EU support for coastal villages

The Arthacharya Foundation and the Belgian NGO ‘Aide au Développement Gembloux’ are launching their Participatory Solid Waste Management activities in five south coastal cities (Kalutara, Ambalangoda, Weligama, Matara and Tangalle) in Sri Lanka.
More than Rs 90 million (690,730 euros) of which 97.61% is funded by the European Commission, will be provided for a period of three years until September 2009 under the project.

As Solid Waste Management is a serious environmental issue in the coastal cities hit by the tsunami, this post-tsunami action will contribute to the rehabilitation of these towns by promoting a community-based waste management initiative, the foundation said in a statement.

The project, thanks to the EU, will involve 5000 poor families through Community Based Organizations (CBOs). In order to ensure its success, these solid waste management activities will further address certain main priorities of poor families which includes income generation and promotion of savings; home gardening activities to lower the household expenses on food and generate complementary income through the sale of vegetables at the market; composting activities to reduce the waste environmental impact and the quantity of waste disposed on the roads, providing a further income, as quality compost can easily be sold; collection and sale of sorted waste such as paper, cardboard, solid plastic, metal, polythene, and glass to be organized