Review of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in hydropower projects in Sri Lanka. Abstract only

Environmental impact assessmentDevelopment projectsHydroelectric schemesWater powerLegislation

The Value of Fish Quality

This paper aims to reveal consumers’ preferences for quality graded fish products based upon existing data on first-hand sales in Denmark. The data represents the value of fish for consumption as a non-differentiated private good. The objective is to measure the welfare gains to society of an increase in “quality” for major fish species. The demand for Quality Extra and quality A-fish is estimated using an Inverse Almost Ideal Demand System (IAIDS-model) as the functional form of demand on first-hand sales data following the European Union established trade norms for quality-grading and size-categories. Secondly the possibility of estimating changes in consumer surplus as the welfare gained by society of a general increase in quality of landed fish is discussed. However, the estimates on consumer surplus are not yet completed. The model adopted is a pricing model for the implicit price of the characteristic “quality” which necessarily is part of the product i.e. fish for consumption. Today the Danish market for fish does not explicitly state the “quality” of fish in the consumers market. This is generally a credence parameter. There are no objective verifiable standards available to the consumer and this is an element of trust in the word of the fish retailer. This paper shows the first results of adopting a revealed preference model for indirect benefit estimation on existing quality differentiated fish at first-hand sales. We explicitly discuss the assumptions of “weak complementarity” and “derived demand” necessary to run the model.Key words: fish quality, revealed preference, consumers’ preference, derived demand, IAIDS-model

Willingness to pay for urban water body recreational facilities: a case study at Diyatha Uyana

Revitalization of open water bodies into recreational areas are becoming widely popular in many parts of Sri Lanka. Understanding community perception and expectation on recreational development have important policy and cost-effectiveness implications. This paper explores the public perspectives on development, conservation and value of the open water recreational development at Diyatha Uyana and surrounding area. Contingent Valuation Method has been applied to estimate peoples’ Willingness To Pay for recreational spaces in the selected area. A total of 300 residents from different socioeconomic backgrounds were selected randomly for the study. Enjoying peace and relaxation, taking children to play and breath clean air were mentioned as most important aspects of open water body areas. More frequent visits occur to enjoy peace and relaxation, breath clean air and enjoy the natural landscape. Almost all the participants were agreed upon conserving open water body areas in urban settings. Willingness to pay was significantly associated with income and occupation status. It yielded a monthly average payment of Rs.446.93 per household for another five years’ time. The limited budget was the main reason for not willing to pay. This paper is significant as there is no contingent valuation method study has been carried on water body development in Sri Lanka

Review of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in hydropower projects in Sri Lanka. [Abstract only].

In Theory and practice of social sciences for human wellbeing in South Asia. International Conference on Social Sciences, Sri Lanka 2008 (ICSSL), held at the Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 18-20 July 2008. Kelaniya, Sri Lanka: University of Kelaniy

Invisible Labor in coastal fisheries gender perspectives from small scale fishers in Mullaitheevu district

women play a significant role in small-scale fisheries worldwide.Similalry,with the resettlement of families in Northen Province  of Sri lanka,and an icreeased level of unemployment,most of the vulnerable groups have shifted themselves to coastals fishing,portraying snall-scale fisheries as a crucial livelihood meeans in Mullaiteevu.Hence this study intended to identify the role of gender in small-scale fisheries in Mullaiteevu with a particular concern for women in the value chain.Primary data for the analysis wa  gathered through a survey using a simple random sampling technique.   In the survey,200 small-scale fisheries in the main fishing grounds of Mullaitivu North,Nayaru,and Kollilai were interviewed with a structured questionnaire.Further qualitative data were recorded through informal discussions with selected respindents.According to the results,the value chain had distinctive gendered roles for men and women.Men specifically engaged with marine harvesting and fishing stage that demanded more physical strength.The part of women mainly focused on posharvest stages(sorting,gutting,cleaning,repairing nets),preharvest stages(net making),and a few of the women-headed households engaged in normed masculine fish harvesting.Though the role of women in the value chain contributes toward increased economic gains and reducing the post-harvest losses,their contribution is under-evaluated.Women received less pay for the same work and had littel decision-making power.gendered market forces were also revealed with poor market access and poor bargaining power among fisherwomen.This issue is also affected by cultural procsriptions,religion,and caste.Womr=en play a vital role in the value chain amidst the unpaid household chores of caring for the children and families.Hence the women's respresentation in invisible,yet their role remains uncountable.</p