Social Service History of Tropical Climate/FECT

Overview:
This document describes the charitable work done by FECT and its staff
over the last twenty years in Sri Lanka. All of the work is done with financial donations
or grants from individuals and organizations that fund scientific work and through
dedicated efforts of volunteers, visitors, scientists and administrators. We have sponsored
and conducted educational programs at school and University level and sponsored many
internships, studentships and training programs as well. We have not charged for any
services.

Partnerships: 
We have collaborated with many government organizations for the
public welfare. These include Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, Department of
Agriculture, Anti-Malaria Campaign, National Dengue Control Unit, Tea Research
Institute, Coconut Research Institute, Sugarcane Research Institute, Public Utility
Commission of Sri Lanka, Local Government Authorities , Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
nearly all national universities and over a dozen international Universities.

Charitable Contributions:
FECT has contributed to the 1. Relief of Poverty,
2.Promotion of Knowledge and Education,
3. Environmental Protection and
4. Other activities of benefit to humankind as demonstrated by our record of publications, projects,
peer reviewed donations/grants, appreciation by government officials, researchers, and
the community.

Relief of Poverty
Our contributions to poverty relief are both direct and indirect. We help manage
disasters, conserve water resources, improve agricultural choices, and mitigate
infectious disease risk through early warning systems. Some examples are:
 Services for organizations serving Public
Government organization that are servicing the public such as the Mahaweli
Authority, the Red Cross, Anti-Malaria Campaign, Regional Health Services,
National Dengue Management Centre.

 Direct relief in times of Natural Disasters
i. Emergency Water Treatment Plants (Tsunami)
ii. Provision of weather updates to aid relief (Tsunami and other disasters)
iii. Compilation and Provision of Research and Knowledge Products (Our
websites during the Tsunami recoverlanka.net was widely used.
iv. During disasters and epidemics, we provide guidance through social media
and assist the mass-media’s efforts

Promotion of Knowledge and Education
We provide public outreach through books, features and stories in mass-media, our
websites and social media. Over 30 articles have appeared in national newspapers and
40 articles were published internationally. We also support journalists with interviews,
scientific and environmental information.

 Promotion of Knowledge
o Research in climate, environmental, education, water resources, agriculture,
health and environmental fields (as evidenced by large body of books,
research outputs, project reports and technical reports).
o Promoting Public awareness through feature articles in national newspapers
and assisting journalists.
o Providing access to knowledge through making available content through
websites, blogs, social media and email lists.
o Preparation of a Reference Guide toward Climate Research in Sri Lanka.
 Promotion of Education
o Contributions to Public Education through Features, Books, and Programs
and School Level Education through enabling students to participate in
programs and providing curriculum support and support for teachers and
student projects.
o Contribution to Undergraduate Education in nearly all National Universities
and other National Tertiary Educational Institutes by hosting students for
Internships, Contributions of Lectures and to Postgraduate level education
through provision of lectures and internships for many Universities and
Tertiary Educational Institutions

 Setting up a Masters in (Sustainable) Development Practice at the University of
Peradeniya Research Symposia to support Environmental and public interest
needs
i. Workshop on Malaria Risk Management using Climate Information was
jointly organized with the Post Graduate Institute of Science, University of
Peradeniya, Foundation for Environment, Climate and Technology, and the
International Research Institute for Climate and Society, New York, USA.
ii. Symposium on Pinga-Oya was organized by the Foundation for
Environment, Climate & Technology and hosted at the Department of
Geography, in the University of Peradeniya.
iii. We conducted a workshop along with an exhibition of posters “Climate and
Water Security” in the Maldives at the Maldives National University with the
aim of bringing together expertise on climate and water. Undergraduates,
faculty members, researchers from various organizations and teachers in
secondary schools participated at this workshop.
iv. Dr. Brendan Buckley and Dr. Orawan Buckley of the Tree Ring Laboratory,
Columbia University, USA visit Sri Lanka to scope out the prospects of
carrying out dendrochronological studies to develop estimates of climatic and
hydrological variability in the past centuries in Sri Lanka.

 Workshops and training programs
We have conducted workshops and training programs for the Mahaweli Authority,
Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau and the Department of Meteorology. We
have provided lectures and supported thesis research in water resources management,
meteorology, oceanography, environmental science, geographic information systems
and disaster management at the Post-Graduate Institute of Sciences, University of
Moratuwa, University of Peradeniya, University of Colombo and the Open
University of Sri Lanka.

