate vulnerabilities are expected to be critical in the Sri Lankan context

• Agriculture and Fisheries• Water• Health• Urban Development, Human Settlements &

Economic Infrastructure• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Subsequently, capacity building workshops for local government institutions were conducted in the selected areas. The main outcomes were; the direct linking of national level governance initiatives and local government implementing agents, establishment of national stakeholder committee to monitor implementation, appointment of a local government coordination committee to ensure implementation of action plan, development of multi hazard maps, proposal writing for internal

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF URBAN COUNCILS

• Level of diaster risk• Status of Urban Development Authority

(UDA) declaration• Signotary to the Resilient Cities Campaign• Availability of operational disaster resileint

programmes in the area• Commitment by local government to

implement the programme

facilitated training workshops and provided logistical support for local government authorities to actively paticipate in the process. Based on the selection criteria one Municipal Council (Batticaloa), three Urban Councils (Mannar, Eravur, and Kesbewa) and two Pradeshiya Sabha’s (Nikaweritiya and Amabalantota) were selected for the pilot programme.As a result of this intervention the selected local government authorities signed up for the campaign and were introduced to the ten essentials developed by UNISDR on making cities resilient.

While disaster events are often triggered by natural hazards, the real driver of urban disaster risk is weak governance and systems that fail to manage risks in the course of development processes. Practical Action in collaboration with the Ministry of Disaster Management and partner organisations focused on supporting national level advocacy and capacity building for incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation into local level development planning. Main activities implemented during the campaign included development of participatory Disaster Risk Management (DRM) action plans and the conduct of capacity building programmes for selected Local Government councils in Sri Lanka. Practical Action provided technical expertise to the Ministry of Disaster Management for the development of a national action plan and

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as better health and improved education. Reducing disaster risk and increasing resilience of urban settlements in Sri Lanka to natural hazards can also have positive effects and accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

UNISDR Ten Essentials on Making Cities Resilient

• Put in place organisation and coordination. Build local alliances. Ensure that all departments understand their role in disaster risk reduction and preparedness.

• Assign a budget for disaster risk reduction and provide incentives for reducing the risks. • Maintain up-to-date data on hazards and vulnerabilities, prepare risk assessments and use these as the

basis for urban development plans and decisions. • Invest inandmaintaincritical infrastructure that reduces risk,suchasflooddrainage,adjustwhere

needed to cope with climate change.• Assess the safety of all schools and health facilities and upgrade these as necessary.• Apply and enforce realistic, risk-compliant building regulations and land use planning principles. • Ensure education programmes and training on disaster risk reduction are in place in schools and local

communities.• Protectecosystemsandnaturalbufferstomitigatefloods,stormsurgesandotherhazardstowhichyour

city may be vulnerable. Adapt to climate change by building on good risk reduction practices.• Install early warning systems and emergency management capacities in your city and hold regular public

preparedness drills.• After any disaster, ensure that the needs of the survivors are placed at the centre of reconstruction

including rebuilding homes and livelihoods.

Mannar UC

Nikaweratiya PS

Kesbewa UC

Eravur UC

Batticaloa MC

Ambalantota PS

fund raising through the National Treasury for DRM actions as well as the development of standard training and guidelines. Through the Resilient cities campaign local governments were given capacity and resources to more effectively address the issues of disaster preparedness and better coordinate support to disaster stricken communities, contributing to a more reslient Sri Lanka for all. The other benefits of resilient cities are numerous; can helpreduce poverty, increase growth and employment opportunities, deliver greater social equity, business opportunities, more balanced ecosystems as well

Batticaloa

Mannar

Kurunegala

Colombo

Hambantota

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Bridging the Energy gap in ORISSA

