The Government and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have formalised a partnership with the signing of the “Developing Sustainable Integrated Solid Waste Management Project in the Uva and Northern Provinces” agreement.
The event was held at the Ministry of Public Administration on Wednesday. Country Director of KOICA Sri Lanka Office, Ms. Kim Myung Jin, Ministry Secretary Aloka Bandara, Director General of the Department of External Resources, Samantha Bandara, and representatives of Government institutions were present. KOICA will invest USD 11 million to address the growing challenges of solid waste management in the Badulla and Vavuniya districts under the project. The initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of officials, introduce best practices in solid waste management from Korea, and enhance the infrastructure of waste management.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Aloka Bandara said, “This partnership with KOICA will become a significant step in addressing Sri Lankan’s Solid Waste Management challenges, which may lead to longer-term Sustainable outcomes such as reducing the greenhouse gas emission, leading to behavioural change towards eco-friendly waste management practices.”
Country Director of KOICA, Kim Miyung Jin said, “This project exemplifies KOICA’s commitment to advance the global partnerships for environmental protection. We are confident that our bilateral ties with Sri Lanka will drive benefit Sri Lanka’s waste management sector to a more sustainable path.” Over the next five years, KOICA plans to invest over USD 65 million to strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies in Sri Lanka.
