INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISMS AT SECTOR LEVEL: TEA IN SRI LANKA

Contents

List of abbreviations

I. Role of tea in development in Sri lanka

A. Tea sector and its economic importance to Sri Lanka

B. Government awareness of environmental issues and areas of priority in the tea sector

C. Limitations and challenges for incorporating environmental considerations into policy decisions for the tea sector

D. Degree to which environmental issues are reflected in sector policy

1. Policy on replanting

2. Policy on the application of fertilizer and related chemicals

3. Policy on agriculture, land use and forestry

4. Approval policy for projects which may result in adverse environmental impacts

5. Policy on aid and assistance programmes for plantation sector reform

6. Policy on international Conventions and other agreements

II. National institutional arrangements for integrating environmental concerns into the policy decision process

A. Administrative structure of the government

B. The evolution and existing structure of institutional arrangements for the tea sector in the various ministries and agencies

1. Central Environmental Authority

2. Ministry of Environment and Forestry

3. Ministry of Plantation Industries

4. Ministry of Finance and Planning

5. Board of Investment

6. Ministry of Internal and International Commerce and Food

7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

8. Ministry of Science and Technology

9. Ministry of Mahaweli Development

10. National Development Council

11. Provincial Councils and local authorities

12. Private sector Chambers and non governmental organizations

13. Ministries involved in environmental issues related to the tea sector

14. Differences in institutional arrangements between ministries and agencies

15. Adequacy of institutional arrangements in terms of stated objectives

III. Mechanisms for integrating environmental considerations into sector policies and for monitoring

A. Experience and current mechanism for, and future direction of, coordination among relevant ministries and agencies

1. Environmental impact assessment process, and mechanisms for integrating environmental considerations into decision making and coordination among relevant ministries and agencies

2. Environmental cells

3. Role of the scoping process in EIAs

4. Conducting the scoping process

5. EIA Oversight Committee

6. Technical subcommittee

7. Selection of an appropriate PAA

8. Cooperating agencies

9. EIA Interagency Committee

B. Strengths, weaknesses, advantages and constraints of coordinating mechanisms

C. Resolution of conflicts of interest among relevant ministries and agencies

D. Mechanisms for interacting with the private sector in integrated policy decision making

E. Ministries and agencies responsible for monitoring enforcement

F. Strengths and weaknesses and advantages and disadvantages of monitoring mechanisms

G. Viability of remuneration versus penalties for enforcing rules

H. Coherence and consistency in monitoring mechanisms within the tea sector

I. Institutional arrangements for coordination with trading partners and neighbouring countries in terms of environmental policies

J. Mechanisms used to reflect the impact of trade problems on environment policy and vice versa

IV. Analysis of sector level measures used to integrate environmental considerations in terms of perceived effectiveness in achieving policy objectives

A. Type of measures and intended impacts: ministries and agencies responsible

1. Soil erosion and soil degradation: their effect on the tea sector, and other environmental hazards

2. Loss of soil fertility through erosion, and its relationship to low productivity in the tea sector

3. Offside effects of soil erosion

4. Measures for integrating environmental considerations, and their effectiveness in achieving policy objectives

B. Differences arising between sectors, problems addressed and sector specific issues experienced in applying environmentally related measures

C. Integration of national level mechanism used to address identified problems related to the plantation sector

V. Consideration of multilateral trade and environmental agreements in domestic policy formulation

A. Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer

B. Framework convention on climatic chance

C. Uruguay round multilateral trade agreement of the world trade organization

D. Agenda 21 and national policy responses

1. Policy responses to public sector development projects

2. Policy responses to international environmental Conventions

3. Policy responses to the conservation of natural resources

VI. Assessment of information and training needs identified by government officials

A. Mechanisms used to disseminate information

B. Training programmes with a bearing on the tea sector

1. Capacity building among policy makers for formulating and coordinating an integrated environmental and economic policies

2. Capacity building among policy makers and technical support staff for carrying out the EIA process

3. Capacity building among local authority staff for issuing environment protection licenses

4. Specialized training programmes

C. Training and information needs, and effectiveness of measures aimed at meeting those needs

1. Capacity building among policy makers for formulating and coordinating integrated environment and economic policies

2. Capacity building among policy makers and technical support staff for conducting the EIA process

3. Capacity building among local authority staff for issuing EPLs

4. Other capacity building and training needs

VII. Conclusions and recommendations

A. Institutional constraints

B. Co-ordinating mechanisms

C. Measures for integrating environmental considerations and achieving policy objectives

D. Multilateral trade and environmental agreement

E. Information and training needs

Bibliography

Annexes

I. Provincial council list

II. Reserved list

III. Concurrent list

 

Table 1. Contribution by sector to Sri Lankan economy

Table 2. Export earnings of Sri Lanka in 1996

Table 3. Land area under agriculture in Sri Lanka

Table 4. Areas of tea cultivation in Sri Lanka

Table 5. Trends in production, exports and prices of Sri Lankan tea, 1989-1995

Table 6. Changes in land use in Sri Lanka

Table 7. Major land uses in the upper Mahaweli catchment area

Table 8. Estimates of erosion under different land uses in the upper Mahaweli catchment

Table 9. Erosion hazard ratings for the upper Mahaweli catchment area

Table 10. Overall fertilizer consumption by sector in Sri Lanka

Table 11. Predicted temperature increases in Sri Lanka

Table 12. Predicted changes in evaporation rates in Sri Lanka

Table 13. Main sectors and subsectors covered in the National Conservation Strategy of Sri Lanka

 

Figure 1. World exports of tea, 1995 a)

Figure 2. The sequential steps for conducting and coordinating IEEs and EIAs

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