Since 2010 Practical Action has been providing technical assistance on Energy and Development initiatives to the Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) in the State of Orissa, India. Through this partnership Practical Action has been working with OTELP to eradicate poverty by incorporating energy equity into existing and future development plans focused on marginalized tribal communities in Orissa. Continuing this partnership over the last year Practical Action supported several initiatives to bridge the existing energy gap where around 2000 villages in Orissa still await electrification. Most significantly, PracticalAction was instrumental in convincing OTELP to allocate funds to implement Pico Hydro in Orissa. Practical Action has been actively developing Pico Hydro technology in Sri Lanka since 2007 as part of its Enhancing Renewable Energy Options (EREO) project. Pico hydro is potentially the lowest cost technology for off-grid electrification, producingenergy from thesmallestofwaterflows.Themainenvironmentalbenefitofpicohydroisareductioningreenhouse gas emissions and local pollution from burning fuels such as kerosene for lighting, diesel for driving machinery and generating electricity. To date Practical Action has successfully implemented 52 pico hydro units in Sri Lanka successfully serving rural communities with no access to the national grid. In order to introduce the potential of Pico hydro technology in generating electricity for remote communities Practical Action facilitated an exposure visit for a group of OTELP staff to Sri Lanka. Through this visit Practical Action further cemented the need for Pico hydro technology and its many positive benefitstoremotecommunities;

• Enables communities to operate independently from the grid

• Take ownership of their natural resources • Engage in income generation activities • Reduce dependency on fossil fuels and batteries.

It also revealed the urgent need for policy implementation on decentralized and renewable energy options that contribute to poverty eradication in rural communities through improved livelihoods opportunities. As a result, OTELP prioritized Pico hydro as a key technology area for livelihoods improvement allocating financial resources for theimplementation of 50 pico hydro units in Orissa. It is expected that approximately 19,000 men and womeninselectedtribalareasofOrissawillbenefitfrom pico hydro installations carried out by OTLEP during 2012. In support of this action, Practical Action provided technical support to conduct an in depth feasibility study to implement pico hydro technology in four districts of India with potential to transfer electricity to villages in Orissa. During the reporting year Practical Action also facilitated two capacity building workshops for project stakeholders in Orissa. In addition, Practical Action conducted a specificon-the-jobtrainingprogrammeforengineersof OTELP on the design and development of pico hydro generating systems.

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Renewable energy options for the Private Sector – A potential new partnershipSri Lanka is a nation heavily dependent on fossil fuels, a material unavailable locally for power generation. Petroleum, for instance constitutes nearly 45% of the primary energy supply in the country. Each year billions of dollars are spent on fossil fuel imports making the country vulnerable to volatile international supply conditions and prices. In addition to the colossal cost, the use of oil has an adverse impact on the environment contributing to global warming and climate change. Practical Action has been associated with the biogas sector in Sri Lanka since 1996, focusing on waste management, contributing to agricultural inputs and as a source of renewable energy especially at the domestic level. During this time Practical Action has demonstrated and provided technical inputs to approximately 1,000 Biogas plants across the country. These sites wereusedtotrainbiogasmasons,technicalofficersand provincial level technicians from government and non-governmental organisations.

Practical Action continued its research and development work on biogas and tested out more efficientand improvedsystems.RecentlyPracticalAction opted for partnerships with the private sector to promote biogas as an alternate environment-friendly energy source in Sri Lanka. Subsequently, Practical Action partnered with John Keells Hotel Management to develop and establish successful biogas units at Chaaya Village, Habarana and Cinnamon Citadel, Kandy.

The biogas units devised by Practical Action convert organic substances, which on average constitute 50% of the hotel’s daily garbage into the methane rich fuel- Biogas. The project involves the systematic

disposal of garbage in concealed biogas chambers, eliminating the breeding of mosquitoes and bad odours. Biogas produced as a by-product of this process contributes to covering the hotel’s heating requirements (i.e. water, gas for cooking etc), whilst the residual organic digest provides fertilizer for the garden. Through this project Practical Action raised the profile of biogas as an alternative fuel sourcefor cooking and lighting among policy makers and local communities. It also contributed to cleaner, greenertechnologybenefitingboththeenvironmentand surrounding local communities. In addition, as a result of the skills development component, the project has created job opportunities for masons and technical persons in the local communities with expertise in building biogas systems. The availability of decent work opportunities close to home has reduced the need for urban migration ensuring local families remain together and contributing to an improved quality of life for all.

John Keels Hotels introduced the Biogas technology improved by Practical Action at two of our hotels. We are now geared to convert food waste into clean cooking fuel which is beneficial not only to our hotels but to the entire world. Our partnership with Practical Action has contributed to our commitment towards responsible eco-friendly tourism and to a cleaner, greener Sri Lanka. John Keells Hotels aims to share the expertise gained from Chaaya Village and Cinnamon Citadel to implement bio-gas plants throughout our resort chain by the end of 2013.

