Projects

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Frequently asked questions

• Was this project requested and approved by the Government of Sri Lanka?
• Was there public consultation during project preparation?
• Are there numerous versions of the project document?
• Was an Environmental Impact Assessment done for this project?

Was this project requested and approved by the Government of Sri Lanka?

As with all ADB-financed projects, this project fits within the framework of ADB's country assistance strategy. It was included, initially as a project preparatory technical assistance in ADB's country assistance program that is developed with the Government on a three-year rolling basis, updated yearly.

The program is signed off by the Government, specifically, the Ministry of Finance, and ADB at the end of the annual country programming mission. The document so agreed confirms the Government's request to ADB for assistance with developing the programs and projects detailed in the document.

The project was prepared in a consultative manner. The final project document and loan agreement were reviewed by the Attorney General's Department, Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environment, and other relevant Government agencies before final approval and adoption.

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Was there public consultation during project preparation?

The project was prepared in about two years between 1998 and 2000. It is the outcome of extensive discussions and deliberations by consultants working with a technical advisory group and later a task force appointed by the Minister in charge of the Wildlife sector. These groups included representatives from NGOs, and the private sector and to ex-officio government officials.

In formulating the project, the task force took a broader outlook and studied the sector more comprehensively by forming three sub-committees to separately address policy, legal and institutional issues. In all, the technical advisory group and task force met over 15 times between 1997 and 2000.

A series of consultation workshops, listed below, were held to discuss the project. The participants included a range of stakeholders from Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) staff to community members of buffer zones.

Since declaring the project effective, there have been five public discussions organized by the NGO sector, where ADB officials clarified the Project's objectives and scope.

The project document -- Report and Recommendations of the President to the Board Of Directors of ADB -- has been circulated upon request, including 30 hard copies to the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society.

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Are there numerous versions of the project document?

No. The project's binding document is the Report and Recommendations of the President to the Board Of Directors of ADB and the corresponding Loan Agreement.

All Memorandum of Understandings preceding these documents are outdated and represent 'work in progress'.

Read the news releases on this project:

• Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation project (15 May 2002)
• Sri Lanka Adopts Strategic Approach To Wildlife Conservation (19 Oct 2000)

Was an Environmental Impact Assessment done for this project?

An initial environmental assessment undertaken during project preparation concluded that the project would be overwhelmingly beneficial from both an environmental and social perspective.

Adverse impacts due to development and implementation of ecotourism concession agreements were considered of potentially moderate significance. These concessions would be of a modest scale and would be monitored in accordance with an environmental management plan prepared in the case of each development, as required under the criteria of the National Environment Act.