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Browsing by Author "Senaratne, Athula"

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Analysis of the Fisheries Sector in Sri Lanka: Guided Case Studies in Value Chain Development for Conflict-Affected Environments
(United States Agency for International Development, 2008-03) Arunatilake, Nisha; Gunawardena, Asha; Marawila, Dilhani; Samaratunga, Parakrama; Senaratne, Athula; Thibbotuwawa, Manoj
Sri Lanka has been affected by prolonged armed conflict, and attendant chronic governance failures, for the past three decades. Evaluating its impact on the performance of specific productive sectors, such as ocean fisheries, remains a timely and important exercise. The value chain analysis methodology offers an insightful way to approach this critical topic due to its focus on identifying the actual and potential competitiveness of particular products and the areas of possible economic development and growth. The USAID AMAP program commissioned this study to ascertain the ability of a value chain analysis to determine the impact these two types of conflict have had on the fisheries industry in southern Sri Lanka—both the direct and indirect physical and other effects the armed conflict has inflicted and the structural consequences of institutional and governance failures. The study used the analysis to compose recommendations for effectively developing the capacity of the fisheries sector to contribute to equitable economic opportunities in Sri Lanka. The research team based their analysis on data from primary and secondary sources at both the national and regional levels. Team members obtained secondary data from fishery-related institutes—community-level organizations, the Ministry of Fisheries and others—and used a participatory appraisal approach to collect primary data from stakeholders involved directly and indirectly in the fisheries value chain—fishermen, traders, processors, government officials and other informed groups. The team selected three study sites—Negombo, Chillaw and Hambanthota—and convened focus groups representing the ethnic and religious heterogeneity of the country’s fishing communities and the range of impacts the conflict was having on different regions of the country. The study addresses the research question, ‘How can value chain analysis and the value chain framework help to identify and understand both the major opportunities for upgrading and the driving constraints to market growth of the fisheries sector given the context of conflict?’ To fully demonstrate the opportunities and constraints associated with the direct and indirect impacts of the conflict, the team developed a value chain/conflict dynamics matrix that identifies both the different chain segments affected directly and indirectly by conflict and the ways in which they are affected. Further analysis of the opportunities and constraints posed by the various dimensions of the conflict yields case-specific examples of the ways the conflict interacts with and affects a given value chain. Opportunities generated by the continuing violent conflicts and related institutional failures in Sri Lanka are negligible compared to the large number of constraints they present to the entire chain, including lack of access to and competitiveness in end markets; sluggish or dormant firms and supporting markets; the need for firm-level upgrading, and a poor business enabling environment. The limited supply of fish to end markets, both domestic and export, and the increased cost of inputs are the most visible impact of conflict on the fisheries industry at the present time. Further, increased security measures and related expenditures have increased the transaction costs for the industry. Such conditions have made ocean fishery a high-cost industry in Sri Lanka, thus reducing not only its competitiveness but also its ultimate potential for growth and ability to act as a driver of poverty reduction. Many entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka’s fisheries industry have identified the constraints to and potential of the sector, but they are unable to bring about substantial change in the conflict-affected environment. The research concludes that the current situation is one of impact-mitigation and maximization of gains because of constraints imposed by the conflicts. Issues related to the generation of a favorable enabling environment through the improvement of public infrastructure (harbor facilities and roads) and services (research, extension and institutional support such as policy reform, quality assurance, input delivery, etc.) depend primarily on the capacity and commitment of relevant state agencies. Although private-sector actors may be able to play a role in advocating for needed reforms the weak governance environment poses obstacles to targeting such efforts and driving meaningful change. To improve competitiveness of the industry, the state should focus on identifying niche markets and product categories, introducing technology, facilitating support services, revising existing trade and export policies and developing needed infrastructure. The private sector can improve the functioning of the value chain through wider access to credit, infrastructure enhancement and increased inter-firm cooperation. These changes are not easily implemented by individual actors, but are possible through collective action with existing fisheries cooperative societies playing a role. In addition, the development of micro-credit facilities is a promising way to circumvent the problems fishers experience with formal financial institutions and could provide them with an alternative to the private moneylenders who are part of an often highly exploitative industry. Cooperative societies can increase fishers’ bargaining power with large organizations higher up the chain and conduct lobbying efforts with state authorities for better operating conditions. Successful cooperative organizations have the potential to enter into public-private partnerships to facilitate the provision of much-needed infrastructure, such as harbors, anchorages and related facilities and to participate in broader development of the sector. To further an understanding of how the conflict affects Sri Lanka’s fisheries industry and how the chain might realize its competitive potential, this study analyzes the value chain as well as the way it interacts with direct and indirect conflict dynamics. Section 1 provides an overview of the conflict context and the fisheries sector and identifies the key development and relief initiatives currently being implemented. Section 2 presents the methodology employed in conducting this study, and Section 3 gives a detailed analysis of the conflict environment in Sri Lanka.1 In Section 4, a detailed analysis of the fisheries industry leads to a discussion of the links between value chain and conflict dynamics. The concluding section highlights insights from applying the value chain analysis in a conflict-affected context, as well as possible ways forward identified by the integrated conflict/value chain analysis.