Isuru Thotahewa Assistant Manager, Projects and Engineering John Keells Hotel Management Services Ltd.

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PRACTICAL ANSWERS

Since 2006 Practical Answers has been uplifting the lives of people living in poverty in Sri Lanka through its cost free technical enquiry service. The service aims to reduce poverty through the provision of knowledge and information on small scale technologies directly at the community level. Developed by Practical Action this service allows users to tap into a wealth of practical solutions that are accessible through an enquiry management system, web based portal, resource centre, pool of expertise and resource persons across a number of sectors of

Practical Answers aims to be the first point of contact for development practitioners and communities interested in technologies that facilitate poverty reduction. The service has grown immensely and currently we provide answers to 400 technical inquiries a month based on Practical Action’s 40 years of experience, we also handle inquires beyond our purview through our external pool of experts.

extension workers and researchers, NGOs, commercial organisations, educational institutes and communities interested in technologies appropriate for poverty-reduction initiatives.

In 2011 Practical Answers witnessed its highest incremental growth, servicing close to 3000 technical enquiries and reaching a maximum number of 112,201 direct beneficiaries. 87%of these inquiries came from small scale village entrepreneurs, engaging in food processing, agriculture, manufacturing, handicrafts and processing industries across Sri Lanka. This growth came as a direct result of strengthened partnerships with the Government of Sri Lanka, Private sector and innovative communication strategies on the part of Practical Answers. During the reporting year, Practical Answers in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Gemidiriya Community Development and Livelihood Improvement Project

Erwin Rathnaweera Practical Action-Manager Policy and Research

Practical Answers facilitates training on Java Batik at Madampe Vidatha Centre

TypesofBeneficiaries

No.ofBeneficiaries

interest. Practical Answers also produces trilingual knowledge based products such as technical briefs,CDs and videofilmswhich are an effectivemechanism to address the needs of poor people with little or no basic education. Over the years, Practical Answers has been serving development practitioners,

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Educational Institute

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Individualself employers

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Urban Communities

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significantly expanded project activities increasingthe accessibility of technical information for economic opportunities through the Vidatha or rural information and resource centres across Sri Lanka. In addition, Practical Answers partnered with the Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and networks in India such as Asia Pacific IncubationNetwork (APIN) and Palmyra Network implementing development projects and raising funds to boost future technical enquiry services. Practical Answers has also developed and is currently testing a Digital

Library to be launched in 2012, an initiative to facilitate online access to literature on appropriate practical technology options for poverty reduction available at the traditional Practical Action library. The traditional library has long been utilised by researchers, students, academics as well as practitioners interested in the subject. The digital library will make this knowledge available to anyone with access, who can read, at anytime whilst making locating the relevant information inside of books far more reliable and much easier.

Practical Answers Expansion Sri Lanka 2011/12

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Public Engagement in NanotechnologyNanotechnology is the base technology of an industrial

revolution in the 21st century. Those who control nanotechnology will lead the industry.

Nano seems to be on everybody’s mind these days. When you ask people if they know about Nanotechnology or what Nanotechnology entails, some have difficulty explaining whilst others havesome understanding of it. The complex scientificnature of Nanotechnology may be overwhelming and thus contribute to the lack of understanding or apprehension on the subject.

Practical Action partners with the National Science Foundation (NSF) of Sri Lanka and 5 other institutions including; Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) and the Ethics Research Committee of the Colombo Medical Faculty to implement a two year project funded by IDRC (International Development Research Centre). The goal of the project is to propose a framework of Nanotechnology for capacity building, and technology governance and regulation in Sri Lanka. The core areas of this project include; the expansion of regulatory framework, occupational health and safety impact, socio-economic impact, ethical and moral challenges, sharing of global Nano governance experience and communication, and assessment of nanotechnology developments.

Practical Action leads the project component of sharing global Nano governance experience and public awareness raising on this novel science. In order to raise thepublicprofileofNanotechnologyin the local media Practical Action organised a Media Workshop in 2012. At the workshops media personnel were introduced to the basic science behind Nanotechnology, local R&D initiatives on Nanotechnology and key figures involved,its relevance and use in the country. The Media Workshop served to generate approximately 30 media products leading to an increased growth in public enquiries.

