Plans to promote environmental advocacy

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

With the intention of making a more environmentally conscious society the new President of the Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka, Prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe plans to promote environmental advocacy in the society.

She said that she would work with the industries, the government, the non-government sectors and other stakeholders of the society in this regard. She plans to establish a help desk for industry in environmental matters and strengthen the links with other institutes and bodies working towards similar goals. Through the Corporate Membership the Institute wish to facilitate the green economy, and extend an open invitation to the industry to join hands. She identifies the need to empower the society in the arena of environment at all levels and expects to introduce many training programmes in the future to suit the requirements at all levels and extends an open invitation to the others to collaborate with the Institute in this regard. Professor, Hemanthi Ranasinghe, the Professor in Forestry and Environmental Science, in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura assumed duties as the new President of the Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka (IEPSL) at the 5th Annual General Meeting last Friday.

She was a Council Member of the Institute and held several key appointments and had been instrumental in organising and holding training programmes on environmental assessments, targeted towards both government and private sector. In recognition of her contribution to national development she was awarded 'Professional Woman of the Year 2000' by the Women's Chamber of Commerce in 2001.

A winner of the Fulbright Fellowship to work in a most prestigious university in USA, Yale University, Prof Ranasinghe, is a all round person who had indulged effectively in the academic as well as in industry and many national and international organizations as consultant, advisor. In the field of academia she has more than 25 years service as a university academic and a researcher. She headed the Department of Forestry & Environmental Science for 6 years since 1997 and continues as the Professor in the Forestry & Environment in the University.

Already the Institute has produced nine Chartered Environmentalists and hope to produce more in the future so that the practicing environmentalists can have a better market.