UNDP and UNV Sri Lanka joined hands with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Coast Conservation Department (CCD) to observe the 2009 International Volunteer Day (IVD). This year IVD focused on the need for individual as well as collective action to address the threat of climate change. To this end, under the global banner of “Volunteering for our planet”, Sri Lanka’s UNV Volunteers with their partners conceptualized, supported, coordinated and executed, the “Walk Your Watershed” (WYW) programme on December 5th.
The watershed of Madu River in Balapitiya on the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka was identified as a possible intervention site. Well known for its rich biodiversity, Madu River has about ten major aquatic plant communities and 303 species of vertebrate fauna out of which 19 species are endemic to Sri Lanka and eight species are threatened with extinction.
The “Walk Your Watershed” programme was geared towards creating awareness among residents and users of the Madu River watershed by making connections between their activities and its impact on the health of their immediate environment.
Therefore, in the month leading up to IVD, many United Nations Volunteers were on the ground attending to the preparations for the event, and building the local networks necessary with the community, local authorities, the main stakeholders of this watershed, and especially the younger generation in the area.
The overall goal was to bring home the responsibility of environment protection and management to their backyards and the necessity for voluntary action in combating the devastation of this generous gift of nature.
The 5th December programme was attended by around 250 enthusiastic persons, made up of boat owners and boat riders of Madu river, local authorities, many locals and students and teachers from 10 schools bordering the river. During the morning programme, volunteers and other participants were taken through an informative session on watershed management and the current situation of Madu River, as well as an interactive video presentation on the dangers facing the river if the current trends continue.
To understand the parameters of this specific watershed the afternoon session consisted of a practical session which took the participants to Maa Island – the most populated island around Madu Ganga. There, at different locations, four stations were set up under two themes – solid waste management and water quality. They were manned by university students and several academics who led the students on a mission of discovery and experiments.
The end of this informative and enjoyable programme included a summary of the day’s events and presentations from group leaders on their observations and plans to alter the present climate of inaction in the face of deterioration of their watershed. It resulted in further discussions on establishing community level committees of boat owners and riders and those who engage in fishing on the river, in order to create a collective voice when appealing to the authorities for change in policies regarding the river. These developments boded well for the effectiveness of the programme and continuation of better practices that were encouraged through the activities.UNV Volunteers, members of their partner agencies, the team of university students and academics participated in this programme with enthusiasm and energy. They displayed the true spirit of volunteerism in tackling issues that arose during an event of this nature and scale. They rose to the occasion with good humour and efficiency, which spoke volumes of the caliber of volunteers that UNV Sri Lanka programme has attracted and been able to harness.
the event brought together the UNV family, serving all over the country in different host agencies, together for a day for rebuilding their own ties in another effort to further support and serve the community.