Central to this whole process is the awareness raising of nanotechnology among school children; the project conducted a school awareness programme in Madampe and organised two workshops facilitating

the translation of the Nanotechnology glossary available at the SLSI into the Sinhala and Tamil languages. The process by was participatory in every sense of the word with Advanced Level students playing a key role in translating the scientificknowledge behind Nanotechnology into the local languages.

Noting that Nanotechnology is an emerging technology and that almost all developing countries are still in the very early stages of exploration Practical Action prioritized the creation of a website.The key objective behind the web-site is to promote public awareness on Nanotechnology and facilitate the sharing of global Nano governance across the world. The website has also been a platform for a survey used to assess public perspective on Nanotechnology.

Withthisproject,forthefirsttimePracticalActionstarted using Social Media for public engagement. Facebook and Twitter accounts created for the Nanotechnology project currently serve to promote and generate a forum for questions and dialog on nanotechnology in Sri Lanka. Social media has opened the doors for a diverse group of members both local and international to actively engage in discussions on Nanotechnology.

- Executive VP at Hitachi

Promoting awareness on Nanotechnology at St. Sebastian College, Madampe

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Practical Action Consulting (PAC)

Practical Action Consulting (PAC) has provided high quality, independent and professional consulting in the use of technology for poverty reduction to governments, NGOs, aid agencies and the private sector in Sri Lanka since 2006. Over the past year PAC worked in the sectors of Disaster Risk Management, food and agriculture, advocacy, knowledge and communications with a special focus on the energy sector.

Energy for a Changing WorldCurrently biomass, a source of bioenergy, constitutes nearly 50% of Sri Lanka’s primary energy source. 70% of the national biomass consumption comes from the informal sector dominated by household cooking, small commercial and industrial applications. As renewable energy is increasingly becoming the answer to Sri Lanka’s energy crisis, PAC worked with government policy makers on developing the biomass energy sector in Sri Lanka as part of a solution to achieving energy security and energy independence.

PAC developed a data collection tool to gather data at the grassroots level to determine the extent of biomass resource availability at the household level. This tool was supplemented by another interventiononquantificationofbiomassflowrates(implemented in the Central Province of Sri Lanka). The combination of these two are expected to be linked to a computer simulation model which will help both centralized and decentralized (national, provincial, district and divisional level) planners formulate energy programmes based on accurate and reliable information.

PAC worked closely with Energy Secretaries from Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka, providing a platformtoraisetheprofileofrenewableenergyandenergy efficiency within the country and openingdiscussions on provincial policies and statutes relating to energy. Subsequently, a pre-draft version of a common statute was drafted by the Provincial Energy Secretaries in line with the legal framework in Sri Lanka, and it is hoped that this policy instrument will be adopted as law in Sri Lanka.

PAC supported the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) introduce the concept of declaring certain geographical areas as ‘Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE3) Zones’ in Sri Lanka. To promote this concept and make it inclusive of the poor and their needs Practical Action facilitated a training workshop on Renewable EnergyandEnergyEfficiency (RE3) which saw the participation of government officials from everyprovince in Sri Lanka and resulted in participants developing plans on RE3 for their respective areas and the declaration of one administrative division as an Energy Conservation Zone, which opened the door for grassroots level resource assessments. To further promote this concept, PAC developed and implemented a Training of Trainers (ToT) module on RE3 at one of the participant provincial councils and aims to further improve and implement this training at the remainder 8 provinces in the country

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in collaboration with the SLSEA and respective provincial councils.

Inaninitiativetopromoteenergysecurityandefficientuse of Renewable Energy, PAC in collaboration with the National Engineering Research and Development (NERD) Centre is continuing research on the Two Burner Natural Draft Wood Gassifier Stove. It ishoped that when introduced into the market, this would be a substitute for LP gas stoves which are 100% dependent on imported energy supplies.

During the reporting period PAC also supported an international network based in Europe with knowledge sharing and advocacy; developing a manual, a resource pack, international case studies and technology briefs. PAC also developed and managed their web site and an electronic forum.