Changing role of non-timber forest products (NTFP) in rural household economy: the case of Sinharaja World Heritage site in Sri Lanka.
(Springer-Verlag, 2003-11) Senaratne, Athula; Abeygunawardena, Piyasena; Jayatilake, Wijaya
This paper examines the modified patterns of utilizing non-timber forest products (NTFP) and associated behavioral changes around tropical forest areas in the context of conservation-related objectives and other commercially driven objectives. Our study introduces a conceptual framework based on the household production theory and tests empirically the hypotheses drawn at Sinharaja World Heritage in Sri Lanka. The results show that conditions introduced by forest conservation programs and the spread of small-scale commercial tea cultivation are transforming the economy around Sinharaja. The process is an economically rational one where resident communities decide upon their actions based on the opportunity cost of time involved with NTFP in the absence of observable prices. Although the process, overall, has led to a decline in the role of NTFP in the household economy, its impact over different NTFP are not uniform, leaving sustained demand for certain NTFP. This situation calls for a multifaceted approach in forest management programs to address the various household needs fulfilled by NTFP-based activities.
Climate Change Challenges for Food Security in Sri Lanka
(2017-01-11) Senaratne, Athula
Climate Change, Local Institutions and Adaptation Experience: The Village Tank Farming Community in Dry Zone Sri Lanka
(International Water Management Institute (IWMI), 2010) Senaratne, Athula; Wickramasinghe, Kanchana
Farmers are in a continuous process of, individually and as community groups, adjusting to the observed variability in climate parameters. Climate shocks are considered by farmers in their decision-making as factors affecting risk and uncertainty, and farmers make their choices so as to minimize such risks. The overall outcome of these individual and community efforts is known as ‘climate adaptation’, which itself is a continuous process. Farmers are traditionally supported by local institutions in this process, which are also currently in a state of transformation. This study examines the climate adaptation responses of the village tank farming community in the dry zone of Sri Lanka in the context of transforming socioeconomic conditions and with the objective of identifying policy implications for adaptation to global climate change. The study was conducted in six Divisional Secretariat areas in the Anuradhapura District of the North Central Province. Both, primary and secondary data was collected in the study. The major sources of primary data included a series of focus group discussions and key informant interviews conducted with village tank farmers and local of ficers. The findings reveal that there are two major forms of voluntary adaptation responses by farmers against climate shocks: 1) aligning of farming activities with the recognized seasonal pattern of rainfall; and 2) management of rain water harvested in commonly owned village tanks. Farmers’ adaptation responses have been facilitated by local institutions that helped to adopt joint adaptation responses. However, recent socioeconomic dynamics introduced by rapid population increase, spread of commercial opportunities and change in agricultural technology have drastically altered conditions in the village tanks in favor of developing a commercial farming system. As a result, local institutions that traditionally facilitated the climatic adaptation responses are also in a state of transition. Therefore, farmers face problems in adapting to the impending risks and uncertainties of global climate change. The paper emphasizes the need for appropriate policy measures to facilitate the adaptive capacity of farmers.
