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This document presents the methodology and findings for a national plastic waste inventory for Sri Lanka. It has been prepared as part of the project titled “Marine litter and micro-plastics: Promoting the environmentally sound management of plastic wastes and achieving the prevention and minimization of the generation of plastic wastes,”...

This study delves into the patterns of urban expansion in Kabul, using Landsat and Sentinel satellite imagery as primary tools for analysis. We classified land use and land cover (LULC) into five distinct categories: water bodies, vegetation, barren land, barren rocky terrain, and buildings. The necessary data processing and analysis was conducted...

The report assesses the level of public awareness of microplastic pollution and related hazards as well as the current status of microplastic monitoring facilities available in Sri Lanka’s state and private sector institutes, with an emphasis on the public water supply chain and identifying microplastic point sources upstream to ensure safe...

River meandering and anabranching have become major problems in many large rivers that carry significant amounts of sediment worldwide. The morphodynamics of these rivers are complex due to the temporal variation of flows. However, the availability of remote sensing data and geographic information systems (GISs) provides the opportunity to analyze...

This report presents the challenges faced and opportunities revealed through a study of two cases of source-segregated waste collection by local authorities in Sri Lanka; Moratuwa Municipal Council, in Colombo, and Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha, in Monaragala for the purpose of raising planning and decision making capacities not only in Sri Lanka but...

The global hospitality industry is at a pivotal juncture, confronting a pervasive challenge — the menace of plastic pollution and marine litter. The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) notes that approximately 80 percent of all tourism activities occur in coastal areas, positioning the hotel industry as a significant contributor to the...

Negombo City is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. It is the major commercial and transport centre, and main health service provider for the region. However, municipal solid waste management is a pressing concern for Negombo due to expanding urbanization, increasing income, lack of public awareness, changes in consumption...

Reducing the use and promoting the environmentally sound management of single-use plastics in the tourism sector offers a great opportunity to tackle plastic pollution at the source. Similarly, addressing problematic plastics throughout tourism value chains can also drive a shift towards innovative and circular business models. In this context...

Plastic pollution represents one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet today. This is largely due to the increasing mass production of single-use plastics (SUPs) including packaging materials and other items that are quickly outpacing the world’s ability to respond. Social, cultural and economic shift in addition to the...

Pollution caused by the irresponsible disposal of plastics is a significant issue, particularly in developing countries like Sri Lanka. It is estimated that only 9% of all plastics ever produced globally have been recycled. However, not all plastics are equal in this equation, PET, in particular, stands out, given that they are 100% recyclable. Sri...