Other activities carried out by PAC during the reporting year involved conducting monitoring and evaluation

of local projects of international donors, conducting a comprehensive energy audit of a leading beverage manufacturer in Sri Lanka pinpointing potential energy savings and conducting capacity building and training workshops for NGO staff members on Disaster Risk Reduction and Advocacy.

Two Burner Natural Draft Wood Gassifier Stove

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to continue the legacy of Practical Action in Sri Lanka

Since its establishment in Sri Lanka in March 1989 Practical Action, formally known as Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), has significantly expanded its areas ofwork to include technology based approaches in food and agro processing, micro enterprise development, transport, energy, water, housing, agriculture, fisheries and shelter for the poor.Practical Action’s work also created learning about and promoted community governance, gender and technology, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction and climate change. For its invaluable work of over 20 years, Practical Action has gained a credible reputation among government ministries, development agencies and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) through the provision of practical, viable, sustainable and often alternative approaches to addressing the issues of marginalized communities in Sri Lanka.

In July 2011, the trustees of Practical Action in the UK decided to begin phasing out Practical Action’s operations in Sri Lanka by March 2014. This decision caused great concern among government and other stakeholders as it came at a time of great opportunity to extend Practical Action’s work with poor and marginalized communities in the country. Janathakshan emergedasawaytofillthegapinthedevelopmentsector as a result of this decision. Janathakshan

meaning ‘people’s technology’ or ‘technology for people’ was registered as a limited by Guarantee Company (not for profit) on the 27th December 2011. Rooting itself in the work of Practical Action Janathakshan envisages the same vision and values of Practical Action and operates based on principles of founder Dr. E.F. Schumacher’s philosophy. Janathakshan will be managed and supported by Practical Action until 2014 and will continue to focus on the thematic areas of;

• Energy• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate

Change Adaptation (CCA) • Rural livelihoods• Small enterprise development• Water for domestic and livelihoods needs• Rural transport

Similar to Practical Action Janathakshan will demonstrate viable technology based approaches to poverty reduction on the ground through innovative projects, generate sharable knowledge, share knowledge, network and be a strong advocate at the national level and beyond. Janathakshan also ensures that local level learning of Practical Action continues in Sri Lanka and that lessons learnt are shared helping to improve the lives of poverty stricken communities across the globe for generations to come.

Janathakshan

Janathakshan

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In honour and celebration of founder and visionary Dr. E.F. Schumacher’s 100th birth anniversary Practical Action, Sri Lanka organised a Development Symposium to examine how effective the strategies underpinning his philosophy are in contributing to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country today. The centenary commemoration programme provided the space to stimulate alternative thinking within the country and suggest viable options to better face development and poverty reduction challenges as Sri Lanka moves forward as a middle income country, after nearly three decades of war. It also provided the opportunity for an opinion poll on how to adopt development strategies independent of scarce resources and the environment, thereby, supporting Sri Lanka meet the Millennium Development Goals effectively.

In relevance to Schumacher’s philosophy four thematic areas were identified for discussion andresearch papers on these themes were presented by eminent experts. The four thematic areas were-

• Adopting Green Growth strategies in Sri Lanka • Shift of emphasis from livelihoods development

to (small) business development • Energy policies in Sri Lanka • What is an appropriate Path for Sri Lanka as an

Emerging Economy

Addressing the gathering, Guest of Honour, Hon. Minister of ScientificAffairs, Prof. Tissa Vitharanasaid “I completely agree Dr. Schumacher’s philosophy that development and equity has to be achieved in a way that every member of society is part of that process. I commend Practical Action for organizing a timely and important event to discuss the relevant and applicability of Schumacher’s philosophy in the face Sri Lanka’s contemporary development challenges.”

Dr. E.F. Schumacher founded Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), currently known as Practical Action 40 years ago, based on the philosophy that small, personalized solutions to poverty work best. For over 20 years, driven by this philosophy Practical Action has focused on technology as a tool in poverty reduction and development, uplifting the lives of many Sri Lankan’s and working with a broad spectrum of stakeholders including government policy and decision making bodies, civil society organisations, academic institutions and other research institutes.

