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Item 19th Climate Change Conference: An Assessment(2022-11-03) Wickramasinghe, KanchanaCOP19 could not come up with an effective and comprehensive set of elements necessary for the international agreement to be prepared in 2015 and implemented in 2020.Item 4IR: a challenge or an opportunity for gender equality?(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2019-10)Item A Three-wheeled attraction: an analysis of Three-Wheeler drivers in Sri Lanka's labour market(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2022) De Silva, ThisaliThe existing labour shortage in Sri Lanka has been inflicting high economic pressure not only on agricultural and industrial sectors but also on labour supply for domestic activities countrywide. Manufacturing sector industries such as apparel and construction, and service sector industries like tourism suffer from labour shortages that the country is currently experiencing. The shortage of people in some industries, such as the construction sector, is attributed to the reluctance of youth to take up this type of employment (Praveen et al. (2016)).Item Adoption of Environmental Management Practices in the Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka(2017-01-27) Wickramasinghe, KanchanaEnvironmental management has not received the attention that it deserves in the case of the hotel industry in Sri Lanka although sustainable growth in the industry requires consideration of such practices. Our study assesses the adoption of good environmental management practices in the Sri Lankan hotel industry, focusing on energy, water, solid waste and waste water management. The study is based on data from 78 registered hotels in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. We obtained primary data on the environmental management practices using a pretested structured questionnaire. In addition to the cross-sectional data, we collected panel data on electricity consumption from these hotels for 2009–2013. The results show that the highest number of practices, 3.7 on average, adopted by hotels is in energy management. The average number of water management practices is 2.6. Low adoption rates are observed for waste water and solid waste management practices. The results from Poisson and Probit regression models show that the hotel characteristics and customer characteristics are significant determinants of the adoption of good practices with large hotels, chain-affiliated hotels and classified hotels more likely to adopt them. Analysis of electricity consumption shows that the occupancy rate and involvement of the hotels in environment management projects lead to a reduction in electricity consumption. From a policy perspective, small hotels, independent hotels, and unclassified hotels need to be motivated to adopt good environmental management practices through training, capacity building and financial support.Item Analysis of cinnamon,pepper and cardamom value chains in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2017-03) Wijayasiri, Janaka; Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; Hirimuthugodage, DilaniItem 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, ManojSri 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.Item Are Sri Lankan women abandoned in digital transformation(Institute of Policy studies of Sri Lanka, 2023-03-09) Wanigasinghe, LakshilaItem Are Sri Lankan women abandoned in digital transformation?(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2023) Wnigasinghe, LakshikaItem Are there good quality teachers for all classrooms in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2017-12) Arunatilake, Nisha; Abayasekara, AshaniHighly qualified teachers in all classrooms are necessary for implementing education reforms aimed at modernising and improving education in the country.Using school census data for 2016, this study examines the adequacy of teachers for teaching mathematics,English and Science at the secondary level in Sri Lanka. across provinces and across different school categories.The study also analyses the distribution of government expenditure on teacher salaries across different types of schools. The study finds that although the available number of teachers for different subjects is sufficient at the national level, the available in-field and experienced teachers are inadequate to meet the current demand for such teachers. The study further finds that the deployment of teachers and the distribution of public expenditure on qualified teacher salaries are not equal across different categories of schools.Item Belt and road initiative, debt and diplomacy: challenges and opportunities for China-Sri Lanka economic relations(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2019-06) Weerakoon, Dushni; Wijayasiri, JanakaItem Better policies for better diets: the political economy of fiscal policies and regulations to promote healthy diets in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2022-06) Madurawala, SunimaleeItem Better schools for better O-Level results in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2017-11) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaItem Book Review: Bina Agarwal, Gender and Green Governance: The Political Economy of Women's Presence Within and Beyond Community Forestry(New Delhi: Sage, 2011) Wickramasinghe, KanchanaIn the vast literature on a range of dimensions of forest governance, the facet of gender has received meagre attention. In addition, the nexus between women’s presence and forest governance has been less established through rigorous analysis. Moreover, in the gender and governance literature, the issues addressed are limited in range and there is a lack of empirical verification. In this context, the book titled Gender and Green Governance: The Political Economy of Women’s Presence Within and Beyond Community Forestry can be viewed as an immense, novel contribution to the literature and a milestone in the ongoing debate on forest governance, gender, rural energy and political economy. The study is based on a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment using the information collected through the author’s extensive fieldwork in selected areas of India and Nepal.Item Book Review: Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries: Policy Analysis and Case Studies(New Delhi: Sage, 2007) Wickramasinghe, KanchanaEnergy is central to sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts and affects all social, economic and environmental aspects of development. The main objective of this book is to contribute to the resolution of many current energy and environmental policy issues by an objective analytical approach using the tools of environmental economics and cost benefit analysis.Item Bridging skills for employment in Sri Lanka(Asian Development Bank, 2017) Jayawardena, Priyanka; Miller, RonaldItem Can khan academy e-learning video tutorials improve mathematics achievement in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 2019-01) Weeraratne, BileshaItem 'Can We Cut the Cake Differently?: Stimulating Innovation in Sri Lanka'(2013-10-01) Wijesinha, Anushka; Welgama, TehaniAn in-house presentation on the importance of innovation for growth and a review of Sri Lanka's status on innovation pillars and the challenges going forward.Item Capital account liberalization and financial crises in East Asia: lessons for Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, 1998-07) Weerakoon, Dushni; Salih, RozanaItem 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, WijayaThis 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.Item Chemical fertillizer imports and the environment: evidence-based approach for a green economy accounting for the trade off(2021-12) Wijesinghe, AsankaThe direct and indirect impact of high-input use agriculture- popularised by the Green Revolution- on the environment is the major thrust of this perspective. The paper discusses an integrated approach to minimise the negative impacts, accounting for the proposed ban of synthetic fertilizers and the tradeoff between the environment and productivity resulting from such a ban. Noteworthy stylised facts of the discussion are threefold. First, the Green Revolution reduced the growth of extensive expansion of agricultural lands via intensification, which subdued the pressure on forest cover. Additionally, productivity increase releases marginal lands for vital ecological services such as pollinator habitats. Second, synthetic fertilizer resulted in higher productivity in the agriculture sector, increasing the GDP and facilitating structural transformation. Given that a quarter of the workforce is in the agriculture sector, gradual movement of the labor force to the industrial sector is vital, while the agriculture sector workforce become self-reliant in facing environmental and climatic events. Thus, continuous investment in agricultural productivity growth should be a priority to create fiscal space for the investments in meaningful green initiatives and reduce the vulnerability of the rural poor. Third, evidence-based solutions such as site-specific fertilizer recommendations, soil testing, and discouraging overuse of nitrogenous fertilizer through tariffs should be practiced to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of synthetic fertilizer, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Complete removal of the subsidy may generate overreaching welfare and environmental ramifications, although it is widely suggested.