VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0228/01 0371138
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061138Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5345
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0588
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9864
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3127
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4877

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, OES/IHA FOR DANO WILUSZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SENV ETRD PHUM SOCI EAID CE
 
SUBJECT:  SRI LANKA: LIMITED EFFORTS TO ADDRESS INDOOR AIR POLLUTION 
 
REF: State 192623 
 
¶1.  Summary: Government involvement in Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) 
issues in Sri Lanka is at an early stage.  Although IAP was 
discussed at the country's first national symposium on air resource 
management in 2004, limited progress has been made in this area. 
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has done a 
preliminary study on indoor air quality management in Sri Lanka, 
while an NGO group has implemented a project in selected areas to 
improve indoor air quality in kitchens in rural areas of Sri Lanka. 
The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) has allocated limited funds to 
deal with IAP issues, constraining prospects for effectively 
addressing this issue.  End Summary. 
 
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION PROGRAM 
 
¶2.   The Economics and Global Affairs Division of the Ministry of 
Environment and Natural Resources is the responsible GSL office for 
handling IAP issues.  The GSL has begun to review the IAP situation 
in the country by initiating a pilot project on indoor air 
management carried out by the National Building Research 
Organization (NBRO) with supervision from the Ministry of 
Environment and Natural Resources.  A preliminary report on this 
project has also been carried out by the NBRO. 
 
¶3.   Seventy percent of indoor energy use (primarily for cooking) in 
Sri Lanka comes from biomass.  Although nearly 75 percent of the 
total population has access to electricity, it is mainly used for 
illumination purposes and seldom used for cooking due to high 
electricity fees. 
 
¶4.   The Ministry of Environment's IAP project was carried out from 
July through November 2006 and was designed to assess the indoor air 
pollution levels and the socio-economic and health conditions in 
selected households in urban and rural residential areas. The study 
sought to propose relevant measures to reduce and control indoor air 
pollution. Air quality monitoring was carried out for this project 
to evaluate levels of exposure to IAP in dwellings, assess the 
association between exposure to IAP and respiratory diseases, and to 
develop indicators of pollution, including: 
 
A) Sulfur dioxide from the combustion of fossil fuel; 
B) Carbon monoxide as an indicator for incomplete combustion; 
C) Respirable particulate matter and suspended particulate matter 
(SPM) as an indicator of smoke from opening the stove; 
D) Smoke and/or dust from indoor activities and characteristics of 
the house; and 
E)  The extent to which the house characteristics and appliances 
influence the concentration of indoor air pollutants. 
 
¶5.   The study concluded that indoor pollutant levels were 2-3 times 
higher compared to outdoor SPM.  Carbon dioxide (CO) levels were 4-5 
times greater indoors than they were outdoors.  Indoor 
concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) were found to be 4 times 
higher than outdoor in rural areas.  The survey also revealed some 
respiratory illness in some of the population involved in the 
sample.  The study recommended improvement in monitoring of indoor 
and outdoor air quality; development of national guidelines on 
indoor air quality; carrying out more long-term monitoring programs 
(to enable more definitive conclusions); government taking 
leadership in urban planning; and all government agencies involved 
in housing to consider a review of the construction and building use 
methodologies and guidelines. 
 
¶6.   The POC for this project is Mr. Anura Jayatillke, Director 
Global Affairs Division, Ministry of Environment and Natural 
Resources. Tel/fax: 94-11-2887452. 
 
COOKSTOVE PROGRAM 
 
¶7.  The Integrated Development Association (IDEA), with the support 
of UNDP and the Indonesia-based Asian Region Cookstove Program 
(ARECOP), is implementing a program to promote kitchens that 
conserve biomass energy, improve indoor air quality, and develop 
healthy living conditions and income generation prospects for the 
poor. The ARECOP and UNDP programs commenced in 2002 and 2004 
respectively, and are implemented in 12 districts with the 
participation of a network of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) 
involved in sustainable development activities.  The scope of the 
work consists of promoting the concepts of improving indoor air 
quality and construction of model kitchens incorporating the 
required equipment with the participation of the beneficiaries.  The 
project covers the purchase of materials for chimneys and improved 
stoves. All other costs, including labor, must be provided by the 
beneficiary.  The CBOs mobilize the beneficiaries and coordinate the 
activities in their respective localities. IDEA manages and monitors 
the program and assists in constructing the model kitchens at the 
national level and provides training and technical skills to control 
costs. 
 
¶8.  Under these two programs, over 300 kitchens have been improved, 
30 NGOs/CBOs have been strengthened, and over 50 CBO members have 
been trained in related technical and social mobilization skills. 
In addition to the Kitchen Improvement Program, IDEA is involved in 
commercialization of improved stoves. According to IDEA, using 
improved wood stoves is an internationally proven strategy to reduce 
IAP. In this exercise, IDEA has established a fully commercial 
structure to produce and market the improved stove. At present, the 
annual production is over 300,000 stoves produced by 300 potters 
living in 12 districts.  These stoves are sold in the market without 
any subsidies.  This program commenced in 1991. 
 
¶9.  The POC for IDEA is: R.M. Amarasekara, Executive Director. Tel: 
94-81-2423396, Fax: 94-81-4470649, Email: amare@ids.lk 
 
FURTHER POSSIBILITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT 
 
¶10. COMMENT: The Ministry of Environment's IAP study did not 
conclusively identify ways to improve IAP in Sri Lanka.  Officials 
of the Ministry of Environment have acknowledged that further 
research with longer duration and including a wider sample of the 
target population is necessary to reach better decisions on how IAP 
issues can be addressed more effectively. The expansion of the IDEA 
kitchen improvement program could be a short term solution to 
mitigating the effects of IAP until more focused research provides 
more definite conclusions on how the issue could be handled on a 
national scale.  Overall, while officials have made some efforts 
regarding IAP, it is unlikely that the GSL will make this issue a 
high priority in the near future.  However, with greater awareness 
resulting from studies, and demonstrations of better stove 
technology, individuals and communities may become better informed 
and more motivated to reduce IAP within their own homes and 
communities. 
 
BLAKE