Practical Action Honours 100th Birth Anniversary of Founder Dr. E. F. Schumacher

SPECIAL EVENTS

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Launch of ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ Postage Stamp in Sri Lanka

Practical Action along with the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) facilitated the release of 1,000,000 postage stamps by the Ministry of Postal Services on the UN declared theme for the year 2012 ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.’ The stamp is expected to reach up to 2,000,000 million people in Sri Lanka and abroad promoting energy access for sustainable economic development and supporting the Millennium Development Goals.

Practical Action partnered with the SLSEA and Ministry of Postal Services to organise a national level art competition for all schools in the country to designthefirstdaycoverofthestamponthistheme,withthewinningentrybeingincludedonthefirstdaycover. In the process of designing their entries children had to learn about the energy issues facing Sri Lanka and the sustainable energy options available. Various aspects of the energy crises, the sustainable energy requirement and renewable energy solutions were also portrayed in the children’s artwork. The stamp

was issued in March 2012, by the Minister of Power and Energy, Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Post Master General, Mr. Rohana Abeyaratne, Chairman of the SLSEA, Dr. Kithsiri Dissanayake and Regional Director Practical Action Dr. Visaka Hidellage along participants that included school children, parents and representatives of partner organisations. Miss D.H.A. Sachini Ruwanika Nimanthi Perera, a student of Grade 12, Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Wenapuwa district won first prize in the art competition. Alongwith the issue of the stamp, the philatelic bureau also released25,000brochuresand6,000firstdaycovers.Apart from these nearly 8,000 posters were displayed at each post office of the country calling for entriesand about 4,000 posters announcing the issue of the stamp. Through this initiative Practical Action along with the Ministry of Postal Services and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority were able to successfully raise public awareness on alternate renewable energy technologies, aspects of energy conservation and the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions that ensure a better world for future generations.

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Knowledge Products

‘Sustainable Energy for All’ Postage Stamp in Sri Lanka

Practical Action along with the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) facilitated the release of 1,000,000 postage stamps by the Ministry of Postal Services on the UN declared theme for the year 2012 ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.’

Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Projects

This practical handbook contains the various resources that can be used to mainstream gender in energy projects and includes gender tools, questionnaires, guidelines and examples.

Case Studies

Case studies published highlight the successful examples of Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Projects in Botswana, Senegal, Tanzania,Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Philippines.

Technical Briefs

Technical briefs were published on Mainstreaming Gender in EnergyProjects,GenderMainstreamingInRuralElectrificationProgrammes, Gender Mainstreaming In Biogas Programmes, Institutionalising Gender Mainstreaming Processes In Energy Organisations

E-Net Magazine

e-net is a magazine produced and managed by Practical Action for the dissemination of information on Biomass Supply Chains and Total Energy Access.

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Financial InformationStatement of financial activities for the year ended 31st March 2012

2011/12 2011/12 2011/12 2010/11

Restricted Unrestricted Total Total

£ £ £ £

Incoming resources 672,727 524,103 1,196,830 1,149,344

Expenditure

Direct charitable expenditure (713,362) (166,712) (880,074) (749,911)

Management & administration 54 (357,391) (357,337) (409,098)

Total resources expended (713,307) (524,103) (1,237,411) (1,159,009)

Excess of expenditure over income before tax (40,581) - (40,580) (9,665)

Income tax - (5,024) (5,024) 7,036

Net deficit after tax (40,581) (5,024) (45,605) (2,629)

ASSETS 31.03.2012 31.03.2011

£ £

CURRENT ASSETS

Donation receivable 71,519 31,615

Deposits and advances 62,671 60,609

Cash and cash equivalents 197,948 107,004

332,138 199,228

Total Assets 332,138 199,228

FUNDS AND LIABILITIES

Accumulated fund

Restricted funds 75,241 115,822

Unrestricted Funds

Free reserves 2,011 7,036

Revenue reserves (265,585) (265,585)

Headofficefunds 157,300 29,243

(106,273) (229,306)

Total Funds (31,032) (113,484)

NON CURRENT LIABILITIES

Defined benefit obligations 80,318 105,433

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Accounts payable 99,694 97,558

