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Recent Posts
- Beyond Pomp and Pageantry: Looking at Public Markets as Lived Spaces
- New Platform Initiated for Young Professionals in Public Policy
- Breaking Point: Impact of Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis on Colombo’s Working Class Poor
- Valuing the Catch of the Day: Towards a more Humanised Food Value Chain
- New Publication: ‘Debt for Nature Swaps: A Primer for Interested Stakeholders’
Interviews

June 2, 2022
Austerity and Vulnerability: Better Solutions to Support the Poor During Economic Crises
As Sri Lanka's economic crisis worsens and tax increases, utility price hikes and budget cuts begin, the need for a meaningful social safety net for the poor has become a key public policy focus. Yet, Sri Lanka has a bad track record of properly identifying, and providing support to, vulnerable population groups. Current approaches to welfare design risk replicating existing problems. In this in-depth interview, featuring key data points, Dr. Anila Dias Bandaranaike (a former senior Central Banker, and poverty data expert), speaks about the problems with our current approaches and ideas for better solutions. It is essentially viewing for anyone interested in this topic - whether you are a researcher, public policy professional, or civil society organization leader.
Tags: Inclusion

September 11, 2021
SMARTER SUSTAINABILITY:
Shift to Organic Agriculture Must be Staged and Strategic – Agri Expert
Sri Lanka's President announced a policy directive of moving to 100% organic farming this year, and an immediate ban on importing any chemical fertilisers and agro-chemicals. Since the announcement, there has been a fervent debate on the decision, ranging from fears around food security and impacts on exports, to a celebration of the potential to create a unique value for the country. In our first video interview in the 'Smarter Sustainability' series agriculture economist Chatura Rodrigo discusses how to manage the transition better, implications for farmers, and gaps in the policymaking process.
Tags: Natural Capital Forum