Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth over the recent years. In the food and agriculture sector, however, there are several conspicuous policy changes that require attentive analysis. Also, since 2008, agriculture growth slowed down due to drought and weak global demand which affected exports and trade. This brief takes stock of key food and agricultural indicators and provides key recommendations to further expedite the transformation of the sector. Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of agricultural transformation, moving from subsistence- based agrarian economy towards early integration stage. But further progress towards market- oriented industrialized agriculture will crucially depend on the policy, institutional, and technological innovations that are designed and implemented by the Government. The government of Sri Lanka has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects to achieve higher growth by developing small and medium enterprises and to increase agricultural productivity.

A food system comprises the entire range of actors and interlinked activities related to food production, processing, distribution, marketing and trade, preparation, consumption, and disposal. When a food system operates without compromising the needs of future generations, it is considered to be a “Sustainable Food System.” The present-day food systems in Sri Lanka are diverse, and the natural and physical environment, infrastructure, institutions, society and culture, and policies and regulations within which the food systems operate, as well as the technologies employed, have shaped their outcomes. Agricultural research is a key factor in terms of innovation and technological advances. Innovation has been the main driver of food systems’ transformation over the past few decades and will be critical to addressing the needs of a rapidly growing population in a context of climate change and scarcity of natural resources. In addition, agricultural research must help meet the rising demand for food at affordable prices. Comprising 17 chapters written by specialist(s) in their respective subject-areas, this Contributed Volume on “Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka: A Historical Perspective” shares the scientific knowledge accumulated by the National Agricultural Research System of Sri Lanka, including universities, and offers recommendations on how to make food systems more sustainable in order to address the current needs of Sri Lankan society. It presents perspectives on four key thematic areas, namely: (i) Crop and animal production, management, and improvement, (ii) Agro-product processing technologies, (iii) Natural resource management, and (iv) Socio-economic development and agri-business management.

This comprehensive handbook provides a unique overview of the theory, methodologies and best practices in climate change communication from around the world. It fosters the exchange of information, ideas and experience gained in the execution of successful projects and initiatives, and discusses novel methodological approaches aimed at promoting a better understanding of climate change adaptation. Addressing a gap in the literature on climate change communication and pursuing an integrated approach, the handbook documents and disseminates the wealth of experience currently available in this field. Volume 2 of the handbook provides a unique description of the theoretical basis and of some of the key facts and phenomena which help in achieving a better understanding of the basis of climate change communication, providing an essential basis for successful initiatives in this complex field.

Food systems involve a range of activities concerning food production, processing, distribution, marketing and trade, preparation, consumption and disposal. They encompass the path of food from the farm to the dinner table, meeting the food and nutritional needs of a nation. When such systems do so without sacrificing the needs of future generations, they are referred to as “Sustainable Food Systems.” The natural and physical environment, infrastructure, institutions, society and culture, and policies and regulations within which they operate, as well as the technologies they adopt, shape these systems’ outcomes. Making food systems more sustainable is a key priority for all nations, and Sri Lanka is no exception. Food systems deliver optimal performance when the policy and regulatory environment is conducive, institutions are supportive, and a combination of agricultural research investments and an efficient extension system generates the technologies and scientific evidence required for sound policymaking and agenda setting. Further, agricultural research can generate essential findings, technologies and policies for sustainable agricultural development – across disciplines, sectors and stakeholder groups. This book shares valuable insights into research conducted in the broad food and agriculture sectors in Sri Lanka. It also discusses the status quo in related disciplines, and outlines future research directions. Accordingly, it offers a valuable source of reference material for researchers, students, and stakeholders in the food and agriculture sectors, while also highlighting the types of support that policymakers and other decision-makers can provide.

This book is based on empirical research in Sri Lanka conducted after the catastrophic tsunami which hit the country in December 2004. The aims of the research have been to develop new knowledge on post-crisis reconstruction and recovery work, on how to bridge the knowledge gap between researchers and practitioners, as well as trying to use past research experiences from Sri Lanka to learn about the present day situation. The chapters use a common analytical frame related to the ‘policy narratives’ of post-tsunami recovery in the shadow of war, and deal with housing reconstruction, livelihoods, internally displaced, humanitarian interventions and protracted conflicts. The authors represent various social scientific fields and they have experience from different geographical areas of Sri Lanka. This book was published as a special issue of Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift.

