Introduction :

A global TNA project has been designed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the support of the Global Environment Facility to facilitate 35 to 40 countries to carry out improved Technology needs assessments within the framework of UNFCCC. Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the countries to carry out this project.

The Technology Needs Assessment project is carried out to identify measures and practices that might be implemented in different sectors of a country to reduce GHG emissions and vulnerability to climate change and to contribute to overall development goals.It provides multiple benefits at the country level, including the identification of barriers for deployment and diffusion of technologies and facilitate in removing of policy and legal gaps leading to improvement of enabling environments, increasing the capacity of local institutions and experts, and raising public awareness of climate change issues.

The main objective of the Climate Change Technology Needs Assessmentis to identify and assess environmentally sound technologies that have synergy between reducing the impact of climate change and the rate of GHG emissions in Sri Lanka within national development objectives. The TNA represents a set of country driven activities that identify and determine the most appropriate mitigation and adaptation priority technologies for Sri Lanka. By adopting a consultative process, it identifies the barriers to technology transfer and measures to address these barriers through a sectoral analysis.

The Specific Objectives of the TNA are to;

a. Define priority sectors for which technologies are needed to sustain national development projects and programmes in light of the UNFCCC and potential impacts of climate change.

b. Identify suitable technologies that contribute to climate change adaptation in the relevant sectors.

c. Prioritize the identifiedtechnologies, their cost-effectiveness, and barriers to implementation.

d. Develop an enabling framework for the development and diffusion of prioritized technologies for relevant sectors.

e. Develop project proposalsfor priority technologies for relevant sectors to mobilize resources for implementation of     the programme

The stakeholder involvement is very crucial to the TNA process as it reflects national response to climate change technology, and implementation of activities at all levels. In order to ensure widest possible  stakeholder participation in the TNA process,  five (08) technical stakeholder working groups were  established  on sectoral basis. These stakeholder working groups representFood, Health, Water, Coastal Resources and Biodiversity Sectors, Energy, Transport and Industry.The stakeholders in the  working groups included representatives of the Government departments with responsibility for policy formulation & regulation, private & public sector industries,  technology distributors, users & suppliers, organizations involved in the manufacture, import & sale of technologies and other relevant institutions such as universities, research organizations & relevant NGOs. Project has completed followings;

1. Technology Needs Assessment report for Adaptation and Mitigation
   
   
2. Barrier Analysis, Market Assessment and Enabling Framework report for identified technologies for Adaptation and Mitigation
   
   
3. Technology Action Plan report for Adaptation and Mitigation
   
   
4. Project Idea reports for Adaptation and Mitigation
   

Sri Lanka will use the following three ways to disseminate the information of the project.

1. Final report of the TNA project including the TNA, Barrier analysis & Enabling Framework & TAPs will be printed and distribute among the relevant institutes.
   
   
2. Final workshop to present key outcomes of the TNA process will be held with relevant stakeholders to disseminate the findings of the project.
   

Sri Lanka has planned three mechanisms to implement the project ideas and technology action plans within the country.

1. Project ideas and technology action plans will be distributed to the relevant institutions identified as implementing agencies for the specific technology. There by encourage them to incorporate the findings in their annual action plans in order to mainstream the actions and obtain funds through national budget as appropriate.
   
   
2. Planning to conduct a Donor Forum who are working with the Ministry of Environment to seek financial assistance to carry out the projects.
   
   
3. Liaise with international funds (GEF/UNEP/Green Climate Fund etc) to seek funding for development of project proposals based on project ideas and implementation of the potential projects.
   
   

   Supported Agencies