Commons vs. Commons: Managing Scarce Water Resources in Dry Zone Village Tank Systems in Sri Lanka
(The Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA), 2011-02) Senaratne, Athula; Wickramasinghe, Kanchana
The struggle of village tank farmers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka against rising scarcity of water and land resources strongly highlights the interdependence of local resources under diverse regimes of governance. The significant population in the dry zone that lives under the village tank systems represents one of the most vulnerable community groups in the country. This study attempted to identify technical, institutional, and policy solutions that could provide sustainable answers to the problems faced by the village tank farming community. Physical scarcity is only one aspect of the problem because scarcity is closely influenced by more contentious issues of institutional limitations. The research was conducted in the Anuradhpaura district of the North Central Province in Sri Lanka. The research design included participatory methods of focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) to gather primary data. Secondary data were collected from various sources, especially from past researches on village tank systems. Findings revealed that temporal scarcity of water and associated problems of managing local resources have been the major challenges that have shaped the evolution of local farming systems and water mana gement strategies. The traditional system evolved to overcome this challenge through the development of a set of social customs and local institutions. These customs and institutions had governed the use of lowland as well as upland resources until recently. However, recent changes such as population growth, government policies, commercialization of local economies, and modernization of agriculture technology have gradually eroded the traditional system. These changes have favored a privately oriented and resource intensive commercial farming system. Such changes have contributed to the collapse of control exerted by traditional system of social customs and local institutions over local resources, especially over the upland component of the farming system. This collapse has led to major environmental problems affecting land and water resources in the village tank systems. Hence, what is needed is a holistic approach of integrated resource management that includes technical, institutional, and policy interventions applied over interdependent systems of local resources. However, the implementation of an integrated mangement practices has to be facilitated by a modified system of local institutional arrangements and appropriate policy interventions designed to create an enabling environment.
Disaggregated Projections on Supply, Demand, and Trade for Developing Asia: Preliminary Results from the Asiafish Model
(International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), 2004-07) Dey, Madan M.; Rodriguez, U-Primo; Briones, Roehlano M.; Li, Chen Oai; Haque, Muhammad Sirajul; Li, Luping; Kumar, Praduman; Koeshendrajana, Sonny; Yew, Tai Shzee; Senaratne, Athula; Nissapa, Ayut; Khiem, Nguyen Tri; Ahmed, Mahfuz
The AsiaFish model is a quantitative tool for making disaggregated projections and impact analysis for fish supply, demand, and trade. It has recently been applied to nine major fish producers in Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam). The resulting analysis is useful for the evaluating strategies and identifying priority technologies for the propoor and sustainable development of the fish sectorin these countries. The paper summarizes the method for applying the AsiaFish model, presents the results of model projections for these countries, and draws preliminary conclusions from a cross-country comparison.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation in Agriculture Sector in Sri Lanka: Assessing Loss and Damages due to Climate-Induced Disasters - Technical Report
(2023-07-11) Senaratne, Athula; Wickramasinghe, Kanchana
Climate change is likely to increase the vulnerability of agriculture sector, which is inherently a risk-prone activity. Both, changing patterns of climate and extreme climate events, could result in losses and damages to agriculture thereby increasing livelihood risks faced by farmers and business risk of agricultural firms. Those losses and damages can cause severe economic and social impacts over millions of farmers, especially in developing countries where farming is the main livelihood. The overall objective of the study is to understand the linkages between disaster risk management and climate change adaptation for reducing losses and damages incurred by the agriculture sector due to climate related disasters. The study aims to: identify the vulnerability of agriculture sector in Sri Lanka to losses and damages due to extreme events, slow-onset disasters and anomalies in familiar patterns of climate variability; explore methodological approaches developed for assessing losses and damages and identify suitable approaches that can be adapted to cater the needs of agriculture sector in Sri Lanka, and; identify ways for establishing baselines for the current losses and damages caused by climate related disasters on the agriculture sector, demonstrating the applicability of selected approaches to assess loss and damages.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation in Agriculture Sector in Sri Lanka: Policy Directions for Devsing a Mechanism for Assessing Losses and Damages