Income tax liabilities 21,414 28,909

Deferred income 111,244 41,561

Bank overdraft 50,499 39,252

282,851 207,280

Total Liabilities 363,170 312,713

Total Funds and Liabilities 332,138 199,228

Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2012

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Partners

Sri Lanka• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB)• Ambalantota Pradeshiya Sabha• Batticaloa Municipal Council • Business Development Centre (BDC)• Cathy Rich Memorial Food Processing Training

Centre• Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA)• Climate Change Secretariat, Ministry of Environment• Commissioner of Local Government Sri Lanka-North

Western, Southern & Eastern Province• Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA)• Department of Agricultural Management &

Communications, University of Peradeniya• Department of Chemical & Process Engineering,

Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya• Department of Mechanical Engineering/Department

of Chemical & Process Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of University of Moratuwa

• Development with Disability Network (DwDN)• Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty

of Engineering/Faculty of Agriculture University of Ruhuna

• Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC)• Department of Agricultural Extension, University of

Peradeniya• Department of Electrical and Electronics

Engineering, University of Peradeniya• Disaster Management Centre• Divi Neguma Programme- Ministry of Economic

Development, Sri Lanka• Eravur Urban Council• Ethics Research Committee, Colombo Medical• Felidae (Pvt) Ltd • GAMANA Guarantee Ltd.• Gemidiriya Community Development Project • Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training

Institute (HARTI)• Human and Environmental Developmental

Organisation (HEDO)• Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)• International Network on Gender and Sustainable

Energy (ENERGIA)

India• AsiaPacificIncubationNetwork(APIN)• BISWA Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC)• Gram Vikas India• Indian Institute of Education and Care (IIEC)• Orissa State Volunteer Social Workers Association

(OSVSWA)• Orissa State Tribal Livelihood Empowerment

Programme (OTLEP) • Prayas Energy Group, Pune• Society for Women Action and Development (SWAD)• Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE)

Pakistan• Doaba Foundation • Rural Development Policy Institute• Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)

• Jaffna Library• Karathivu Development Society • Kesbewa Urban Council• Kotmale Internet Listeners Club• Mannar Urban Council• Manthai West Pradeshiya Sabha• Ministry of Postal Services• Ministry of Road Development, Power & Energy and

Housing & Construction, Central Province• Ministry of Technology and Research in Sri Lanka• National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical

Engineering (Fisheries University)• National Federation for Conservation of Traditional

Seeds and Agricultural Resources• National Engineering Research & Development

(NERD) Centre • National Science Foundation (NSF)• National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health

(NIOSH)• Nikaweratiya Pradeshiya Sabha• OXFAM GB• Peoples Sewa Society• Palm Foundation• Palmyra Development Board (PDB) • FacultyRural Enterprise Network• University of Ruhuna, Matara• Rural Centre for Development (SANGRAMA)• Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food

Security (RUAF)• SANASA Development Bank• Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development

Services (SEEDS) • Social Policy Analysis and Research Centre,

University of Colombo• Social Development and Informative Movement

(SIM), Batticaloa• Sri Lanka Press Institute• Sri Lanka Institute of Local Governance • Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC)• Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI)• Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority• The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce• Western Province Ministry of Agriculture

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Acknowdgements• AsianandthePacificForumforEnvironmentandDevelopment(APFED)• Big Lottery Fund (BLF)• British High Commission, Sri Lanka• Bio-Energy Association of Sri Lanka (BEASL)• Ceylon Cold Stores PLC • Christian Aid • Department for International Development (DFID)• Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) • European Commission • HelpAge International Sri Lanka• International Development Research Centre (IDRC)• John Keells Hotels• John Keells Foundation• Lanka Biogas Association (LBA)• Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services, Sri Lanka • Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Sri Lanka• Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka• Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Sri Lanka • Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Sri Lanka• Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Sri Lanka• Ministry of Power and Energy, Sri Lanka• National Water Supply & Drainage Board, Sri Lanka • Oriental Consultants Company Ltd.• Plan International• Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)• USAID/Development Alternatives Inc (DAI)• USAIDOfficeofU.S.ForeignDisasterAssistance(OFDA)• Waterloo Foundation• World Jewish Relief• World Vision Lanka• Individual donors

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Practical ActionRegional Programme (Sri Lanka, India & Pakistan)5, Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha, Colombo 05, Sri Lanka. T | + 94 11 2829412F | + 94 11 2856188E | srilanka@practicalaction.org.lkW | www.practicalaction.org