Environment Protection/ Eco Friendly Activities
FECT was formed while we were hosted by the Environment and Forest Conservation
Division of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. Thus our work has consistently been
oriented towards the needs of this division and other related divisions. Some examples:
 Supporting Water Conservation at a National Scale
At the request of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, we have provided a weekly
climate advisory that is used for national water management in Sri Lanka over the last
eight years. Weekly our hydro-climatological advisory is consulted by the Water
Management Secretariat (which includes Mahaweli Authority, Department of
Irrigation, Ceylon Electricity Board, National Water Supply and Drainage Board) in
the release of water from major reservoirs and Trans basin releases.

 Conserving river basins
E.g. we have brought together researchers, school teachers, local government
officials and community group for environmental research on the Pinga Oya and for
how to conserve this. We have organized schools programs with environmental
officer of the local government authorities on improving solid waste management
and river conservation. Our programs have brought experts from the Central
Environmental Authority, Mahaweli Authority, the National Water Supply and
Drainage Board among others.

 Reducing Air Pollution Risks from Power Plants
We have shown shortcomings in the Air Pollution Modeling work done by the
Indian Firm and the Industrial Technological Institute in the Environment Impact
Assessment for the Sampur Coal Power Plant. These contributions were published
and widely disseminated. Thereafter the Principal Scientist was invited to the
Environment Committee of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. There he
has been undertaking field work, instrumental work and analysis to help mitigate
environmental impacts of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. He also contributed
to submissions to the Supreme Court in this regard.

 Helping Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict
We have worked with the Environment and Forest Conservation Divison of the
Mahaweli Authority and the Department of Wildlife Conservation on understanding
the role of climate and drought on Human Elephant conflict.

 Help soil conservation
We have worked with the Environment, Forest and Conservation Division of the
Mahaweli Authority and we have assisted in the interpretation of soil erosion and
deposits in river beds with a view to understanding its character.

 Understanding the impact of warming sea surface temperatures on coasts
In recent years, the El Nino Climate phenomenon and Climate Change have had
disastrous consequences for Coral Reefs around Sri Lanka and in the wider Indian
Ocean. Our work has led to understanding the changing sea surface temperatures as
this is the primary driver on coral bleaching. Sri Lanka has large number of coastal
water bodies – lagoons, estuaries, bays, river mouths which all exist in equilibrium
between the fresh water from rivers and the sea water. A profound impact is the
seasonal breaching of the sand barriers in Sri Lanka. We have clarified the impact of
climate in the changing timing of these barriers.

 Masters in (Sustainable) Development Practice
We played an essential role in starting an inter-disciplinary Masters in (Sustainable)
Development Practice at the University of Peradeniya. This program has now trained
seven cohorts of students from across Sri Lanka with a few from overseas.

Other topics of use or of interest to the humankind. 
All the topics that we work on, produce knowledge, content, curricular training, and
education are of particular interest nationally and in the wider Indian Ocean region
and even internationally. Just to address one topic, we consider climate change.

 Climate Change
As recognized by the United Nations, the Government of Sri Lanka, and in
statements of successive government leaders, one of the most profound topics of
human interest is Climate Change. We have contributed immensely in this field.

i. We contributed to the Neela Haritha program of the Ministry of
Environment with expository articles and presentations

ii. Our scientist provided key-note address to the pre-eminent body of Sri Lanka
Scientists – the Association for the Advancement of Science – in 2013 as an
example.

iii. We have partnered with the Department of Agriculture, the Mahaweli
Authority of Sri Lanka, the Universities of Peradeniya, Ruhuna and Rajarata
in leading a study on the impact of climate change on Sri Lanka agricultural
systems particularly rice and sugar cane farmers.

iv. We studied the interaction of dengue and malaria and climate in Sri Lanka.
We collaborated with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
the Anti-Malaria Campaign, NASA/GSFC land surface group and the IRI.

 Assistance for other charitable organizations
Technical support was provided to the Akurana Women Welfare Association
(AWWA) and to the Community Service Movement. For Akurana Woman’s Welfare
Association a web presence and social media platform was set up. Meetings of these
organizations were provided with audio-visual aids and recording. Proposals
development by these organizations and News View was supported.