The present volume, The State of Economic Development in South Asia: A Compendium of Deliberations – Econ Dev Discussion 2020-21 is a compilation of analytical reflections and examinations of the economic growth and development in the countries of South Asia. The compendium is a product of the series, The State of Economic Development in South Asia – #EconDevDiscussion under the IMPRI South Asia Studies Center (SASC). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of disruption of markets and livelihoods across all the sectors of the economies has varied in extent and intensity. The series explores the possible strategies for recovery from the same by focusing on economic development, international and national policies, and addressing welfare and inequality. It unravels the role of governance, corporations, civil society, the populace, and other actors in realizing an equitable society. Chapter 1 highlights the ‘Government Policy and Rural Development in Bangladesh’. It addresses how Bangladesh has elevated its stature from being a least developed country to an emerging economy, and in what ways has the focus on rural development contributed to the same. Chapter 2 addresses the ‘Nationally Determined Contributions to Climate Change in Sri Lanka’, which shows how the island country stands at the risk of continued increase in global temperatures. Chapter 3 deals with the ‘Trade and Policy Shocks in Nepal amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations, Lessons and the Way Forward’. It shows how the small landlocked country stood at crossroads in policy decisions- prioritizing public health over other sectors. Chapter 4 addresses the ‘Changing Dynamics of India’s Trade under COVID-19: Trade Openness and Value Chain Participation’. It emphasizes the dilemma of how India responded to the interruptions in the global value chain and the implications. Chapter 5 deliberates upon the ‘Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh: Initiatives, Achievements, and Way Forward amidst COVID -19 Pandemic’. Chapter 6 focuses on ‘Designing built environment for comfort, wellbeing, and happiness in Bhutan’. It brings out a new dimension of livelihood practices and how urbanization meets the conventional in the country. Chapter 7 examines ‘The State of the Bangladesh Economy in the Times of COVID-19: Impact and the Way Forward’, and Chapter 8 deals with ‘India’s New Agricultural Laws 2020: Looking Beyond Farmers’ Concerns’. Chapter 9 delineates the ‘The State of “No-Land’s Man”: The Human Rights of Rohingyas’ that explores another dimension of development by highlighting the status of social welfare and equality across countries and its deterioration during the pandemic. Chapter 10 highlights the ‘Changing Tourism Prospects and Policy Options for Sustainable Tourism in Sri Lanka’ and Chapter 11 describes the issues related to the ‘Regional Trade and Developmental Challenges in South Asia’ and traces the trends in the economic sectors of trade and tourism owing to the restrictions on the movements of goods and humans across borders, dwindling demand, and changing fiscal and monetary policies. Chapter 12 examines the initiatives of ‘Model Gaon एक नयी सोच, एक नयी पहल’ that delineates a project concentrated at the village level. If employed, it seeks to bring the parameters of agriculture, education sanitation, among others that define development, to the center stage. Chapter 13 throws some light on ‘Enabling Micro Enterprises for Economic Growth: Entrepreneurship Development with Government Policy Interventions in Nepal’ which seeks to understand the response of various governmental regimes towards tackling the pandemic and mitigating its effects. In all, this volume addresses a wide range of topical issues that have immense policy relevance which concern the development and welfare of people in connection with the politico-socio-economic changes, which have been further complicated by COVID-19 and environmental changes.

This book addresses the forms of legal protection extended to people displaced due to the consequences of climate change, and who have either become refugees by crossing international borders or are climatically displaced persons (CDPs) in their own homelands. It explores the legal response of the South Asian Jurisdictions to these refugee-like situations, and also to what extent these people are protected under current international law. The book critically examines and assesses whether States have obligations to protect people displaced by climate change under international refugee law (IRL) and international climate change law (ICCL). It discusses the issue of climate migration in South Asia, analyzes the legal and judicial response initiated by South Asian nations, and also investigates the role of SAARC in relation to climate change and climate refugees. Drawing on the International Legal Standards and States’ Practices in South Asia regarding climate refugees, the book shows how IRL, ICCL, and IHRL (international human rights law) have been used to address and identify the gaps in the global legal protection framework concerning the contours of the normative debate on climate refugees, climate change displacement, migration, forced migration, susceptibility to climate change, typology of climate change-induced displacement, role of the SAARC and its municipal legal systems, approaches to climate change, human mobility and developing a hybrid regional law, or advocating a legal alternative of equal measure in a region characterized by diversity and multiculturalism. The book offers valuable takeaways for students, researchers, consultants, practitioners and policymakers alike.