A. Workshop on 24-25 March 

Workshop: Marching with the Next Generation Towards a Plastic Waste-Free Future in Sri Lanka: Teachers’ Guide and Student Activity Books.

Workshop for national-level implementation preparation of the school children activity and awareness books on marine and plastic litter was held on March 24-25 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The workshop aimed at preparing for the national-level implementation of "Marching with the Next Generation Towards a Plastic Waste-Free Future in Sri Lanka: Teachers’ Guide and Student Activity Books." This was an important initiative towards creating awareness about the plastic waste crisis and promoting sustainable practices among the youth in Sri Lanka. The workshop is designed to bring together educators at the national education institute (NIE), policymakers from the Ministry of Education (MO-Education), the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and Central Environmental Authority (CEA), and other few other stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing the guidebooks. Participants discussed the draft versions prepared under the “Making Galle City Plastic Waste Free” pilot projects about the contents of the books, explored innovative teaching methods, and shared their experiences and best practices in addressing plastic waste management in schools and as a country. The workshop participants commented that these activity guidebooks would support the ultimate objective of empowering the next generation of Sri Lankans to become responsible citizens and advocates for a plastic waste-free future. The activities were conducted under the project funded by NORAD through the BRS secretariat.  

B. Workshop on 16-March 

IGES/CCET co-organized an awareness program for Development Officers under the Ministry of Environment Sri Lanka

This has been reported on the MOE-SL webpage. 

1) Awareness program to Development Officers under Ministry of Environment

"Awareness Program to Development Officers under Ministry of Environment" conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka, under the “Marine Litter and Microplastics” (NORAD1) project in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and HELP-O Sri Lanka was held March 16. IGES made financial and technical contributions to the event's success through its expertise in environmental technology.  Development officers attached to the Ministry of Environment Sri Lanka appreciated the inputs provided on international experiences on traditional and digital tools applications to manage plastic waste and effectively reduce marine litter and microplastics. IGES researcher Dr. Amila Abeynayaka participated on behalf of IGES and provided technical guidance at the event. The event was conducted under the project funded by NORAD through the BRS secretariat.