(2023-07-11) Senaratne, Athula; Senaratne, Athula; Wickramasinghe, Kanchana
Agriculture sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors to impacts of climate change in Sri Lanka. Increased incidences of extreme events such as floods, droughts and landslides as well as slow-onset impacts such as rising temperature and anomalies in rainfall patterns affect the performance of agriculture sector. Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is comprised of two broad subsectors, namely, food security subsector and export agriculture subsector. Recent experience indicates that climate related hazards pose a significant threat on production, farm assets and livelihoods associated with both subsectors. The report deals with Sri Lanka’s loss and damage NDCs with special focus on agriculture sector, which has been identified as one of the most vulnerable sectors to losses and damages due to climate change impacts. One objective of the study is to identify policy directions for linking ongoing disaster risk management and climate change adaptation interventions through the means of establishing a mechanism for assessing losses and damages due to extreme events, slow-onset disasters and climate anomalies. A dedicated policy analysis was carried out to achieve this objective. The specific aims of this analysis are to review existing policies in Sri Lanka for management of disaster risks and adaptation to climate change impacts in agriculture sector, examine the prospects for assessing losses and damages due to climate related disasters on agriculture to strengthen disaster risk management and climate change adaptation and to suggest suitable policy directions to improve resilience of agriculture sector through devising a mechanism for assessing losses and damages.
Economics of Managing Invasive Alien Species in Sri Lanka
(Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka, 2010) Wickramasinghe, Kanchana; Senaratne, Athula
This paper examines certain aspects related to the economics of managing Invasive Alien Species (IAS) focusing on the context in Sri Lanka. In this exercise we attempted to assess economic benefits/costs of managing IAS using the total economic value framework, and to review suitable criteria and guidelines that should be used in selection of policies for managing IAS.
Female entrepreneurship and the role of business development services in promoting
(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2014-05) Attygalle, Kaushalya; Hirimuthugodage, Dilani; Madurawala, Sunimalee; Senaratne, Athula; Wijesinha, Anushka; Edirisinghe, Chopadithya
Female Entrepreneurship and the Role of Business Development Services in Promoting Small and Medium Women Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka
(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka and Oxfam International, Sri Lanka, 2014-05) Hirimuthugodage, Dilani; Madurawala, Sunimalee; Senaratne, Athula; Wijesinha, Anushka; Edirisinghe, Chopadithya
The general objective of this study is to examine the socio-economic and cultural barriers which hinder women’s progression to SME sector. Furthermore, it would also look at the existing and future opportunities for women to enter and lead SMEs with a special focus on access and availability of women - friendly Business Development Services (BDS) including development of business skills, technology transfer and linking with financial services. The study also aims to provide policy level recommendations to increase women entrepreneurs’ access to business development services and to identify national-level strategic priorities for stakeholders to work in economic justice with the aim of promoting women’s economic leadership and enterprise culture among women.
Fish-Supply and Demand Projection Model
(2016-11-03) Senaratne, Athula
Integrated Climate Information Management Systems (ICIMS)
(2016-06-21) Senaratne, Athula
Introduction to the workshop
(2016-10-05) Senaratne, Athula
Mainstreaming Climate Change into Urban Planning and Policy
(2023-07-11) Senaratne, Athula; Wickramasinghe, Kanchana
Urban centers are hubs of economic and social development activities that make them also hotspots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the other hand, concentration of human activity and built environment render them highly vulnerable to anomalies in climate with serious repercussions on human lives and economic properties. Hence, urban sector is a key sector that needs policy attention in regard to climate change. In this backdrop, the current study examined the evolving relationship between climate change and urban development in Sri Lanka with the aim of identifying suitable framework to incorporate climate change issues into urban planning policy of the country. The study approach involved reviewing policies, assessing the gaps and identifying policies and measures. The methodology included a desk review of policy documents and other relevant secondary information; three consultation meetings on adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage dimensions; key informant interviews and a spatial analysis. The study provides general recommendations for mainstreaming climate change and area specific recommendations for mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk management.
