Published on: 2025-08-25
Sri Lanka is on the verge of making a strategic environmental assessment a legal decision-making tool to ensure that environmental and social dimensions are systematically integrated in the design and implementation of policies, plans and programmes.
Together with the Central Environmental Authority, the NCEA organised an introduction workshop to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in August in Colombo. Participants were civil servants from the CEA and several other line ministries, who will be in charge of conducting SEA in the future. The workshop focused on a case study of the ongoing ADB-financed SEA for renewable energy development plans in the Northern, North Eastern and North Western Regions of Sri Lanka. The diversity of stakeholders allows the participants to provide key input for the Terms of Reference of the SEA, including the SEA objectives and the level of engagement of institutional and local stakeholders in the SEA process. The NCEA has also provided technical advice on the renewable energy SEA Terms of Reference and is looking forward to continuing its support to the Sri Lankan government in developping their national SEA system.