News
‘Climate literacy’ essential for Lankans to understand environmental changes
by Ifham Nizam
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says despite efforts in place, initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors must be stepped up to meet the world’s target of limiting warming to around 1.5 degrees Celsius.The IPCC released its ‘Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change’ report, assessing the measures put in place to reduce carbon emissions globally as well as their long-term impact on emissions goals.In a statement, the panel said global gas emissions should peak before 2025 at the latest and be reduced by 43% by 2030, while methane should be reduced by about a third to limit global warming to around 1.5 degrees Celsius.However, it said that it is almost unavoidable that the limit will “temporarily exceed” the temperature threshold but it could return to below the target by the end of the century.The third part of the IPCC’s sixth assessment report was published on April 4. This report provide ample evidence of how climate change affects all living beings on earth.
It emphasizes that there is no fundamental challenge other than climate change which create many problems in all aspects of human well being such as food, water, health, shelter, education, employment etc. Not only humans but also other living beings are also under threat due to climate change.Hundreds of species of flora and fauna are already extinct due to issues accelerated by climate change and thousands of others are on the verge of extinction. There are three reviews under the sixth assessment report of IPCC, the world’s foremost body of climate researchers.The first published last August highlighted the scale of what human activity does to the climate system. The second titled ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’ published on February 28 looks at the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change. It gives the clearest indication to date of how a warmer world is affecting all living beings on Earth. This is the Working Group III contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report published this week.Supun Lahiru Prakash, an environmental activist and one of ten 2020 – United Nations Climate Change Learn champions in the world, speaking to Sunday Island says as a tropical island nation in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate change and we are experiencing many adverse effects of climate change.Between 2010 and 2020, fifteen times more people died from floods, droughts and storms in very vulnerable regions including parts of Africa, South Asia and Central and South America, than in other parts of the world.More than 40% of the world’s population are “highly vulnerable” to climate catastrophes. Many of the impacts of global warming are now simply “irreversible” according to the assessment.
“We are at the last minute of the hour to act against the climate change by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions significantly while investing more on adaptations as we, humans and nature are being pushed beyond abilities to adapt.”However, this report did not get enough attention internationally or nationally. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has to some extent overshadowed it in the international media.Prakash stressed that in Sri Lanka people are suffering from lack of basic needs and they know little about climate change related factors affecting mankind. Climate literacy is most wanting here. “If Lankans are aware of these things, they will demand essential policy changes and decisions to tackle the adverse impacts of climate change,” he said.Language too was a bottleneck in climate education in the non-English speaking world. Opportunities for communicating climate related information in native languages are limited as such information is mostly available in English.
Therefore, non-English speakers lack the knowledge to relate much of what the environmental change around them to climate change.
All this drives home the need for climate literacy in this country and imparting this is a task for today, not tomorrow
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