Paddy & Rice Value Chains The Problem of Middleman Revisited
(2016-11-03) Senaratne, Athula
Policy Options for Ensuring Food Security in Sri Lanka: A Multi-Market Analysis of Rice, Fish and Dairy Products
(2016-11-03) Senaratne, Athula
Shared Beliefs, Expectations and Surprises: Adaptation Decisions of Village Tank Farmers in Sri Lanka
(2013-08-23) Senaratne, Athula
Global climate change could have far-reaching consequences for farming communities, particularly in developing countries. Rain-fed farmers, such as village tank farmers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, are among the most vulnerable because they depend heavily on local rainfall and have limited means to adapt. While adaptation has been the key strategy to help generations of farmers overcome climate uncertainty, it essentially involves regular, risky decisions on adaptation options. Some researchers have proposed that experience gained from repeated choices help farmers make better adaptation decisions. However, recent advances in decision theory suggest that the cognitive limitations of decision-makers and the ambiguity associated with rainfall variability limit the usefulness of personal experience as a reliable guide for making adaptation decisions. Conversely, a significant body of empirical literature on climate adaptation has provided evidence to indicate that farmers’ adaptation decisions are strongly influenced by their commonly held beliefs. This study examined the adaptation choice behaviour of village tank farmers in Sri Lanka by focusing on four interrelated research questions: (a) Do farmers’ have shared beliefs that lead them to identify the general pattern of variability and long-term changes in rainfall and are these perceptions consistent with the patterns observed in local weather data? (b) If so, how do the shared beliefs guide adaptation decisions on different time horizons and joint decisions of adaptation? (c) If farmers are guided by commonly held beliefs, what factors lead to individual variations in adaptation choices ? (d) What factors govern the sensitivity to surprise rainfall events that fall outside farmers’ rainfall expectations? The study used primary data collected from a household survey of 181 farmers in nine villages in three tank cascade systems in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka, focus group discussions (FGDs), expert interviews and secondary data from local weather stations. The data was used to empirically test propositions and hypotheses based on a conceptual framework that was developed from the insights of formal theories on risk behaviour, recent advances in behavioural decision theory and empirical studies on farmers’ climate adaptation behaviour. The analytical tools used included consensus analysis (CA), descriptive statistical methods and estimation of multiple regression models. The results of the study showed a sufficient level of consensus in farmers’ rainfall expectations to confirm the existence of commonly held beliefs about the pattern of variability in local rainfall. Shared beliefs were assessed to be consistent with the pattern of variability indicated by rainfall data from local weather stations. However, farmers’ responses did not show sufficient level of consensus to confirm the existence of shared perceptions about long-term changes in local rainfall. The study provides evidence to support the proposition that shared beliefs have an influence on farmers’ adaptation decisions. The beliefs appear to guide three hierarchical levels of decisions: broad prospects of adaptation, farming activities coming under broad prospects and operational arrangements of activities. As far as joint adaptation decisions of farmers were concerned, ownership arrangements of livelihood provide flexibility to adjust to conditions of temporal scarcity of water. In this setting, the shared beliefs facilitate collective decisions of farmers coordinated through local institutions. The study also found that in spite of the influence of shared beliefs, farmers make adaptation choices subject to individual levels of household adaptivity. Econometric models that were estimated to test the hypotheses suggest that household adaptivity is significantly affected by personal-, household - and community-level variables, including personal experience, age categories and the endowments, earnings and location of households. The most important variable for explaining the sensitivity to surprise rainfall events was the level of exposure to the shock and the household coping capacity to respond. The study has a number of general and area-specific policy implications. It strongly emphasises the importance of taking farmers’ beliefs into consideration in designing, producing and communicating climate information products and interventions, such as long-term climate projections, seasonal precipitation forecasts (SPFs) and shortterm weather forecasts. The concept of household adaptivity links important policy concepts such as adaptive capacity and vulnerability with the individual perceptions of risks in decision-making behaviour of adaptation. The study suggests that welfare losses caused by surprise events could be reduced by focusing on interventions that help to minimise sensitivity to the events and increasing the household capacity to respond to them .
