Biodiversity Sri Lanka to hold 1st AGM, Technical Sessions, CEO Forum

Biodiversity Sri Lanka’s (BSL) first Annual General Meeting (AGM), annual Technical Session and CEO Forum will be held on Friday, September 30, 2016, at Ramada, Colombo. 

At these sessions, its Biodiversity Project Ranking Scheme will be unveiled. Through this scheme, it will become possible for corporate biodiversity projects to be ranked based on established criteria with the objective of fine tuning these projects and to gear them to address national conservation priorities.

In the past year, the scheme was pilot tested and refined so that it can be used to rank projects nearing completion or used in project conceptualization and design. Another one of BSL’s most prominent projects – A Biodiversity Credit Accrual System for Sri Lanka – will also be discussed as not only an innovative concept but also an example of multi-partner engagement and collaboration. 

During the technical proceedings, plans to engage in the Kelani River Management Plan (KRMP) – an action plan recently developed by IUCN Sri Lanka in conjunction with the Government of Sri Lanka, Central Environmental Authority and UNICEF for the sustainable management of the Kelani River will be discussed. This session will focus on possible points of entry for the private sector and discuss ways by which members can contribute towards the sustainability and resilience of this important river basin. A vital aspect highlighted in the KRMP is the need for public-private partnerships, which has been identified as a key to the success of this plan.

The CEO Forum will feature addresses by Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, an eminent environmental specialist, and MAS Linea Aqua CEO Sarinda Unamboowe, a Patron Member of Biodiversity Sri Lanka, on the ‘The Symbiosis of Biodiversity and Business’. These will focus on business benefits of biodiversity conservation so that businesses would see it as a solution to delivering a good environmental outcome by integrating sustainability into their business through biodiversity.
Biodiversity Sri Lanka will also launch its first publication – ‘Worth Protecting’, an illustrative collection of best biodiversity stories from Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, at this event.