The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) handed over three vital water and sanitation facilities to the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council and community members this week (12).

According to the UN-Habitat Sri Lanka, this concludes an impactful four-year, multi-sector, community resilience project in partnership with UN-Habitat and the Government of Sri Lanka.

These facilities were established by UN-Habitat together with the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council as part of the USD 5.5 Mn KOICA project “Strengthening Socioeconomic Resilience of Communities Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka”.

Implemented by UN-Habitat Sri Lanka from 2022-2026 in Nuwara Eliya and Badulla Districts, the overall project benefited 106,000 people through health, agriculture and water and sanitation interventions. These included the upgrading of 47 field maternal and child health care centres, establishment of 11 community water supply schemes, upgrading of three hospital sewerage facilities, including hospital waste management systems, establishment of 20 polytunnels and 16 rain shelters for farmers, and provision of home gardening support to 200 households.

Deputy Country Director of KOICA Sri Lanka Office, Yunsoo Jeon officially handed over the improved water purification facility in Haddon Hill, the water recycling facility at Lake Gregory and the upgraded community sewerage system at the Srinagar settlement. 

The Mayor of Nuwara Eliya, Upali Wanigasekara, the Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, K.P.K.N. Alagalla, Government Agent, Badulla, Sunil Galagama, Commissioner of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council, Bandara, and Country Programme Manager of UN-Habitat Sri Lanka, Harshini Halangode, senior officials from the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council and the KOICA Sri Lanka office were present at the events. 

Discussing the successful conclusion of the project, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Sri Lanka office, Yunsoo Jeon, said: “This project reflects KOICA’s continued commitment to supporting inclusive, resilient, and people-centred development in Sri Lanka. Beyond responding to the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative was designed to strengthen long-term community resilience by improving access to essential services, enhancing institutional capacities, and supporting sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable communities.”

UN-Habitat Country Programme Manager, Harshini Halangode, extended her appreciation to all project partners and community members for their dedication, insights, and commitment towards implementing the project. She further stated, “We are grateful to our funding partner, KOICA. Your timely support made it possible for us to reach vulnerable communities and create impact where it was most needed.”

A lessons learned workshop was also held in Nuwara Eliya on the same day with key project partners and community members to discuss and document the good practices and lessons learned from the project. (Newswire)

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