Socio-economic Impacts of Forest Conservation on Peripheral Communities: Case of Knuckles National Wilderness Heritage of Sri Lanka
(12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons, Cheltenham England, July 14-18, 2008, 2008) Wickramasinghe, Kanchana; Steel, Paul; Senaratne, Athula
Forest conservation generates significant economic benefits to the society. However, the conservation strategies should pay necessary attention to the resultant socio economic aspects. Otherwise; conservation efforts affect the welfare of peripheral communities due to restrictions on their livelihoods. The present paper intends to assess the socio-economic impacts of declaration of Knuckles Conservation Zone (KCZ) on the livelihoods of surrounding communities, using data and information collected through a household survey, focus group discussion, interviews and observations. The Knuckles National Wilderness Heritage (NWH) is an important natural forest in Sri Lanka, due to its richness in biodiversity, uniqueness in habitat diversity and being a vital catchment to the main rivers. The forest has greatly been threatened by the promotion of cyltivation of cardamom, which receives high prices in the international market and shifting cultivation that has resulted in a sizeable decrease in the forest cover. With the declaration of KCZ, shifting cultivation and cardamom cultivation were banned and access to forest products was restricted. Consequently, although conservation activities generated considerable environmental improvements, they caused direct negative impacts on the peripheral communities. The quantity and frequency of forest products harvested has declined due to limited access to the forest, causing income losses and affecting food security. The dependency on non timber forest products (NTFPs) as a source of income is much low according to this study finding, but the forest had played a major role as a subsistence source of food, wood, fuel wood etc earlier. The annual income loss due to banning of shifting cultivation and reduced harvesting of NTFPs is estimated around US$ 150 per household. Promotion of ecotourism activities, which are already in place, and creation of proper marketing channels for agricultural products is recognized as alternative ways to increase income, thus to improve the well-being of households. Villagers could also be allowed to harvest selected NTFPs, provided that sustainability of the forest is not affected. Therefore a mechanism should be created that communities are compensated through alternative income sources rather than depending on monetary compensations from the government thereby setting a useful example for the future conservation strategies of the country and elsewhere.
A Study on Agriculture Adaptation Practices in Sri Lanka
(2014-01-07) Senaratne, Athula; Rodrigo, Chatura
Coping with climatic uncertainty is an eternal challenge faced by farmers all over the world. Farmers have faced the challenge by making regular adjustments to moderate, cope with or take advantage of actual or expected variability/change of climate. This process of adjustments is called adaptation. Sri Lanka is a developing nation with a significant poor population engaged in livelihoods relating to agriculture. Farmers in Sri Lanka have a long history of climate adaptation. This report examines key adaptive practices developed by them in the struggle for coping with climatic shocks. It begins with an overview of climatic conditions in Sri Lanka and their implications on farmers. There are two major climatic zones in Sri Lanka―wet zone and dry zone. The report focusses mainly on adaptation practices of dry zone farmers since dry zone is the major agricultural area in the country and they are the more vulnerable group farmers to impacts of climate change. Three broad forms of adaptation measures are identified: long-term structural adaptations, medium-term strategic adaptations and short-term tactical adaptations. Out of them, the study examined three selected adaptation practices as case studies. They are: (a) rainwater harvesting in village tanks, (b) tapping shallow groundwater through agro-wells, and (c) adoption of climate resilient traditional varieties and agronomic practices. The study assessed the background and rationale of respective practices and identified technical, economic and institutional/social potential of them. It also evaluated the challenges that may emerge under changing climatic patterns and socio-economic conditions. Finally, attention is directed to assess the lessons that can be learnt about the overall strategy, individual and joint actions and the roles of local institutions and indigenous knowledge in adaptation.

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